MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to a case (Superintendent of Police v. Hughes), decided on the 13th instant by the Birkenhead county justices, in which an executrix of a deceased publican, who was carrying on the latter's business prior to obtaining a transfer of the licence, was summoned for two offences on licensed premises—namely, permitting drunkenness and permitting gaming; whether he is aware that the case was dismissed upon the ground that the defendant was not a licensed person within the meaning of the Licensing Act, 1872, Section 17, and that, although entitled to sell, she could not be convicted of any offence under any of the penal sections of, that Act; and, seeing that this point is a casus omissus in the statute referred to, whether he will introduce legislation to remedy this defect in the existing law.
§ *MR. RITCHIEI understand that the facts of the case are as indicated in the question, and it seems to be a case which would claim consideration on any opportunity of amending the licensing law generally. But I can make no promise on the point.