Vol. 164 No. 10
I move amendment No. 1:—
First Schedule: In page 6, line 13, to delete "Limited".
This amendment and the following amendment are to correct errors in the names of the companies scheduled. Apparently, the correct name of the Waterford Gas Company is the "City of Waterford Gas Company" and for some reason the Cobh Gas Company is not a limited company.
I move amendment No. 2:—
First Schedule: In page 6, line 18, to delete "Waterford Gas Company, Limited" and substitute "City of Waterford Gas Company".
In consideration of our courtesy to him, would the Minister mind recapitulating briefly what gave rise to this Bill?
When the Supplies and Services Act ceases to operate on 31st December, a number of old Acts relating to gas charges would automatically come back into operation, unless we enact new legislation to provide for the repeal of these old Acts.
Is there any substantial change in the law as a result of this Bill?
Not in the law as it has operated since the war, but, as I explained on the Second Reading, before the war, there were a number of companies which had special Acts relating the charges to the dividends they paid on their shares. A long time ago, the charges ran out through the top of these arrangements. They would be completely impracticable to-day, but nevertheless they would automatically come back into operation if we did not enact this legislation.
