§ Captain Gammansasked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the number of former individual traders who are now serving in the Forces, or who have been directed to essential civilian work, he will restrict the issue of further licences for retail food shops to multiple and co-operative shops until these individual traders have had a fair chance to restart their businesses.
§ Sir B. SmithLicences are granted to multiple and co-operative stores to reopen, at the original premises, branches which they closed because of the war. If those premises have been damaged by enemy action or have been requisitioned, a licence is granted for near-by premises. No licence is granted to a multiple or co-operative store to open a new branch unless the refusal of the licence would involve a high degree of public hardship. I am not prepared to impose any further restriction on the issue of licences to these classes of trader.