§ MR. T. DAVIES (Fulham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the report made by the chief constable of Bradford, at the recent brewster sessions, that, although licensed houses had been reduced by twenty-six since 1902, the number of persons proceeded against for drunkenness had increased from 2.31 per 1,000 to 4.02; whether the number of drinking clubs had greatly increased during that period, having regard to the above; and whether he intends to include in his forthcoming Licensing Bill some drastic regulation with reference to such clubs.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Gladstone, Leeds, W.)I have seen the report mentioned and also a newspaper account of the speech of the Chairman of the Licensing Bench in which he draws attention to the increase in prosecutions for drunkenness. He added that he was unable, on the information at his disposal, to cast the blame on clubs. I have no information as to an increase of clubs in Bradford. It appears that 153 were registered in 1903, and that 154 have been registered this year. If there are in fact other clubs in which intoxicating liquor is supplied, and which ought to be registered, the police can and ought to proceed against them, if evidence is available. I have under consideration the question of further legislation in regard to clubs.