§ MR. ELLIS (Nottinghamshire, Rushcliffe)I wish to ask the Prime Minister the Question—of which I have given him private notice—whether he is prepared to put the House in possession of the terms of the Amendment by which it is proposed to carry out the suggestion that for a short term of years succeeding the fourteen years the surrender of the monopoly value shall not be necessarily a condition of the renewal of an old licence.
§ MR. ASQUITHWithout pledging myself in this stage to any precise form of words the suggestion which I made would, I think, be given effect to by adding the following proviso to subsection 1, Clause 3: "Provided that until the expiration of seven years after the termination of the reduction period there shall be no power to attach as a condition to the regrant of an old licence any condition for securing to the public the monopoly value of the licence." A definition of "old licence" will have to be inserted defining the term to mean, as regards on-licences, existing licences within the meaning of the Act of 1904, i.e., licences existing before the passing of that Act, and as respects off-licences, licences existing before the passing of the Bill.