§ 5. Brigadier - General CHARTERISasked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to take any action with regard to the recommendations contained in the Report of the Southborough Committee on the disinterested management of public houses; and whether, seeing that the Report points out that the State scheme includes features which licensing benches in many parts of the country would be slow to follow, he will be prepared, to bring the State scheme, if continued, under the full control of the licensing benches concerned?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAs I stated on Tuesday, the Government have not yet had an opportunity of considering this Report.
Viscountess ASTORIs it not a fact that the Carlisle Committee stated that the chief feature of this Carlisle experiment was the existence of a monopoly over the whole city, and will the Government bear that in mind when they look into the question?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAll relevant considerations will be taken into account.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this thing that he calls a Report is no report at all?
§ Mr. MACQUISTENWill the right hon. Gentleman take the opportunity of consulting some of the customers of these Carlisle houses; and is he aware that the institution of State control is extraordinarily unpopular?
§ 6. Mr. FERGUS GRAHAMasked the Home Secretary whether he proposes to publish the evidence laid before the Southborough Committee with regard to the disinterested management of public houses?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe general effect of the evidence heard by this Committee is given in their Report. I do not think that the heavy expenditure which would be involved by printing and publishing the evidence would be justified, in view of the need for public economy at the present time.
§ Brigadier-General CHARTERISDoes not this evidence, in fact, disclose that in some of the areas affected a, vast majority of the people are strongly against the system of State control?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSSome of it undoubtedly goes one way and some another, and I suppose that accounts for the somewhat ambiguous Report presented by the Committee.
Viscountess ASTORIs it not a fact that some members of the Committee attended very seldom? [HON. MEMBERS: "Order!"]