HC Deb 26 February 1897 vol 46 cc1254-5
MR. JOHN WILSON (Lanark, Govan)

I beg to ask the Lord Advocate (1) whether his attention has been directed to the fact that while 18,572 persons were arrested as drunk and incapable, and many thousands more were arrested for being drunk and disorderly in the City of Glasgow during the year 1895, only two publicans were summoned for contravening the terms of their licences which render them liable for supplying intoxicated persons or permitting drunkenness on their premises; and (2) whether he will call the attention of the Magistrates of Glasgow and of the Chief Constable of that city to the extraordinary and striking discrepancy between the number of persons summoned for the two classes of offences named which are admittedly closely connected?

*THE LORD ADVOCATE (MR. GRAHAM MURRAY,) Buteshire

I must point out to the hon. Member that for the purposes of his Question a publican is in breach of his certificate only if within his house he permits a breach of the peace or riotous or disorderly conduct, or supplies excisable liquor to persons who are in a state of intoxication I must refer the hon. Member to my previous answer that there can be no normal numerical relation between the two classes of offenders, and therefore no just inference to be drawn from their respective numbers I cannot undertake to do as desired in the last paragraph of the Question, as I do not admit that the numbers referred to are in any way related in a legal or criminal sense.