HL Deb 16 November 1933 vol 89 cc431-2

After Clause 122, page 72, line 39, at end insert the following new clause.

Disclosure by officers of interest in contracts.

(".—(1) If it comes to the knowledge of an officer employed, whether under this Act or any other enactment, by a local authority, that a contract in which he has any pecuniary interest, whether direct or indirect (not being a contract to which he is himself a party) has been, or is proposed to be, entered into by the authority or any committee thereof, lie shall, as soon as practicable, give notice in writing to the authority of the fact that he is interested therein.

For the purposes of this section an officer shall be treated as having indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract or proposed contract if he would have been so treated by virtue of subsection (2) or subsection (3) of Section seventy-six of this Act had he been a member of the authority.

(2) An officer of a local authority shall not, under colour of his office or employment, exact or accept any fee or reward whatsoever other than his proper remuneration.

(3) If any person fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) or contravenes any of the provisions of subsection (2) of this section he shall for each offence be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.

(4) References in this section to a local authority shall include a reference to a joint committee appointed under Part III of this Act").

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, I now come to a clause which is not exactly a new clause. It applies to officers the same principle as Clause 76 applies to members of a local authority—namely, that interests in contracts with the authority, however indirect, must be disclosed. It re-enacts and makes applicable to local government officers in general the provisions of Section 193 of the Public Health Act, 1875, which makes it an offence for an officer to exact or accept, under colour of his office or employment, any fee or reward other than his proper salary, wages and allowances.

Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.