HC Deb 01 July 1937 vol 325 cc2291-3

The duties on the following excise liquor licences, that is to say, retailers on-licences for spirits, beer, or wine, retailers off-licences for spirits, beer, or wine shall be reduced by twenty-five per-centum.£[Mr. Liddall.]

Brought up, and read the First time.

10.48 p.m.

Mr. Liddall

I beg to move, "That the Clause be read a Second time."

This new Clause, standing in my own name and that of several other hon. Members, is regarded, I believe, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer as a hardy annual, and it has come to be known as a hardy annual because ever since the present basis of licence duties was fixed by the right hon. Member for Carnarvon Boroughs (Mr. Lloyd George) in 1910 at half the annual value of the premises for publican's licences and one-third of the same for beer-house licences, the retailers of this country have regarded it as vindictive. Since 1910 not only have the trading hours been reduced by a half but the keenest competitor of the licence holder, the working man's club, has increased in numbers from 8,152 to 17,211—those are the latest figures available. In recent years the cinema has proved another competitor with which the average licensee cannot hope possibly to compete. The sobriety of the nation and the fact that members of the licensed trade conduct their businesses in an exemplary manner, notwithstanding the serious financial crisis through which so many of them are passing, is surely sufficient justification for their claim to consideration at the hands of the Government. For years there has been no equality of sacrifice so far as these traders are concerned. Time after time they have been promised that the consideration which is their due will be given to them when circumstances permit.

In 1929, when the right hon. Member for Epping (Mr. Churchill) was Chancellor of the Exchequer, there was an arrangement between the licensed victuallers and the Government that if the licensed victuallers were conceded a 25 per cent. reduction in duty they would withdraw their objections to the sale of half bottles of spirits by the off-section of the trade. The off-section in 1923 were allowed the half bottle concession, but the licensed victuallers got no reduction in their licence duties. In 1935 a similar Clause was given sympathetic consideration by the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury. To-night I ask that the sympathy of the Government should take a practical form and that they should remove a long standing grievance—nay, an injustice—which thousands of our loyal, honest, law-abiding licensed victuallers have had to suffer.

10.51 p.m.

The Attorney-General

The Committee has enjoyed the speech of my hon. Friend and, as he said, this proposal is to some extent a hardly annual, and we might miss it if it did not continue to appear. My right hon. Friend's predecessors have stated that there is no doubt a case for consideration, but they have not felt it in their power, as guardians of the revenue, to accept the proposal. In view of those statements, with which he is no doubt familiar, as he is familiar also with the financial needs of the country in this year of grace 1937, it will come as no surprise to him that my right hon. Friend is unable to adopt any different attitude from that of his predecessors.

10.53 p.m.

Mr. Liddall

It is with considerable regret that I have heard the Attorney-General's speech. Before I ask leave to withdraw the Clause I might say that had I persisted and taken this to the Division Lobby, I am perfectly satisfied that we should have beaten the Government. We do not wish to defeat the Government on a question of this kind, but we hope that in 1938 they will at long last give the licence holders of this country the justice that is due to them. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Motion and Clause, by leave, withdrawn.