HC Deb 18 October 1968 vol 770 cc771-2

Lords Amendment No. 82: In page 96, line 43, leave out from second "clerk" to "as" in line 2 on page 97 and insert: on being requested by the Board to do so, shall compile from such information as is for the time being in his possession, and shall furnish the Board with, such statistics".

12.30 p.m.

Mr. Elystan Morgan

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

The object of this Amendment is to go as far as we reasonably can to meet the wishes of the Churches, with which we greatly sympathise, that the sources of information on gaming made available to the Board, and through the Board's report, to Parliament, should be enlarged to the maximum possible extent. I am sure that this is an aspiration which commends itself to the whole House.

At present the justices are required to provide the Board, on request only, with such statistical information with respect to the performance of the functions as the Board may require. This is a very narrow provision. The Amendment obliges them to compile, from such information as is for the time being in their possession, such statistics as the Board may require. In other words it makes producible to the Board all data on gaming which comes to the knowledge of the justices, incidental to their licensing and registration duties.

This is very different from requiring them to account only for the actual discharge of their duties. At the same time, the Amendment falls short of requiring the licensing authorities actively to seek out information on the Board's behalf, which is not a proper obligation to put upon a judicial body, especially one which will be as busy as this.

I can summarise this by saying that this requires justices to hand to the Board information that they already have in their possession, but does make them agents or inquisitors for and on behalf of the Board. The present provisions only deal with information about the exercise of the functions of the Justices, purely mechanical information which is only a fraction of the information that could be transferred if this Amendment is allowed.

Mr. Buck

I accept what the Under-Secretary has said about it not being desirable for the licensing authorities to be charged with a duty to seek out information for the Board. This would be quite wrong, but does this not go too far? They have to provide, to compile statistics. I know from experience in another sphere how busy the clerks to the Licensing Justices are, and this is placing an additional burden upon them.

Is it right to require them to compile "from such information" statistics and other matters? They are not a seeking out body and that is recognised. I am not convinced that they should be a statistical compilation body. I dare say that common-sense will prevail here, and no undue demands will be made, but I am not entirely happy about it, and believe that a totally unnecessary burden is being placed upon the people serving the licensing justices.

Question put and agreed to.

Remaining Lords Amendments agreed to.