HL Deb 12 July 1932 vol 85 cc777-9

Schedule, page 4, line 36, leave out from ("owner") to ("afford") in line 38 and insert ("which term when used in this section shall include the owner, lessee or occupier for the time being of a private well")

page 5, line 22, leave out ("by the owner under this section") and insert ("under this section by an owner, lessee or occupier")

page 13, line 41, after ("recoverable") insert ("as a civil debt")

line 43, leave out from second ("occupier") to the end of line 44.

page 14, line 9, after ("under") insert ("the")

page 31, line 24, leave out lines 24 to 27.

VISCOUNT GAGE

My Lords, I beg to move that we agree with the Amendments of the Commons.

Moved, That this House cloth agree with the Commons in the said Amendments.—(Viscount Gage.)

VISCOUNT BERTIE OF THAME

My Lords, I should like to draw attention to one Amendment in this Bill. I have no doubt that it is a very excellent Amendment; it is the last on the Paper —page 31, line 24, leave out lines 24 to 27. Those lines read: If any money is payable to a shareholder mortgagee debenture or stock holder being a minor idiot or lunatic the receipt of the guardian or committee of his estate shall be a sufficient discharge to the undertakers. Two Bills follow—the Ministry of Health Provisional Order Confirmation (Hailsham Water) Bill, and the Ministry of Health Provisional Order (Henley-on-Thames Water) Bill—and that clause word for word appears in those two Bills. The Commons have not moved to leave that clause out, and I should like some explanation.

LORD JESSEL

My Lords, I should like to support my noble friend, who is so industrious in these matters, in asking the representative of the Board of Trade for the reasons. The only thing I can attribute it to is some influence of the noble Viscount the Leader of the House. I beg to remind your Lordships that it, is in the Hailsham Water Bill.

VISCOUNT HAILSHAM

This is not the Hailsham Water Bill; this is the Elham Valley Water Bill.

LORD JESSEL

The Leader of the House says "No," but I would point out that I am drawing attention to the Hailsham Water Bill. The point of my noble friend is that this paragraph is in both Bills. It reads: If any money is payable to a shareholder mortgagee debenture or stock holder being a minor idiot or lunatic the receipt of the guardian or committee of his estate shall be a sufficient discharge to the undertakers. That provision is also in the Hailsham Water Bill. All I was going to say was that I did not know whether it was due to the influence of the noble Viscount the Leader of the House that this provision remains in this Bill. Both Bills are connected with water, and the noble Viscount the Leader of the House is about to embark upon water, and I desire on behalf of the Back Benches of this House to wish him a safe return from the journey he is going to begin to-morrow. Let us hope that the Conference which he is going to attend will be a useful one and that it will be very successful.

VISCOUNT GAGE

My Lords, perhaps it is rather unusual to introduce into this matter a wish that the Leader of the House may have a safe journey to Canada. As regards the matter under discussion, I should have been able to give the noble Viscount, Lord Bertie, fuller information had I been given a little longer notice. In the circumstances it is difficult for me to give very full information. I understand this particular sub-section has been left out of the Elham Valley Water Bill because the company in this case is incorporated under the Companies Act, whereas in the other case it is incorporated under a Special Act of Parliament

VISCOUNT BERTIE OF THAME

My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Viscount. I expect that his explanation is quite watertight.

On Question, Amendments agreed to.