HC Deb 09 February 1944 vol 396 c1779W
Major York

asked the Minister of Health what policy his Department adopts in regard to discharged Servicemen and civilians discharged from war industries who before the war owned a taxi-cab business and who, because of restrictions on the numbers of taxi-cabs, are unable to obtain a licence from the local licensing authority.

Miss Horsbrugh

Although my right hon. and learned Friend has a certain limited jurisdiction with regard to hackney carriages, and for this reason has been asked to reply to my hon. and gallant Friend's Question, his jurisdiction does not extend to licensing, and he has not had occasion to formulate any policy in the matter to which my hon. and gallant Friend refers. The local licensing authorities outside the Metropolitan Police Districts are the councils of boroughs and urban districts and a few rural districts, and if a licence is refused the applicant has a right of appeal to the ordinary courts.