HC Deb 11 June 1968 vol 766 cc114-6
Dame Joan Vickers (Plymouth, Devonport)

I beg to move Amendment No. 1, in page 3, line 24, after 'dominoes', insert: ' whist, solo whist, bridge, nap, euchre, rummy'.

Mr. Speaker

I suggest that with this Amendment the House can also consider Amendment No. 3 and Amendment No. 4.

Dame Joan Vickers

The purpose of the Amendments is to allow in public houses the playing of whist, solo whist, bridge, nap, euchre and rummy. These games are played only with very small stakes, very often for a pint of beer or a few pence. I understand that at present the licensee may apply to the local authority for permission for these games to be played.

This is an innocent request, and these games should be permitted, particularly whist, solo whist and rummy. They are played now, and I only hope that those who play them will not be caught! It is very much better that this should be above-board rather than that the games should be played illegally. Perhaps the Home Secretary will agree to this request, which will give a great deal of pleasure to those who play for small stakes.

Mr. Rees-Davies

I want to add one word of agreement with regard to these delightful games. Would the Undersecretary, later on, be good enough to turn up the debate which took place when the then Home Secretary, now Lord Butler, inserted dominoes and cribbage into our laws? There was a violent reaction everywhere, since the names of games are never put into an Act of Parliament, because the game and its rules can be changed. This was one of the " sacred cows " of the Home Office. Lord Butler would have none of that, and he walked across to the Box and said, " I am writing dominoes and cribbage into this." There was a frightful scream everywhere, but he did it, and I do not think that great harm has come to us as a result.

It would, therefore, have been possible to have written in euchre, solo whist and other games but, as they have not been written in, may I mention that dominoes can be played for a lot of money, and it is possible to get into endless trouble by not playing it as it is normally played in a public house. With whist one can get into worse trouble. Clause 6(3) provides that … the licensing justices for the licensing district … in which the premises are situated may by order authorise the playing on those premises of a game specified in the order, other than dominoes and cribbage. This would, of course, provide for the other games which my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dame Joan Vickers) mentioned. The body to give advice on gaming is the Gaming Board. Whether those particular games can be played and the conditions under which they can be played, I would respectfully suggest, is not a subject for an Amendment here but in another place. Consideration could be given to the insertion of the words after consultation with or on the advice of the Gaming Board so that these additional games may be permitted. The Board can say what they are, and the Board can lay down the rules. In that way there will be an accepted game to the rules as laid down, and there will be no difficulties with high gaming.

Mr. Elystan Morgan

It was not on account of an appreciation of a great and terrible peril confronting society that Clause 6 was drafted so as to refer only to dominoes and cribbage. As has been said by the hon. Member for the Isle of Thanet (Mr. Rees-Davies), it was on account of the tradition and general popularity of these two games, and because they were specified in Section 35 of the 1963 Act, that they have been given an absolute right which has not been extended to other games. The principle of the Amendment is to add to this specification.

I do not think that I could disagree about any of the games which are mentioned in the three Amendments now under consideration, but neither could we disagree on account of three, 13 or 30 other games. Where is the line to be drawn? If we are to include whist, solo whist, bridge, nap, euchre and rummy, why should we discriminate against snap and happy families? I believe that we should accept what has been an absolute right with regard to dominoes and cribbage since 1963 and refrain from specifying an absolute right for any of the other games that might be included.

I cannot agree with the hon. Member for Isle of Thanet that this is a matter for the Gaming Board, with its already very heavy duties, to consider. After all, the local popularity of a game is a matter which is properly within the province of the licensing justices. They are the people who have been vested with jurisdiction in the matter by Clause 6.

Amendment negatived.

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