Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Gorffennaf 1922.
Of course, I accept without question what my hon. Friend tells me. It rather confirms the view I have expressed. I never suggested that he raid the Government wished to withdraw Clause 15. But he said there was grave danger—I think those are the very words he used—of losing Clause 15 if some such Amendment were not accepted. May I ask him what happened in Committee? Surely, we are not concerned with the tittle tattle outside. We are not concerned with the notices the technical Press, who boldly state that they would far rather trust for public legislation to the Electricity Commissioners than to Parliament. This discussion arose in Committee on an Amendment put down by the hon. Member for Whitechapel (Mr. Kiley). He moved quite a small Amendment, relating to generating stations, in connection with Clause 15. He made no speech, even, in support of his Amendment. He said he moved it, and he should like to hear the hon. Gentleman's explanation. The Parliamentary Secretary made a long speech. He made a case not only for my hon. Friend's Amendment but he made a case, which I cannot help feeling he wanted to make, to show that Clause 15 required amendment. It did not come from any Member of the Committee. We have had assurance after assurance that no doubt a form of words could he made to meet us. That form of words has never been found. The hon. Gentleman met the Municipal Associations and the Power Companies Association but not those, or some of those, Members who have taken a close interest in the Measure from the beginning, hon. Gentleman has not made out his case. He has absolutely broken faith, and has done it in a very ingenious manner, displaying a skill very similar in type to the skill he displayed when, by an acrobatic feat, he translated himself from the bench where I stand to the seat he now occupies. I demand in the interests of clean Parliamentary life that we should have these discussions carried on between Members of Parliament and not between His Majesty's Ministers and associations. I make no allegation or suggestion against the association in question. I am a member of that association. The members of that association are most estimable and honourable gentlemen, all trying to discharge their duty, but it is not their business, between the Committee stage mid the Report stage to deal with these things, except through Members of the Committee, who served on that Committee. I say, with very great reluctance, that I must hog of my hon. Friend that he should keep faith and not break a definite pledge given by His Majesty's Government, otherwise, we must rely upon another place to deal with the matter.