Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Gorffennaf 1922.
Sir W. BARTON:
I have had a great admiration for the lucidity of the arguments of the Parliamentary Secretary throughout the progress of this Bill. Consequently I regret having now to find myself in conflict with what he has said. It seems to me that the Amendment is thoroughly justified, and that all the arguments used by the Parliamentary Secretary are fully dealt with under Sub-section (1) of this Clause. The quite exceptional power which, apparently, is to be given to these joint electricity authorities, would result in sloppy finance. They would know that when, because they put down fresh plant, or when, because of the general management of their undertaking, there would be a deficiency at the end of the year, that deficiency could quite easily be covered by a fresh charge on those who had already paid the price which had been fixed. I agree with the hon. Member for Mossley (Mr. Hopkinson) that that would be, a wholly unbusiness-like proceeding. Surely it is the duty of the authority to spread the deficiency over a period of years. This Sub-section (2) is not only redundant, but mischievous.