HC Deb 10 May 1949 vol 464 c1780
Mr. Marlowe

I beg to move, in page 6, line 21, to leave out "may and."

We had a discussion in Committee seeking to protect these licences in suspense during the period between a town becoming a State management area and the Secretary of State exercising his powers under Clauses 5 and 6 either to acquire the premises or to extinguish the licence. As the Clause stands, the Home Secretary can of his own volition extinguish a licence which is in suspense, and the object of the Amendment is to protect the licence so that it can only be extinguished if the licence holder applies for that purpose. I believe that the right hon. Gentleman said during the Committee stage that he would look into this point, and perhaps he would now let us know whether he has arrived at a satisfactory conclusion.

Lieut.-Commander Braithwaite

I beg to second the Amendment.

May I add to what has been said by my hon. and learned Friend that we felt upstairs that the right hon. Gentleman had seen the justice and reason of this particular proposal, which is a little piece of machinery to deal with the period of suspense.

Mr. Ede

These words were of some value when we had the "adjacent and proximate areas" included in the Bill. They were struck out during the Committee stage, and I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary now to retain these words. I therefore recommend the House to accept the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.