§ Captain ERSKINE-BOLSTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the frequent opposition of chief constables to the action of licensing magistrates in extending the hours of all licensed houses and clubs on all special occasions in their area and the desirability of ensuring that such matters shall be decided on public grounds only, he will consider the desirability of issuing advice to benches that henceforward the views of the police on such matters are only to be taken into consideration if actually called for?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI would refer the honourable and gallant Member to my answer to a Question by him on the same subject on the 21st December last. The hearing of objections to applications for special orders of exemption is entirely a matter for the discretion of the Justices, and it would not be right to me to intervene in the manner suggested.