§ Mr. MARKHAMasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the figures he gave to the House on 2nd September that the net increase of clubs in five large English cities during the past 1473 four years was one that referred to clubs affiliated to the Club and Institute Union; whether he is aware that the official statistics show the net increase of registered clubs in the petty sessional divisions and county of Liverpool alone in 1908 was 31, and the convictions for drunkenness in the same area 12,710; and whether he will lay upon the Table a copy of all the correspondence with this union from which he quoted in his speech?
§ The CHANCELLOR Of the DUCHY of LANCASTER (Mr. Herbert Samuel)As, I stated at the time, the figures relating to the increase in the number of clubs in certain large towns, which I quoted in the Debate on September 2nd, were taken from a table included in a return relating to licensed premises, published by the London County Council, and did not relate to clubs affiliated to the Club and Institute Union; the figures included in that return did not comprise the petty sessional divisions of the Liverpool Division. The statistics given in the question are correct. In answer to the last part of the question the only correspondence with the Club and Institute Union, from which I quoted, related to the average number of members in the clubs affiliated to the union, and the whole of the information included in that correspondence was given in my speech.
§ Mr. MARKHAMIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the Pink Paper issued by the London County Council as to public-houses no figures of an increase are given, and I therefore ask where he obtained the information he gave to the House? The abstract of 1908 is not yet laid upon the Table of the House.
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe hon. Gentleman is under some misapprehension. I will show him the Return on the last page.