Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am ar 25 Gorffennaf 1922.
The hon. Member in charge of the Bill has not explained the objection to the further part of the Amendment, which seeks to substitute the words "Electricity Commissioners" for the words "Minister of Labour." If I may, I will put the objection myself. There is a good deal more in this Amendment than there seems to be. The gentlemen who instructed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Central Hull (Lieut.-Commander Kenworthy) put forward what appears to be a very innocent Amendment, but it really means a very great deal. If the referees are to be appointed by the Electricity Commissioners instead of by the Minister of Labour, it will make a very great deal of difference. We know perfectly well, from what was told us during the passage of the Grampian Electricity Bill, that the Electricity Commissioners are people of an extraordinarily liberal mind, and that they are willing that taxpayers' money shall be thrown away to any possible extent. It is not their money, and apparently the more the merrier. Evidently therefore, having watched the progress of the Grampian Electricity Bill through this House, and having seen the action of the Electricity Commissioners in advising upon that, these officials have come to the conclusion that if it is to be a question of deciding what they are going to receive as compensation, it would be very much better to be in the hands of the Electricity Commissioners, who cannot be tackled in this House, than in the hands of the Minister of Labour, who can. Therefore I hope the hon. Gentleman will not accept the Amendment