HL Deb 02 July 1953 vol 183 cc154-6

5.10 p.m.

Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.

Moved, That the House do now resolve itself into Committee.—(Lord Burden.)

On Question, Motion I agreed to.

House in Committee accordingly:

[The EARL OF DROGHEDA in the Chair]

Clauses 1 to 3 agreed to.

Clause 4:

Provision of omnibus shelters, etc.

(4) In this and the next three following sections, "local authority" includes the council of a rural parish; and "public service vehicle" has the meaning assigned to it by section one hundred and twenty-one of the Road Traffic Act, 1930, except that it includes a tramcar or trolley vehicle as so defined.

LORD HINDLIP moved, in subsection (4) after "parish" to insert: and in the case of a rural parish not having a council, the parish meeting.

The noble Lord said: I mentioned this point on Second Reading. Since then it has been brought to my knowledge that it is probable that Section 273 of the Local Government Act, 1933, will cover my point. That section gives county councils power to empower parish meetings in the same way as parish councils. If that applies in the case of this Bill, there will be no need for me to go further with this Amendment. I take it that it is the wish of Parliament that the smallest local authorities should have the powers given by Clause 4 of this Bill. Perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Burden, will tell me if this section of the Local Government Act, 1933, covers my point. I beg to move.

Amendment moved— Page 4, line 35, after ("parish") insert the said words.—(Lord Hindlip.)

LORD BURDEN

I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Hindlip, for the way in which he has moved this Amendment. As he says, he raised this point on Second Reading, and since then I have been into the question and have given some time and attention to it with those responsible for the promotion of the Bill. I can assure him that the Amendment is unnecessary in view of the provisions in Section 273 of the Local Government Act, 1933, which enables a county council, at the request of a parish meeting of a rural parish, to make an order conferring on them any functions of a parish council. Of course we are all desirous of developing amenities in our villages in the remote parts, particularly those villages which have not sufficient population for a parish council. The development of those amenities is very important in our national life, and I feel sure that any council receiving representations from a parish meeting that the parish meeting itself is anxious to provide a bus shelter would give sympathetic consideration to a request of that kind. With that, I hope the noble Lord will withdraw his Amendment.

LORD HINDLIP

I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Burden. He has certainly covered my point, and I am sure all is in order. I beg leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Clause 4 agreed to.

Remaining clauses and Schedule agreed to.

House resumed: Bill reported without amendment.