§ 55. Sir COOPER RAWSONasked the Home Secretary how many new tote clubs have been started during the past month; whether consideration has been given to the question of the legality of totalisators on such premises and to the fact that ordinary licensees may be charged as much as £600 per annum by the Excise Department for a quasi monopoly, but are now being competed with in the sale of exciseable liquors by these clubs, which only pay a licence of five shillings?
Mr. STANLEYI regret the information asked for in the first part of the question is not available; with regard to the second part of the question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on the 24th instant to my hon. Friends the Members for Streatham (Sir W. Lane Mitchell) and Dudley (Mr. Joel); with regard to the point raised in the last part of the question, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to a question by the hon. Member for Islington South (Mr. Howard) on the 24th of this month. I may perhaps point out that, in addition to the annual fee of 5s. paid to the registration authority, clubs in which intoxicants are supplied pay an excise duty of threepence in the pound on their purchases of intoxicants.
§ Sir C. RAWSONDoes not my hon. Friend appreciate that these tote clubs have the advantage of having gambling on their premises, whereas the ordinary licensee is not allowed to indulge in such practices?
§ Commander MARSDENDoes my hon. Friend realise that all the best tote clubs have a very large notice up saying: "No betting permitted"?