HC Deb 26 July 1949 vol 467 c2393

Lords Amendment: In page 19, line 44, leave out subsection (8) and insert: (8) In the case of premises in a part of the metropolis specified for the purposes of subsection (1) of section nineteen of this Act, the following provisions shall have effect:

  1. (a) before the first day of February, nineteen hundred and fifty, any time at which the consumption of intoxicating liquor would be lawful on premises of a club as respects which subsection (3) of section twenty-two of this Act had effect for the time being shall be treated for the purposes of this section as not being outside the permitted hours;
  2. (b) where it is proposed that such premises shall become premises of a registered club, application may be made for the grant of a certificate under the Second Schedule to this Act and of a special hours certificate under section twenty of this Act before the registration of the club and its occupation of the premises, and accordingly references in that Schedule and section to a registered club and premises thereof shall include references to a club proposed to be registered and to premises proposed to be occupied by the club."

Mr. Younger

I beg to move, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment."

This is an Amendment making arrangements whereby certain of what are now called bottle parties will have time to make necessary alterations to enable them to qualify to register as clubs. I think perhaps the principal point is that during the interim period, while they are allowed to continue, before they are registered as clubs under these provisions which we are proposing drinking at bottle parties will have to be kept within the hours permissible to hotels and restaurants under the special hours certificate. It would obviously be unfair if they were to continue to be completely unrestricted during that interim period.

Mr. C. S. Taylor (Eastbourne)

There is a distinction between a club and a bottle party. Does this apply to both clubs and bottle parties?

Mr. Ede

It applies to bottle parties only.