MR. T. P. WHITTRAKER (York, W.R., Spen Valley)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to a case in which a woman was convicted at West Ham on 20th March for being drunk, the police constable who was on point duty outside the "Princess Alice" public house in Romford Road, Stratford, having given evidence that at 7 p.m. on the night of 19th March he saw the prisoner enter the "Princess Alice" sober, and spoke to her; that she remained there two hours, and at 9 p.m. he was called in to eject her, and she was then very drunk; and whether any proceedings have been taken by the police against the landlord of the "Princess Alice" for permitting drunkenness; if not, whether he can state why such proceedings have not been instituted?
*SIR MATTHEW WHITERIDLEYI have obtained a report of this case and find that it is not correct to say that the constable gave evidence that the woman remained in the public house for two hours. What he did say, when asked whether she was there the whole of the two hours from 7 to 9, was that he did not see her after 7 until called to the public house at 9; and the facts appear to be that the woman left the house in less than half an hour after the constable saw her enter it, that she returned about 9 the worse for liquor, and that the landlord refused to serve her, and called the constable to eject her. There were no grounds for taking any proceedings against the landlord.