§ 68. Sir ROBERT GOWERasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the operation of the Regulations regarding street collections in the Landon Metropolitan area made by him on 1st October last is such as to rescind the power theretofore possessed by the Commissioner of Police to grant permits for collections to be made on behalf of London hospitals and other charities by friendly society organisations, such as the North London' Phoenix Temperance 1198 Hospital Society, in connection with their Sunday processions; and whether, having regard to the circumstance that collections in connection with such processions have been made for many years without inconvenience to the public and have resulted in considerable sums being raised for London hospitals, he will consider the desirability of amending such Regulations so as to enable the Commissioner of Police to grant permits allowing such collections in such cases and subject to such conditions as he may think proper?
§ Captain HACKINGBefore 1920 collections accompanying moving precessions were entirely prohibited. In 1920 the Regulations were am-ended so as to allow collecting processions in special cases, but experience has shown that these processions are liable to cause so much disturbance and interference with traffic that it was decided to amend the Street Collection Regulations so as to prohibit the practice. My right hon. Friend is sorry to have to put any obstacle in the way of collections for good objects, but the London traffic problem is now such that other considerations must be subordinated to traffic considerations.
§ Sir FRANK MEYERCan the bon. Member tell us what advantage there is in processions of this nature at any time?
§ Mr. THURTLEIs it not the fact that these processions have resulted in large sums of money being collected for hospitals?
§ Captain HACKINGIt is perfectly true that large sums of money have been collected in the past.