Orders of the Day — ELECTRICITY (SUPPLY) BILL [Lords].

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Gorffennaf 1922.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Mr Aneurin Williams Mr Aneurin Williams , Consett

I beg to second the Amendment.

8.0 P.M.

I do not propose to add many words to what has been said by the last speaker, who was a member of the Committee, but I desire to point out that the urban district councils throughout the country are thoroughly dissatisfied with this Clause. They would propose to fight the thing very fully but for the fact that those who might have been expected to fight with them have come to a compromise with the power companies. The urban district councils are not satisfied with the compromise come to. It seems to me of the greatest importance that the interests of the public and of the local authorities as representing the public should be preferred rather than those of the power companies, and more particularly in a matter such as this of the distribution of electricity, on which the future of our country depends to so large an extent—the industrial future of the distribution of cheap power and possibly, eventually, also a very great change in the conditions of life, by heating electrically rather than by filling the atmosphere with black smoke and poisoning the life of the people. From the point of view of the immense importance of cheapening electricity in this country, and from the point of view of the rights and interests of the consuming public and the local authorities representing them, we say that this Clause is most objectionable and ought to be deleted.