INTOXICATING LIQUOR (TEMPORARY RESTRICTIONS) BILL. (Hansard, 31 August 1914)

§ LORD STANMORE

My Lords, this Bill, as the title indicates, is an emergency Bill intended to deal only with the exceptional state of affairs produced by the war. The Government received strong representations both from the Military and from the Police authorities as to the need for wider powers dealing with the liquor trade during the war, especially in districts where there are training camps. The Bill, as presented to the House of Commons, proposed to give the licensing justices power to make Orders restricting the sale or consumption of intoxicating liquor on licensed premises or clubs, with the proviso that if any Order was passed fixing an earlier closing hour than 9 p.m. the Order should not remain in force for more than fourteen days without the approval of the Secretary of State. On the Second Reading in the House of Commons there was some criticism directed against the Bill as being too severe, and Amendments were accepted in Committee by the Home Secretary so as to provide safeguards against any unfair use of the powers. The Bill, as amended by the Commons, provides that the licensing justices can only make an Order on the recommendation of the Chief Officer of Police that it is desirable to do so for the maintenance of order or the suppression of drunkenness. Any Order fixing an hour earlier than 9 p.m. must be approved by the Secretary of State. An appeal is given to Quarter Sessions against convictions for contravention of the Order. These and other minor Amendments having been made, the Bill was agreed to by all parties in the House of Commons and passed.

THE EARL OF CAMPERDOWN

My Lords, this Bill is a very extreme case of an emergency measure, for it interferes with the liberty of the subject to a great extent. I suppose that in the circumstances it cannot be avoided, but I am glad to see that in dealing with Scotland an important Amendment has been made. In the first place, the Sheriff, who is responsible in Scotland for the peace of the county, was not in any way mentioned in the Bill originally. But as the Bill now stands the Licensing Court—in Scotland it is the Licensing Court—must have t he approval of the Sheriff before it acts. Once the approval of the Sheriff has been obtained, the particular regulations as to hours, &c., which the Licensing Court may make will absolutely depend upon the Licensing Court. But the important thing is that the Sheriff is introduced. The Sheriff's approval is required in Scotland instead of, as in England, the approval of the Chief Officer of Police. In Scotland we attach great value to the Sheriff. I wish that the Sheriff had been more frequently made use of in legislation of late, but I think that the Amendment on this point which has been introduced into this Bill in the other House is a very great improvement.