HC Deb 28 July 1961 vol 645 cc877-8

Lords Amendment: In page 40, line 18, leave out from "premises" to "may" in line 19, and insert: an officer of the local authority authorised in writing by that authority.

The Solicitor-General

I beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.

Perhaps it would be convenient to discuss with this Amendment those in line 25, to leave out from "and" to "shall" in line 26, and to insert: a constable authorised in writing by the chief officer of police and in line 27, at the end, to insert: but a chief officer of police shall not so authorise a constable unless in his opinion special reasons exist making it necessary that the premises should be inspected for the proper discharge of his functions in relation to the registration of clubs.

Mr. Deputy-Speaker

Yes.

The Solicitor-General

These Amendments were tabled by the Government in another place in response to an undertaking which I gave to do something on these lines. I said, I think with the general approbation of the House, that it was clear that the consensus of opinion of hon. Members on the Report was that we should limit the police right of inspection.

The effect of the Amendments is to allow inspection by the police on first application for a registration certificate or on an application for renewal of a registration certificate in respect of different, additional or enlarged premises only if the chief officer of police is of opinion that special reasons exist which make it necessary that the premises should be inspected for the proper discharge of his functions in relation to the registration of clubs.

That is very much on the lines of an Amendment suggested by the hon. Member for Islington, East (Mr. Fletcher) and the right hon. and learned Member for Newport (Sir F. Soskice), and it fulfils the undertaking which I gave.

Under the Eighth Schedule, the police will not in any event be able to inspect the premises of a club on first application for a registration certificate under the new procedure if the club has for the three years preceding the coming into force of the new procedure been registered under the 1953 Act in respect of the premises. The police powers of inspection are now very strictly limited to cases in which it is absolutely necessary.

Mr. Fletcher

This is a very sensible arrangement, and I am grateful to the Solicitor-General for giving effect to proposals which we put forward at an earlier stage.

Question put and agreed to.

Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.