Intoxicating Liquor (Manufacture and Sale) (Hansard, 18 February 1953)

§ 39. Mr. Rankin
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that there are numerous restaurants in the main towns of Mauritius where alcohol is sold from the hours of 7 a.m. till after midnight; whether he is aware that this has very serious social repercussions on the population; and whether he will take steps to ensure that 1235 restaurants can only sell intoxicating liquor if they hold a licence and only within a stated period of time per day.

§ Mr. Lyttelton
There are numerous restaurants in the main towns in which alcohol is sold, but a licence must be held for the sale of all intoxicating liquor, and the hours of sale are from 7 a.m. to midnight. The social repercussions on the population have already engaged the attention of the Government of Mauritius and an Ordinance has recently been enacted to restrict the number of licences granted.

§ Mr. Rankin
Would the Minister look into the allegation as a great many of these restaurants are just off-licences camouflaged, and they are the seat of a great deal of the social trouble being caused, particularly in Port Louis and Rosehill?

§ Mr. Lyttelton
The alterations in the regulation are designed to restrict the number of what I might call bogus hotels which have been selling liquor as the main part of their business.

§ 40. Mr. Rankin
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will prohibit the manufacture, distribution and sale of liquor containing strychnine for the purpose of human consumption in Mauritius.

§ Mr. Lyttelton
Under local legislation the addition of any substance to food or drink which will render it injurious to health is an offence, and the importation and disposal of strychnine is controlled. The Government of Mauritius is not aware that strychnine is an ingredient in any liquor manufactured, distributed or sold in the Colony and has no evidence that such liquor has been offered for sale.

§ Mr. Rankin
My information, which comes from the Press of Mauritius, is that this strychnine is being used and is being injected into home-distilled liquor, particularly rum. Would the Secretary of State look into this matter a little more closely as these allegations are widespread?

§ Mr. Lyttelton
I have given the official information and I think I cannot proceed further other than to ask the hon. Gentleman to give me any instances he has, which I shall be glad to consider.

§ Sir H. Williams
On a point of order. Is it not the case that your predecessors, Mr. Speaker, have ruled that hon. Members who put Questions to Ministers are responsible for the accuracy of the statements contained in those Questions? If the statement made by the hon. Member in the Question which has just been answered is inaccurate, what penalties are imposed upon the hon. Member?

§ Mr. Speaker
Responsibility for any inaccuracies in a Question rests with the hon. Member who puts it.

§ Mr. Rankin
Is it not a fact that an hon. Member must get his information from somewhere? My information was from the Mauritian Press, and I am perfectly ready to hand it over to the Minister.