HC Deb 09 June 1902 vol 109 cc98-9
SIR JOHN LENG

I beg to ask the Lord Advocate, seeing that His Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland urges the necessity for legislation to make The Public Houses (Hours of Closing (Scotland) Act, 1887, compulsory throughout Scotland, and to bring icecream shops under statutory regulation, as bearing on the efficiency, usefulness, and cost of the Scottish constabulary and police, whether he can say when it is probable the Bill dealing with the Licensing Laws will be introduced by the Secretary for Scotland.

THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. A. GRAHAM MURRAY,) Buteshire

The Secretary for Scotland desires to take the earliest possible opportunity of dealing with the Licensing Laws, but the state of public business does not permit of the hope that it can be done this Session. The Secretary for Scotland is aware of the widespread desire that ice-cream shops should be put under statutory regulations. The object would not in his opinion be wisely embodied in a measure dealing with the Licensing Laws; but he sympathises with the object of the Bill which has been introduced by the hon. Member for the Ayr Burghs.