Orders of the Day — Ministry of Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill – in the House of Commons at on 8 December 1920.
Mr John Lorden
, St Pancras North
I beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (2) to insert the words
Provided that any order of the Minister in so far as it relates to the sanction of a loan under this section for the purpose of the payment of interest payable in respect of money borrowed shall be provisional only, and shall be of no effect until confirmed by Parliament.
Paragraph (b) of Sub-section (1) of this Clause was put in in Committee as somewhat of a safeguard, but I do not think it goes far enough. There should be
some additional safeguard when you have a Clause in which you can continue to borrow money for five years, and the right hon. Gentleman in Committee made the suggestion of the very words I have down as a proviso, and to our astonishment when it came to a question of voting he did not vote for it. That seemed rather letting us down. He said it was cumbersome and clumsy, but a little while afterwards when pressed hard with regard to Clause 9 he practically put in the same proviso. It was one of the Clauses which was talked about very much on the Second Reading of the Bill. Everybody seemed to be against it because it was such a ridiculous proposal that, without any safeguard, a local authority should be able to borrow money practically forever, paying interest on the loans, and continuing to pay interest on the additional loans that it took up. The right hon. Gentleman could not defend that: therefore he gave us other safeguards that are in the Bill. The proviso which I now move is reasonable. There ought not to be a Clause like this in the Bill, without some considerable limitation.
Dr Christopher Addison
, Shoreditch
I will accept the Amendment.
Viscount Turnour
, Horsham and Worthing
I beg to second the Amendment. I do not share my hon. Friend's optimism in regard to the Minister's promise. A very strange situation arose in Committee on this Clause which has been explained by my hon. Friend (Mr. Lorden). When it came a question of voting he did not vote for it. I am prepared to sit down if the right hon. Gentleman will assure me that he will accept this as it stands, that he will vote for it, and that the Government whips will be put on for the Amendment.
Dr Christopher Addison
, Shoreditch
I have said I will accept this Amendment, with all its implications, and I will take responsibility for it.
Viscount Turnour
, Horsham and Worthing
Then I am satisfied.
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