§ 41. Lieut.-Colonel ARCHER-SHEEasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the closing time for public houses in the Borough of Finsbury has been fixed by the licensing justices to be nine o'clock whereas the closing time for boroughs surrounding Finsbury is 10 o'clock; whether it is possible to bring this anomaly to the notice of the licensing justices with a view to further consideration of the matter, in view of the great inconvenience to the public in Finsbury; and whether he is aware that this closing hour of nine p.m. means that in the summer these public houses have to close two hours before dark?
§ Sir J. BAIRDI presume the hon. and gallant Member is referring to Sundays. I am aware that the justices of the Finsbury licensing district have fixed the permitted hours at six to nine p.m. on Sundays: but that district includes, besides the Borough of Finsbury, the Borough of Islington, which is one of the largest of the surrounding boroughs. The other adjoining boroughs are in licensing districts for which the hours have been fixed at seven to 10 p.m. There can be no doubt that the licensing justices of Finsbury had all the facts before them when making their decision: and there is no power to alter that decision in the current year.