MR. HERBERT ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the hon. Member for West Salford, as representing the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, whether the attention of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners has been drawn to the application recently made to the Kensington justices for a provisional licence for the sale of intoxicating liquors in connection with the land owned by the Commissioners at Shepherd's Bush, upon which it is proposed to erect the buildings of the International Exhibition; whether he is aware that the area covered by the lease is eighty-three acres, and that in the application referred to powers were asked for to sell intoxicating liquors in forty-four different places; and whether the Commissioners are now in a position to prevent any further application being made for such a licence.
§ SIR LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.)The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have agreed to let an area of about eighty-four acres of land at Hammersmith for a long term of years for the purposes of an exhibition similar to that at Earl's Court or at the Crystal Palace. As regards the lands used for exhibition purposes, the Commissioners do not think it practicable to prohibit any application by the lessee for licences for the sale thereon of wine, beer, and spirits, in connection with the supply of refreshments. The recent application to the licensing justices to which the Question refers, was made by the intending lessee, and the Commissioners had no knowledge that any application was about to be made or as to the number of places in which it would be asked that liquors might be sold. The Commissioners have no power to interfere with the discretion of the magistrates as regards the granting of licences: but the settled policy of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, as is, I believe, generally known, is to reduce, as far as possible, the number of licensed premises on their estates.