MR. HERBERT ROBERTSI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now in a position to give the number of licences for the sale of intoxicating liquors, the renewal of which has been refused at the general annual licensing meetings, in England and Wales, upon the ground that they were not required, for 1892, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, and 1902.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS-DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine'sReturns have been published for all except three of the years named, and also for 1900 and 1903. For the three years omitted, viz., 1899, 1901, and 1902, I cannot give the figures without calling for Returns and I adhere to the opinion I have expressed already more than once that there is no sufficient reason for going back and making this Return absolutely annual. I think the general purport of the figures can be gathered sufficiently from the Returns which have been given.