§ 48. Colonel DAYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the number of betting certificates that have been issued to the last convenient date?
§ Mr. McNEILLThe number of bookmakers' certificates issued up to the 31st May, 1927, was 14,052.
§ Colonel DAYHave any applications been made which have been refused by the right hon. Gentleman's Department?
§ Mr. McNEILLI could not answer that question without notice.
§ Colonel DAYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that last week a man who was fined said that he had applied and was refused, and he was then prosecuted for not having a certificate?
§ Mr. McNEILLI am not aware of that case, because, as I have just said, I could not answer the supplementary question without notice.
§ 51. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he is aware that certain bookmakers holding licences issued by the Treasury have robbed working men of their winnings; and whether he is prepared to consider complaints of this nature, with a view to not issuing further licences to the defaulters?
§ Mr. McNEILLI am aware that some bookmakers and backers fail to pay their betting debts. As regards the last part of the question, I would remind the hon. and gallant Member that, under the provisions of last year's Finance Act, the Courts have power to withhold or to withdraw a bookmaker's certificate from a person convicted of an offence in connection with the Betting Duty or otherwise in connection with his business as a bookmaker. The Courts have already exercised this power in 11 cases, and I have no present intention of proposing any change in existing arrangements.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this is not a matter in which the Courts can intervene at all? The Betting Laws are pleaded, and that is the end of it. In these cases working-men backers have to bet with ready money, and they have not turf protection associations and similar bodies, as well-to-do backers have; and cannot the right hon. Gentleman do something in this matter?
§ Mr. McNEILLThat, as I gather from the hon. and gallant Gentleman's question, is part of the ordinary betting law, and, as he knows, no alteration was made in the law when the duty was imposed.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWould not the right hon. Gentleman have these very grave cases investigated?
§ Mr. WALLHEADMay I ask whether the Government, in any other walk of life, would issue licences to swindlers?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member is discussing the Statute.