§ Sir T. O'BrienThe humble petition which I beg to ask leave to present concerns the opening of licensed premises in the Principality of Wales and in the English County of Monmouthshire. It is presented on behalf of 120,000 of Her Majesty's adult subjects in the Principality and the County of Monmouthshire.
These are the three short points of the Petition:
- (1) the existing licensing laws which prohibit the sale of excisable beverages in licensed premises in Wales and Monmouthshire on Sundays are an anachronism which besides interfering with the liberties of people in Wales and Monmouthshire by depriving them of facilities to obtain alcoholic refreshment in licensed establishments if they so desire, is also causing untold harm to the development and maintenance of the tourist trade;
- (2) that the restrictions are grossly unfair to the licensed victuallers in Wales and Monmouthshire who are prohibited from supplying alcoholic liquors on Sundays although registered clubs in those same parts of the United Kingdom are enabled by law to supply alcoholic liquor on Sundays without the strict surveillance and control to which licensed premises are subject;
178 - (3) that such restrictive legislation is a form of discrimination which weighs heavily on a very large number of people and should, in the view of your petitioners, be removed.
Wherefore your petitioners pray that your honourable House will be pleased to introduce and pass legislation to remove the existing prohibition on the sale of excisable beverages in Wales and Monmouthshire on Sundays.And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.To lie upon the Table.