§ 52. Major COPEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, as Chairman of the Central Control Board (Liquor Traffic), whether the Board still exercise the power to veto the issue of Excise licences for the retail sale of wines and spirits to be held in conjunction with, the wholesale licences for those liquors as provided for in Section 111 of the Licence (Consolidation) Act, 1910; if so, whether this veto is exercised only in the case of licences under which retail sales are made to the public, or if it is also exercised in the case of licences for sales to licensed traders for the purpose of their trade; and if in the latter case whether, in view of the inconvenience caused to small traders who require for the purpose of their trade quantities of less than two gallons of particular wines or spirits, he will consider the advisability of not exercising this veto when the sales are to licensed traders for the purpose of their trade?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir John Baird)The Board retain the power to veto the issue of new Excise licences which are not granted on the authority of a Justices' licence, but for some time past they have exercised this power only in the case of retail licences. Such licences when once obtained would be available for sales both to the public and to other licensed traders, and small traders of the type mentioned in the question should experience no difficulty in obtaining the quantities which they require through the existing trade channels.