Sitting of 15 April 1924

Preamble
The House met at half-past three of the clock, The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
LANCASHIRE ASYLUMS BOARD BILL. [H.L.]
Read 2a.
HACKNEY AND NEW COLLEGE BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
WAKEFIELD CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
LEEDS CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.

TOWN PLANNING BILL. [H.L.]
LORD MUIR MACKENZIE: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to consolidate the enactments relating to town planning in England and Wales, and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; and to be printed.

TOWN PLANNING (SCOTLAND) BILL. [H.L.]
LORD MUIR MACKENZIE: My Lords, I beg leave to introduce a Bill to consolidate the enactments in relation to town planning in Scotland, and to move that it be read a first time.
Moved, That the Bill be now read 1a.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)
On Question, Bill read 1a; and to be printed.

THE EASTER RECESS.
THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (LORD PARMOOR): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion of which I have given Notice. It is a form of Motion that has been adopted on previous occasions.
Moved to resolve, That the House on its adjournment do adjourn for business, other than Judicial Business, to 6th May, except that if it appears to the satisfaction of the Lord Chancellor that the public interest requires that the House should meet at any earlier time during such adjournment, the Lord Chancellor may give notice to the Peers that he is so satisfied, and thereupon the House shall meet at the time stated in such Notice, and shall transact its business as if it had been duly adjourned to that time.—(Lord Parmoor.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE (No. 3) BILL.
House in Committee (according to Order):
Bill reported without amendment.
THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT HALDANE): My Lords, I beg to move the Motion standing on the Paper in my name.
Moved, That Standing Order No. XXXIX be considered in order, to its being dispensed with.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
On Question, Motion agreed to, and ordered accordingly.
Then (Standing Order No. XXXIX having been suspended), Bill read 3a, and passed.

HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICES.
Order of the Day read for the consideration of the First Report from the Select Committee.
The Committee reported as follows—

1. RE-APPOINTMENT OF SUB-COMMITTEES.
The Sub-Committee on the Refreshment Department was re-appointed consisting of the following Lords:—The Lord Great Chamberlain, Lord Muir Mackenzie and Lord Lambourne, with the Clerk of the Parliaments.
272
The Library Sub-Committee was reappointed consisting of the following Lords:—The Lord Chancellor, Viscount Finlay, Lord Wigan (Earl of Crawford), Lord Colebrooke, Lord Stuart of Wortley and Lord Ernie.
The Lord Great Chamberlain, as Chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Refreshment Department, reported that if the present arrangements were to be continued during the session it would be again necessary to raise a sum of £350 from Peers as a subsidy.
The Committee authorised the sending of a circular letter to Peers asking for contributions, the minimum contribution being fixed at £1.

2. GENERAL INDEX TO THE JOURNALS.
The decennial volume of this work, which is now being prepared, will end with the Journal of 1923, and its completion and revision will cause a heavy increase of work to the Clerk engaged on it during this year and next year.
In accordance with the decisions of the House in 1903 and 1913, the Committee recommend that a special payment of £150 a year for each of the two years 1924–25 and 1925–20 should be made to the Clerk entrusted with this work. He will probably have to use some portion of this sum in obtaining clerical assistance.

3. CLEANING OF THE ROOMS IN THE VICTORIA TOWER.
The rooms in the Victoria Tower, and also the Rolls of Parliament and other documents stored in them, require to be thoroughly cleaned. The work will have to be carefully done and will take some considerable time. The Committee recommend that a sum of £100 should be set apart for this purpose during the coming financial year.
4. APPOINTMENT OF LADY CLERICAL ASSISTANT.
The Clerk Assistant informed the Committee that the Clerk of the Parliaments had appointed Miss W. M. J. Phipps to fill the vacancy of second lady clerical assistant caused by the resignation of Miss W. M. Bird on her marriage.
5. ESTIMATE.
The Estimate for the House of Lords Offices for the year ending March, 1925, was laid before the Committee by the Clerk Assistant and approved.

6. RETIREMENT OF A PRINCIPAL DOORKEEPER.
The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod informed the Committee of the resignation of Mr. A. J. Solman, the senior principal doorkeeper, on account of ill-health.
Mr. Solman will be sixty-four years old on the 20th of April, and his retirement is to date from the 7th of May. Ho will then have completed thirty-four years in the service of the House.
Mr. Solman became a principal doorkeeper in October, 1921, and has been in the receipt of a salary of £200 per annum since that date. Owing to the special circumstances of his case, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod recommended that Mr. Solman's pension should be calculated on the salary of £200 and not on the basis of the usual three years' average.
The Committee approved of this arrangement, and sanctioned the grant to Mr. Solman of a pension of £85 per annum. In addition to this pension, he will also receive a supplement under the Treasury agreement amounting at the present time to £48 1s. 10 d., but this supplement is subject to quarterly revision. He is further entitled to a gratuity of £353 10 s. 5d.

7. CLERK IN THE LORD GREAT CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE.
The Committee sanctioned an annual increase of £50 in the salary of the Clerk in the Lord Great Chamberlain's Office. This increase will date from the 1st of April, 1924.
THE CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEES (THE EARL OF DONOTGHMORE): My Lords, I beg to move that this "Report be now considered and adopted.
Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Motion agreed to.

ELECTRICITY SPECIAL ORDERS.
LORD MUIR MACKENZIE: My Lords, I beg to move the first of the three Motions standing in my name on the Paper.
Moved, That the Special Order made by the Electricity Commissioners under the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1882 to 1922, and confirmed by the Minister of Transport under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1919, in respect of the urban districts of Awre, Coleford, Nailsworth, Newnham, and Westbury-on-Severn, the rural districts of West Dean, East Dean, and United Parishes, Wheatenhurst, Dursley, and Stroud, and parts of the rural districts of Thornbury and Lydney, all in the County of Gloucester, and for other purposes, which was presented on the 1st day of April, 1924, be approved.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)
THE EARL OF DONOUGHMORE: My Lords, in connection with this Motion I should like to make an appeal to my noble friend, who has been good enough to discuss this matter with me elsewhere. The Hereford Corporation have consistently opposed this Order up to the present and they are anxious to consider
274
whether they should oppose it in your Lordships' House. They have made no complaint to me, and I am sure they have no complaint from the point of view of length of notice. They have recently instructed an Agent who has been to see me on the subject, and if my noble friend could see his way to adjourn the discussion of this matter until the first day after the Recess it might end, perhaps, in the avoidance of any contest and, what is more important, the avoidance of any grievance in a matter in which no grievance exists at present. Therefore, I should like to make this appeal to my noble friend.
LORD MUIR MACKENZIE: My Lords, I shall, of course, be most happy to adopt this or any recommendation received from my noble friend. I shall, therefore, place this: Motion on the Paper for the first day after the Recess.
Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
Moved, That the Special Order made by the Electricity Commissioners under the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1832 to 1922, and confirmed by the Minister of Transport under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1919, in respect of the parishes or townships of East Saltney, Higher Kinnerton, Hope, Llanfynydd, Sealand and Tryddyn, and part of the parish of Hawarden, all in the rural district of Hawarden, in the county of Flint, and for the amendment of the Hawarden Rural District Council Electric Lighting Order, 1914, which was presented on the 28th day of February, 1924, be approved.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Moved, That the Special Order made by the Electricity Commissioners under the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 18S2 to 1922, with the concurrence of the Secretary for Scotland, and confirmed by the Minister of Transport under the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1919, constituting a Joint Board consisting of representatives of the County Council of the County of Ayr, the Provost, Magistrates, and Councillors of the Burgh of Ayr, and the Provost, Magistrates, and Councillors of the Burgh of Kilmarnock, for the joint exercise of powers under the said Acts, which was presented on the 1st day of April, 1924, be approved.—(Lord Muir Mackenzie.)
On Question, Motion agreed.
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.

ROYAL COMMISSION.
The following Bills received the Royal Assent:—
Army and Air Force (Annual),
Unemployment Insurance (No. 3),
Treaty of Peace (Turkey),
Chatham and District Light Railways Company,
Birkenhead Corporation (Ferries).
House adjourned during pleasure.
House resumed.
House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before five o'clock.

BIRMINGHAM CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
Petition for additional provision; of Corporation of Birmingham; together with proposed clause annexed thereto; read, and referred to the Examiners.
MALVERN HILLS BILL. [H.L.]
The King's consent signified, and Bill reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
HASTINGS CORPORATION BILL. [H.L.]
The King's consent signified, and Bill reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.

BRISTOL WATER BILL. [H.L.]
Reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House, That the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificate from the Examiners that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bill have been complied with:
Kingston-upon-Hull Corporation.
Also the Certificate that the further Standing Orders have not been complied with in respect of the Petition of the following Bill:
Rotherham Corporation.
The same were Ordered to lie upon the Table.

CITY OF LONDON (VARIOUS POWERS) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and referred to the Examiners.
LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL (TRAMWAYS AND IMPROVEMENTS) BILL.
Brought from the Commons; read 1a; and referred to the Examiners.