§ MR. MCARTHUR (Liverpool, Kirkdale)I beg to ask the Prime Minister whether it is intended by Clause 21 of the Licensing Bill that all wholesale wine and spirit merchants shall be obliged to make application to the justices for a licence to carry on their business, in lieu of obtaining a licence direct from the Excise authorities, which is their only obligation at the present time.
§ MR. ASQUITHThere is no wine dealers' licence for sale by wholesale only. A justice's licence will therefore under the provisions of Clause 21 be required before an Excise licence to deal in wines can be obtained, in view of the permission to engage in retail trade given by that licence. The spirit dealer's licence on the other hand covers wholesale trade only and therefore does not come within the provisions of the clause.