§ MR. SCOTT (Ashton-under-Lyne)I beg to ask the Prime Minister if his attention has been called to a resolution of the 981 magistrates of Birmingham to the effect that, owing to the inadequacy of the compensation clauses of the Licensing Act, 1904, as interpreted by Mr. Justice Kennedy, they are unable to reduce the number of redundant licences in Birmingham at a satisfactory rate, and urging the Government to increase the rate of reduction; and will he say how many licences will be extinguished in the city of Birmingham if the Licensing Bill becomes law.
§ *THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. HERBERT SAMUEL, Yorkshire, Cleveland)My right hon. friend has asked me to answer this Question. His attention has not been called to any such resolution. It is impossible to give, in actual figures, the number of licences that will be reduced under the Government scheme, since that must depend in part upon the modifications of the statutory scale that may be proposed by the licensing justices, and sanctioned by the Commission.
§ MR. YOUNGER (Ayr Burghs)was understood to ask if figures could be given showing the extent of the reduction without the modifications?
§ *MR. HERBERT SAMUELIt is easy for anyone to obtain them.