Mr Francis Douglas: Before I come to the substance of what I wish to say, it would be well if I made it clear that, although I am a member of the Railway Assessment Authority and of the Anglo-Scottish Railway Assessment Authority, I am not speaking on their behalf, but am expressing my own opinion on this matter. It has long been evident that some legislation ought to be introduced to deal with certain defects...
Mr Francis Douglas: Marshall asked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the small increase which he has allowed in the clothing coupon ration, if he will now consider allowing coupons to Regular fighting men arriving in the United Kingdom after serving over three years in a foreign station to enable them to obtain some plain clothes.
Mr Francis Douglas: I beg to second the Amendment.
Mr Francis Douglas: I beg to move, in page 18, line 12, leave out from "accident," to the end of line 13.
Mr Francis Douglas: I do not know that they do.
Mr Francis Douglas: This Amendment deals with a very important question, and that is the liberty of the subject. As this Clause is drafted, the Minister is given power to make Regulations not merely for the purpose of determining whether the claimant for benefit has sustained injury by an accident, but also for the purpose of determining the treatment which is appropriate to his injury. Therefore, the Minister...
Mr Francis Douglas: With all respect, Mr. Deputy-Speaker, may I draw your attention to the way in which this Subsection is framed? It provides for claimants: to submit themselves from time to time to medical examination for the purpose of determining the effect of the relevant accident, or the treatment appropriate to the relevant injury or loss of faculty. That is to say, for determining the treatment...
Mr Francis Douglas: May I ask the hon. Member if he has not observed that the point he is making is covered by Subsection (4) of this Clause?
Mr Francis Douglas: "Calculated to retard his recovery."
Mr Francis Douglas: That is Subsection (4).
Mr Francis Douglas: Before the hon. and learned Gentleman leaves that point, will he read the item we are dealing with in conjunction with the next paragraph?
Mr Francis Douglas: Will my right hon. Friend give an undertaking that the regulations will be framed so that those who have a conscientious objection to the treatment prescribed may not be obliged to take it?
Mr Francis Douglas: I beg to move, in page 18, line 34, leave out from "recovery" to the end of line 38. I hope this Amendment will meet with a little more success than did the previous one. The Minister has already put down an Amendment which goes more than half way to meet it The Solicitor-General indicated that he considered that the workman under this Bill had a safeguard in his right to appeal under Clause...
Mr Francis Douglas: asked the Assistant Postmaster-General what arrangements are being made to ensure that the payment of family allowances does not add to the congestion and queueing now prevalent in many post offices.
Mr Francis Douglas: The Government are entirely right to resist this Amendment, not only for the reasons' which the Solicitor-General has given to the House, but also for some others, of which I will adduce two. The first is that the Amendment is not conducive to making the Clause clearer. The word "financial" is a word of many undefined and vague meanings, and might lead to endless disputes and trouble on what...
Mr Francis Douglas: I beg to move, in page 3, line 8, leave out "substantially." I move this Amendment for the purpose of eliciting from the Minister a declaration of policy upon a matter which particularly concerns the local authorities who must be engaged to a very large extent in the provision of housing accommodation in the future. The intention of this Clause, as I understand it, is to prevent the local...
Mr Francis Douglas: In spite of the observations to which the Committee has just listened, I am not going to be tempted into saying anything more than to thank the Minister for the assurance he has given, and which, indeed, I expected him to give. I am sure it will be very satisfying to the local authorities, and I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
Mr Francis Douglas: I beg to move, in page 4, line 31, at end, add: (3) In relation to an advance or a guarantee in respect of any house in the administrative county of London this Section shall have effect as if for the words 'twelve hundred pounds' there were substituted the words 'thirteen hundred pounds. This Clause deals with the amount that may be advanced by local authorities by way of financial...
Mr Francis Douglas: In view of the assurance the Minister has given, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
Mr Francis Douglas: My right hon. Friend may feel happy in the fact that there is no serious opposition in the House to the proposals which he has brought forward. The originating reason for them was the decision, in 1941, to suspend the recalculation of the block grant, which should have operated in 1942, and that decision was taken by the Ministry of Health, with the assent of the local authorities, in view of...