§ Dr. CHAPPLEasked the right hon. Gentleman whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Stirling county licensing court failed to hold its statutory meeting owing to the absence of a quorum, notwithstanding that a large amount of licensing business required to be transacted; and, if so, seeing that there is no provision in the Licensing Act to meet such a contingency, whether he will take into consideration the advisability of taking such steps as he may deem necessary to provide that in large and populous counties more justices of the peace should be called to the licensing court and made more representative of the different parishes?
§ Mr. UREI understand that the number of members who attended on the occasion referred to was insufficient to form a quorum, in accordance with the provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act, 1903. The licensing court is constituted of an equal number of county councillors and justices of the peace, fixed on a scale prescribed by the Act, and no change is possible without legislation, which is not at present contemplated.