§ Sir K. WOODasked the Home Secretary whether the bye-law at present in force in the Metropolitan boroughs, prescribing the charges which the councils are authorised to make for certain services in connection with street trading, falls now to be reviewed in connection with such charges; and whether, with a view to such reconsideration in the light of the experience gained during the last two years, he will before approving a continuance of the existing scale receive a deputation from the Federation of Costermongers' and Street Traders' Unions?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am always willing to receive a deputation if I think it will serve any useful purpose, but I am afraid that I could not consider any general reduction in the existing stale of charges: I am satisfied from the experience gained that, taken as a whole, the scale of 905W charges has been fair, and I would point out that borough councils have made their new bye-laws and are expecting to have them confirmed by me before the 1st April. I would, of course, consider any representations made to me in respect of a particular scale proposed in any borough before I confirmed it, but it must be remembered that scales approved by me are only maximum scales, and some latitude must be allowed to borough councils to meet their varying costs.