§ 34. Captain Viscount CURZONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the attitude of the Portsmouth police towards whist drives; why should they be banned in Portsmouth and not everywhere else; why the magistrate of the same town will not allow dancing after I a.m. under any circumstances when dances are permitted up to a much later hour on special occasions at hunt balls, etc., all over the country; and will he consider the advisability of initiating legislation to amend and to consolidate the law relating to such harmless recreations with a view to removing such anomalies in administration?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer I gave him on 1st November last. My attention has not been drawn to the matters referred to. No doubt any action of the magistrates has been taken in the light of local circumstances. The answer to the last part of the question is in the negative.