HC Deb 23 January 1951 vol 483 cc13-4
25. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Minister of Works what is his authority for the sale of intoxicating liquors to members of the public at 2, Park Street, W.1.

The Minister of Works (Mr. Stokes)

The sale of intoxicating liquor at No. 2, Park Street is undertaken by the Crown. I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on the Park Street policy in this House on 23rd October last.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Does the right hon. Gentleman stand by the assurance which he gave on 7th November to one of my hon. Friends, that Crown privilege would be used only until an application to the justices could be dealt with at the forthcoming February Brewster Sessions, and will he also say whether the doctrine he has expounded covers sale by the contractors and not by the Crown before 1st November last?

Mr. Stokes

No. The whole object of the exercise is to save taxpayers' money. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] Certainly. The House will surely be aware of the necessity to have some sort of establishment of this kind, and what I am attempting to do is to make both ends meet. We are considering an application for a licence. I am in consultation with the Catering Trade on that subject.

Mr. Godfrey Nicholson

Is the right hon. Gentleman telling the House that liquor is sold under no form of licence? Is that a very straight way of trying to make both ends meet?

Mr. Stokes

It is a perfectly straight way to come to this House and state what we are doing. If the hon. Member wants to know, we are paying a contribution in the normal form, as if we had a licence.

Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

Would the right hon. Gentleman be good enough to answer the last part of my supplementary Question as to whether it is not a fact that up to 1st November the sale was not by the Crown but by the contractors, and whether he is contending that the Crown privilege covers that?

Mr. Stokes

I have not been briefed on this, but I think I am right in saying that up to 1st November the sale was under a special licence, a canteen licence, and was only to those persons who were authorised to use it and did not admit the public at all.