§ 62. Mr. Emrys Hughesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will make a statement on his interview with the deputation that waited on him suggesting additional facilities for greyhound racing.
§ Mr. EdeOn Monday, 26th January, the Minister of Labour, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland and I received a Deputation consisting of the hon. Member for Central Hackney (Mr. H. Hynd) and representatives of the National Greyhound Racing Society and the Provincial Greyhound Track Central Office who urged that the existing restrictions on betting on greyhound racing imposed by the Dog Racecourse Betting (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1947, should be terminated. My colleagues and I informed the Deputation that the production reports obtained indicated that the restrictions imposed last year had justified themselves, that meetings in normal working hours encouraged absenteeism and dislocated the transport of workers and that their resumption could not fail to have an adverse effect on production. We said that the Government would not feel justified in terminating the Act of 1947 and were, in fact, proposing to introduce a Bill to continue the restrictions beyond 30th June when the Act expires.