IMMATURE SPIRITS (RESTRICTION) BILL. (Hansard, 19 May 1915)

§ THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL (LORD STRACHIE)

My Lords, this is a Bill which, together with the Defence of the Realm (No. 3) Bill, takes the place of the proposals made by the Government in another place as regards the restriction in the national interests of the sale of intoxicating liquor. The operative clause is contained in the first part of the Bill— No British or foreign spirits shall be delivered for home consumption unless they have been warehoused for a period of at least three years. Your Lordships will note that not only do we impose this restriction on British spirits, but in fairness to the British manufacturer we impose an equivalent obligation in regard to all foreign spirits as well.

1054 The Government have met the difficulty which arose in the North of Ireland, where it was alleged that a large amount of spirit could not be bonded owing to lack of accommodation, by providing that for a period of one year after the commencement of this Bill spirits may be taken out of bond after two years, but in respect of such spirits an extra duty of 1s. per gallon will be charged. The words in the Bill are "subject to the payment of such duties, if ally." The reason for that is that this is not a Money Bill and no duties are imposed thereby, but it is in contemplation to impose in the Budget this extra duty and other extra duties which I will explain in a moment.

I do not think I need labour the reasons for this restriction upon the sale of immature whisky or the evil effects of the consumption of raw spirits. Nor will I go into the well-known experiment which the Royal Commission carried out on monkeys, which showed that the monkey to whom raw spirit was given made himself very unpleasant whilst the one who was given matured spirit became very mellow—with exactly opposite results when the cases were reversed.

No duty is to be imposed and no restrictions placed on spirit used for commercial purposes. As regards spirits used by chemists and druggists, there is to be an obligation that if the spirit so used has not been in bond for two years an extra duty of 1s. 6d. per gallon will have to be paid. As to imported Geneva and perfumed spirits, if they have been warehoused for a period of two years there will be an extra duty of 1s. 7d., and if for less than two years 2s. 5d.; and in the case of foreign liqueurs there will be an extra duty of 1s. 4d. and 2s. respectively.

Subsection (2) of Clause 1 provides that nothing contained in the Bill shall interfere with the supply of rectified spirits of wine for the purpose of making medicines to registered medical practitioners, to hospitals, and to persons, firms, and bodies corporate entitled to carry on the business of a chemist and druggist. This subsection was inserted on Report in another place yesterday. I am told that strictly it was unnecessary, but it has been put in to make the point clear. Then there is a subsection imposing a penalty of £100 and forfeiture of the spirits in the case of contravention of this Bill. Clause 2 pro- 1055 vides protection for contractors by enacting that where any existing contracts are interfered with by this Bill the contractors shall to the extent of such interference be relieved therefrom. I hope your Lordships will consider that I have sufficiently explained the Bill, and will not only give it a Second Reading but allow it to go through its remaining stages to-day, as it is desirable that it should become law as soon as possible.