§ MR. LANE-FOX (Yorkshire, W.R., Barkston Ash)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the statements made by the chairmen of numerous benches at the recent annual licensing meetings in Yorkshire on the subject of clubs; whether he is aware that the justices have referred in strong terms to the urgent need for further legislation in regard to clubs where intoxicants are supplied; whether the general purport of the opinions expressed by the justices is that any new enactment which might be made by Parliament on the licensing question would be futile in promoting temperance if it did not provide for the further regulation and supervision of clubs, in order to guard against abuses of the club system; and whether, having regard to these circumstances, he is now in a position to make a further statement as to the question of further legislation in regard to clubs.
§ THE SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (MR. GLADSTONE, Leeds, W.)I am aware that the 231 first three paragraphs of the Question substantially represent the views generally held by Benches of licensing magistrates throughout the country. As regards the last paragraph, I am not in a position to make any statement at the present time.
§ MR. LANE-FOXHave not statements been made on behalf of the Government dealing with other important questions touching licensing, and cannot I have a more satisfactory answer from the right hon. Gentleman?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have said the matter is still under consideration.
§ MR. LANE-FOXDo the Government intend to deal with it?
§ MR. GLADSTONEYes, that is what I wished to convey.