CLAUSE 8.—(Licensing of agencies.) (Hansard, 7 April 1943)

§ Mr. Messer
I beg to move, in page 6, line 9, at the end, to insert: including conditions as to the fees to be charged by the person carrying on the agency, whether to the nurses or other persons supplied, or to the persons to whom they are supplied. I understand that this Amendment is acceptable to the Minister, and therefore there is no need for me to attempt to explain it.

§ Mr. E. Brown
We have tried to appreciate the various points covered by this and analogous Amendments, and I have great pleasure in accepting it.

§ Mr. Ammon
I beg to move, in page 7, line 14, at the end, to insert: (7) The licensing authority shall immediately on the grant, revocation or refusal of a licence under this Part of this Act transmit to the Minister such particulars of the grant, revocation or refusal as may be prescribed and such particulars shall be open to inspection by any licensing authority. I am not so sure that the Minister is going to jump to my aid on this Amendment. Those who were present during the Second Reading Debate will be aware that 676 by hon. Friend the Member for Mile End (Mr. Frankel) and I raised the necessity for taking some precautions to see that if a person was for any reason removed from the register it would not be possible for him to go over the border into the area of another authority and set up business again. That has already happened under the Theatrical Employers Registration Act and the War Charities Act, and it would invalidate this Measure if such a thing were possible. I hope that my Amendment may be accepted or that I may get some assurance from the Minister.

§ Mr. E. Brown
As I said to the hon. Member for South Tottenham (Mr. Messer) I cannot accept the Amendment because I think the words are unnecessary. I will make a short statement which I feel will give my hon. Friend the assurance he desires. I have power already under Section 284 of the Local Government Act, 1933, and Section 174 of the London Government Act, 1939, to require all local authorities to submit reports and returns, and I propose to use this power to require licensing authorities to notify me of any decision to refuse or revoke a licence, with the reasons. I also propose to circulate to all licensing authorities a "black list" of persons to whom licences have been refused or whose licences have been revoked. The hon. Member will see that the purpose of his Amendment has been met, and I think in a more practicable form.

§ Mr. Ammon
In view of that statement I beg to ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.

§ Mr. McEntee
I hope the Minister does not propose to depart from his accepting mood, because I want to raise a matter which is of some importance to some local authorities. Clause 8 (1) says: The expression" licensing authority" means, in relation to the City of London, the Common Council, in relation to the remainder of the administrative county of London, the London County Council, and in relation to any other county or any county borough, the council of that county or borough. Under the Essex County Council Act, 1933, the licensing for all employment agencies was placed under the control of 677 that council, but a Clause was inserted which gave power to certain boroughs to require the Essex County Council to delegate their powers and duties in regard to the licensing of those agencies.

§ Mr. E. Brown
On a point of Order. In order to save discussion may I say that I think the point being raised by the hon. Member is covered by a new Clause which is proposed in the name of another hon. Member?

§ The Chairman (Major Milner)
If that is so, perhaps the hon. Member will raise his point on the new Clause.

§ Mr. McEntee
If necessary.