Orders of the Day — Clause 1. — (Discontinuance of certain subsidies under 13 & 14 Geo. 5. C. 24 and 14 & 15 Geo. 5. c. 35.)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 28 February 1933.

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Photo of Mr Valentine McEntee Mr Valentine McEntee , Walthamstow West

It has not escaped my attention. I have read it very carefully and have noticed the word "may." I have always been suspicious of that word in Acts of Parliament. If we say that a local authority "shall" do a thing, we know that it will be done, but, if we say that the local authority "may" do a thing, there is considerable doubt whether it will be done. My experience in these matters is that if a scheme would cost a local authority anything and if it happens to be a reactionary local authority, the word "may" is a means of enabling it to get out of a responsibility that Parliament very often desires it to carry out. I want the Minister to say that where housing schemes have been prepared within a reasonable time, the subsidy shall be paid, and I hope that, having made some concession to us in this matter, the right hon. Gentleman will go a little further and say that the subsidy "shall" be paid. A good deal depends on the officer in the Ministry of Health before whom a scheme comes. I have had experience in dealing with officials in that Department, and I find that all of them are very nice people, but, at the same time, one gets a consideration from some of them that one does not get from others. The question whether a subsidy shall be granted should not depend upon the whim or the will of a particular individual in the Department before whom a scheme happens to come. If the Minister will accept the Amendment and agree that a local authority shall have an extension of six months during which it can get the subsidy for schemes that were in preparation at the time of the introduction of the Bill, he will do something that is fair and that all local authorities and the Committee will appreciate.