§ 41. Mr. James Hudsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the letter from the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police which the chief constable was asked to produce this year at the Sutton and Epsom Brewster Sessions; and if the policy outlined in the letter in favour of a uniform closing hour throughout the country is now the generally accepted policy of the Government.
§ Mr. EdeI understand that, at both the Sessions in question, on an application for the alteration of the permitted weekday closing hour from 10 to 10.30 p.m., the police gave evidence to the effect that experience has shown that the absence of uniformity in permitted hours, particularly in the evening, encourages a movement of public house customers across the boundary of adjoining licensing divisions. It is not for His Majesty's Government to make any pronouncement on a matter of policy which is left by Parliament to the discretion of the local licensing justices.
§ Mr. HudsonAs this question of the discretion left to licensing justices has hitherto been enshrined in legislation, is it quite clear that there is now no encouragement given by the Home Office or the police authorities to change the method that has been laid down by legislation?
§ Mr. EdeThere has been no change of policy. The police were asked to give evidence as to what happened across the boundaries of two local licensing divisions. They gave their evidence, and I have no reason to think that it was other than truthful.