HL Deb 28 July 1949 vol 164 cc664-6

Clause 2, page 4, line 18, leave out ("or club")

Clause 2, page 4, line 22, leave out from ("premises") to ("when")

Clause 2, page 4, line 25, leave out from beginning to ("since")

The Commons disagreed to the above Amendments for the following Reason:

Because the Amendments would prevent the proper planning in State management districts of facilities for the supply of intoxicating liquor.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR

My Lords, three Amendments are dealt with here, and I will take them together. I beg to move that this House do not insist on the Amendments to which the Commons have disagreed.

Moved, That this House do not insist on the said Amendments.—(The Lord Chancellor.)

THE EARL OF MUNSTER

My Lords, as the noble and learned Viscount has said, Were are three Amendments on the Paper, two of which are merely consequential upon the first. We on these Benches very much regret that the Government did not see their way to recommend these Amendments to another place. If this House should agree with the other place this afternoon, I want to make quite clear what in fact we shall he doing. We shall be leaving the Secretary of State in a position to disallow the opening of any new club which wishes to sell intoxicating liquor in any State-management area. In our judgment, that is the most objectionable feature, more especially when any conditions which the Secretary of State may feel disposed to insist on can be applied. I stated on the Committee stage of this Bill that I believed the question of politics was bound to enter into every new case concerning the formation of a political club which desired to sell intoxicating liquor. The case I quoted on that occasion, which I have no wish to go into again, was left unanswered by the noble and learned Viscount in this House and was not replied to in any way by the Home Secretary two days ago in another place.

I feel quite certain that political pressure will be applied to the Home Secretary, and that in certain cases he will be hound to take that pressure into account. I am perfectly prepared to admit that the present Home Secretary certainly would not bow to any pressure. But Home Secretaries come and Home Secretaries go, and the next holder of that highly important office may well bow to some form of Left or indeed Right-wing political pressure. Nevertheless, in spite of my misgivings about the rejection of these Amendments, I feel bound to advise noble Lords who sit on this side of the House, with great reluctance, to accept the view of another place. But I want to make it abundantly clear to the noble and learned Viscount and to other members of the Government Front Bench, that we shall take the first opportunity that is afforded to us to amend this Bill and to abash all the State-management areas and the arbitrary powers which at present a Socialist Minister sees fit to take upon himself.