§ MR. J. A. PEASE (Essex, Saffron Walden)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government will be prepared in the Committee stage of the Licensing Bill to favourably consider an Amendment whereby a time limit may be inserted, after which no compensation will lie payable for the non-renewal of a licence, and thus gradually eliminate the creation of private property in a licence granted by the State, instead of establishing a permanent freehold in a licence such as is now created by the Bill.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe Question of the hon. Member seems to be put in the form of notes for a speech on the Bill, rather than in (he form of a Question which it is desirable to answer across the floor of the House at Question time. I traverse the premisses on which he proceeds; but I shall, probably before the afternoon's debate is concluded, have to say something on this question of a time limit, and perhaps that may serve in lieu of an answer at the present moment.
§ MR. J. A. PEASEMay I assume that the Solicitor-General yesterday, when he indicated that the Government were prepared to entertain this proposal, was speaking for himself or for the Government.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI heard no such statement from my hon. and learned friend.