Another New Clause ("Power to obtain statistics from all generators of electricity ") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"It shall be the duty of any company, body or person owning a generating station to furnish to the Electricity Commissioners, if so required and at such times and in such manner as the Commissioners may direct, reasonable particulars as to plant installed, electricity generated and used, and fuel consumed in respect of any such generating station "-(Mr. Robert Hudson).

Motion made, and Question, "That the Clause be read a second time,"-put, and negatived.

Another New Clause ("Advances to be made by a prospective purchasing authority") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"(1) Where under the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1882 to 1922, or under any order made thereunder, or under any deed of transfer executed in pursuance of powers conferred by any such order, or under any special or local Act, any right to purchase the whole or any part of the undertaking of any authorised undertakers being a company is vested in a local authority (including a joint electricity authority), the authorised undertakers may at any time within seven years before the date of purchase occurring next after the passing of this Act, or within seven years of any subsequent date of purchase, require the local authority to declare whether they intend to exercise their right to purchase.

(2) If the local authority notify to the authorised undertakers their intention not to exercise their right, the right shall not be exerciseable at the date aforesaid.

(3) If the local authority, within six months of such requisition, fail to notify to the authorised undertakers their intention with regard to the exercise of the right to purchase or, as a condition of not exercising their right, seek to impose terms which in the opinion of the Electricity Commissioners are unreasonable, the Electricity Commissioners may suspend the right to purchase for such period and on such conditions as they think

(4) If the local authority declare their intention to exercise their right of purchase, the local authority shall, subject to the provisions of the Eighth Schedule to this Act, if so required by the authorised undertakers, advance by way of loan to the authorised undertakers such sums of money as the authorised undertakers may reasonably require to expend thereafter on capital account for the purpose of developing or carrying on the undertaking or part thereof the subject of the right to purchase.

(5) The raising of money for the purpose of advances under this section shall be a purpose for which a local authority may borrow

(a) in the case of a joint electricity authority under The Electricity Supply Act, 1922;

(b) in the case of the council of a municipal borough or urban district under the Public Health Act, 1875;

and money borrowed under this section shall not be reckoned as part of the total debt of a local authority for the purposes of any limitation of borrowing under the enactments relating to borrowing by the local authority.

(6) If a local authority are unable to obtain the consent necessary to enable them to raise by borrowing the money required for an advance under this section, they may rescind their notice of intention to exercise their right of purchase "-(Colonel Sir Joseph Nall).

Motion made, and Question, "That the Clause be read a second time," put, and negatived.

Another New Clause (" Exclusion of London companies") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

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Nothing in this Act shall derogate from or supersede the provisions contained in the agreements entered into between the companies parties thereto, respectively, and the London County Council, and confirmed by The London Electricity (No. 1)Act, 1925, and The London Electricity (No. 2) Act, 1925 ”— (Lieut.-Colonel Sir Frederick Hall).

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.

Another New Clause ("Adoption of Local Government and Other Officers' Superannuation Act, 1922")-(Mr. Townend)-brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.

Another New Clause ("Supply of electricity by railways, &c.")-(Mr. Robert Hudson)-brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.

Another New Clause ("Provisions consequent on acquisition by the Board of generating station or main transmission line ")-(Lieut.-Colonel Sir Frederick Hall). brought up, read the first and second time, and added to the Bill.

Another New Clause ("Act not to apply to certain generating stations ") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"This Act shall not apply to any generating station established by a local authority for the production of electricity by means of the utilisation of water-power, waste heat, or otherwise in connection with any undertaking of such authority (other than their electricity undertaking authorised under the Electricity Supply Acts, 1882 to 1922) or the supply of electricity produced by such means without the consent of such authority "-(Mr. Hardie).

Motion made, and Question, "That the Clause be read a second time,"-put, and negatived.

Another New Clause ("Bye-laws as to wires, apparatus, and fittings") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"(1) Any authorised undertakers may make byelaws for the purpose of preventing fire or any injury to persons in any building or premises supplied or proposed to be supplied with electricity by the

undertakers with respect to the nature, material, workmanship and mode of arrangement of the wires, apparatus, and fittings in any such building or premises, and required or used for the purpose of such supply, and may refuse to supply electricity, or cut off and discontinue the supply of electricity, to any building or premises in which such bye-laws are not complied with.

"(2) The provisions of section six of The Electric Lighting Act, 1882, shall apply to any bye-laws made under this section "-(Sir Douglas Newton).

Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Clause be read a second time."

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.

Another New Clause ("Further powers as to entry upon premises") brought up, and read the first time as follows:

"(1) The powers conferred by section twenty-four of The Electric Lighting Act, 1882, of entering premises for the purposes mentioned in that section shall extend to enable authorised undertakers to enter any premises to which electricity is or has been supplied by them (whether for the time being occupied or not) and in or upon which they have reason to believe that there is or has been any contravention of any of the Acts or Orders relating to their undertaking or of any bye-law or regulation made thereunder, and to inspect such premises and any electric lines, wires, fuses, casings, switches, fittings, lamps, lampholders, or other apparatus therein, and in any case in which any such contravention is found to exist or to have existed to cut off and disconnect the supply of electricity to the premises :

(2) Where any premises which any authorised undertakers are entitled to enter in pursuance of the said section twenty-four, as extended by this section, are unoccupied or where the undertakers are unable to obtain admittance to any such premises, though occupied, the undertakers may, after giving not less than forty-eight hours' notice to the owner thereof or, if he is unknown to them and if he cannot be

ascertained by them after diligent inquiry, by affixing such notice upon a conspicuous part of the premises, forcibly enter the same doing no unnecessary damage.

(3) Any person who shall refuse or neglect to admit any officer appointed by any authorised undertakers to any premises which he is entitled to enter in pursuance of the said section twenty-four, as extended by this section, or shall hinder any such officer from entering any such premises or from exercising the powers contained in either of the said sections, shall be liable on summary conviction to a penalty not exceeding five pounds and to a daily penalty not exceeding twenty shillings"-(Sir Douglas Newton). Motion made, and Question put, "That the Clause be read a second time."-The Committee divided :

Another New Clause ("Period of error in defective meters") brought up, and read thefirst time as follows:

"(1) In the event of a meter of a construction and pattern approved by the Board of Trade or the Minister of Transport used by any consumer of electricity being