§ MR. PICKERSG1LL (Bethnal Green, S.W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that the charge of 5s. for a pedlar's certificate operates as a hardship in many cases; will he consider whether the charge can be reduced; has his attention been called to the fact that an interval of at least a week elapses between an application for a certificate (which has to be accompanied by payment 527 of the fee) and the issue of the certificate; and can he see his way to accelerate the issue of the certificate.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.The fee for a pedlar's certificate is fixed by statute, and does not appear to be too high. The average time which elapses between an application for and the issue of a certificate is, in the case of first applications, six days, a period which is not unnecessarily long, in view of the inquiries which have to be made. In the case of renewals the average period is only two days.