§ Order of the Day for the Second Reading read.
LORD BALFOUR OF BURLEIGHMy Lords, this is a Consolidation Bill. It is promoted by the London County Council after consultation with the Metropolitan Boroughs' Standing Joint Committee and also with the Ministry of Health. Although it is a formidable document, containing 311 clauses and various Schedules, it will not be necessary for me to take more than a few moments of your Lordships' time in explaining what the purpose of the Bill is. As your Lordships know, public health legislation of the country is regulated, so far as London is concerned, mainly by the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and so far as the provinces are concerned, by the Public Health Act of 1875. The law relating to public health in London has not been consolidated since the passage of the 1891 Act. Moreover, when that consolidation took place, the laws relating to two very important parts of public-health Legislation—namely, sewerage and drainage and common lodging houses—were not included in the consolidation. It has now been thought right to bring these within the scope of this Bill. They are at present mainly governed, so far as sewerage and drainage are concerned, by the Metropolis Management Acts of 1855 and 1862, and so far as common lodging houses are concerned, by the Acts of 1851 and 1853; and all those enactments are now brought within the scope of this consolidation.
The public health legislation of London really can only be described at the moment as a jumble. It is in fact a maze the route to the centre of which is beset with very grave difficulties, and this state of affairs really has become an obstacle to good administration. 289 Only those of your Lordships who have had occasion to try to administer the public health law of London can know what obstacles to good administration this mass of legislation presents. When I tell your Lordships that this Bill includes the whole of nineteen Acts so far as they apply to London, the whole of four other Acts except so far as they relate to the City of London, and parts of fifty-seven other Acts, you will realise that the consolidation of eighty Acts of Parliament into one will greatly simplify the administration of the public health legislation of London. I need only add that if the House is good enough to give the Bill a Second Reading it will be automatically referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills for consideration and report.
§ Moved, That the Bill be now read 2a.—(Lord Balfour of Burleigh.)
§ LORD JESSELMy Lords, I am very glad that the noble Lord has made such a very clear and lucid statement, because I know that in certain quarters in London alarm has been expressed at this big Bill being presented to your Lordships' House without notice of it having been given to some of the local authorities. Their minds will be set at rest now that they have been informed that this is merely a Consolidation Bill. It will, as the noble Lord said, go in the ordinary course for consideration by the Joint Committee that deals with these matters. As the noble Lord has said, and there is no need for me to reinforce his argument, there is a great need in London for the law to be clarified. He has pointed out how many Acts of Parliament deal with London, and I understand that a great deal of work in the preparation of this Bill has been done by the London County Council over whose destinies the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition presides. I am sure from past experience that that work will be found to be exceedingly well done. The Metropolitan Boroughs have been consulted and I believe that the Ministry of Health agree with the introduction of the Bill.
VISCOUNT GAGEMy Lords, I rise to state on behalf of the Ministry of Health that they regard the Bill as a valuable clarification of the existing law. Naturally, it will have to be examined with great 290 care by the Joint Committee, but the Government welcome it in principle
§ On Question, Bill read 2a, and referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.