HC Deb 27 July 1976 vol 916 cc525-6
Mr. Harry Ewing

I beg to move Amendment No. 52, in page 38, line 29, leave out 'ten' and insert 'fifteen'.

Mr. Deputy Speaker

With this we are to take Government Amendment No. 53.

Mr. Ewing

The effect of the amendments will be to increase drinking-up time from 10 to 15 minutes. That will be a bonus when the hon. Lady the Member for Dunbartonshire, East (Mrs. Bain) goes back to work at St. Modan's School and my hon. Friend the Member for West Stirlingshire (Mr. Canavan) meets her when he is home in the parliamentary recess, when they can drink until 11.15 instead of 11.10 as under the original proposal.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

We had a prolonged debate on Sunday opening, when one of the main arguments was that any additional time allowed for drinking would result in more drink being consumed and, therefore, in more alcoholism and more misery. We have already extended hours from 10 to 11 and here we have a small addition, five minutes. Does the Minister think that this small addition will result in more or less drink being consumed, or will the amount remain the same?

Mr. Dempsey

I wish to ask—[HON. MEMBERS: "0h."] I have been sitting here since 11.15 and I am surely entitled in the House of Commons to ask a question. Will the local licensing board have discretion to extend the time of 11.15 by a further 10 minutes or quarter of an hour, as now?

Mr. Harry Ewing

I think that this extension will neither increase nor decrease consumption; I think the result will be that exactly the same amount will be consumed. I should tell my hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mr. Dempsey) that drinking-up time is clearly defined as being 15 minutes after closing time.

Amendment agreed to.

Amendment made: No. 53, in page 38, line 34, leave out 'ten' and insert 'fifteen'.—[Mr. Harry Ewing.]

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