HC Deb 12 December 1911 vol 32 cc2282-4

(1) Any manufacturing or wholesale chemist and druggist who requires a licence for the purposes only of selling rectified spirits of not less than forty-three degrees above proof, for medicinal purposes, to duly qualified medical practitioners or duly registered pharmaceutical chemists or chemists and druggists, or persons requiring the spirits for use for scientific purposes in any laboratory, and undertakes not to sell spirits otherwise than for those purposes and to those persons, may obtain a licence on payment of a reduced duty of ten pounds.

(2) The Commissioners of Customs and Excise may attach such conditions to any licence granted on payment of a reduced duty under this section as they think expedient for the protection of the revenue.

(3) If any person holding a licence granted on payment of a reduced duty under this Section sells spirits in any manner contrary to his undertaking, or to the conditions attached to his licence, he shall be liable in respect of each offence to an Excise penalty of fifty pounds.

The first paragraph of my Amendment provides for a modified licence at a reduced cost for manufacturing and wholesale chemists. The position at present is that a wholesale chemist cannot sell less than two gallons of spirit at one time. Doctors and chemists require the spirit very often in much less quantities, and in order to do this a wholesale house requires to take out a licence based upon the value of their premises, which means a £50 licence.

My Amendment, as it appears on the Paper, contains a Sub-section enabling a chemist to obtain a licence to sell medicated wines on payment of a reduced duty of 10s., but that is a provision the Government are not able to accept. I believe they have an idea it will be regarded as a controversial matter. I therefore move my Amendment in an amended form, so that all it now does is to allow wholesale chemists to supply these spirits to these special people for a reduced licence of £10, and I think perhaps in that form the House will be prepared to agree to it. If so, as most other people, I must be thankful for small mercies.

Mr. R. WINFREY

I beg to second the Motion.

Clause added to the Bill.

Mr. GRETTON

I beg to move that the following new Clause be read a second time: