§ 117. Mr. Beswickasked the Minister of Works why a licence has been issued for the fitment of another shop front on premises within the Uxbridge Metropolitan station for a firm of tobacconists who already have one shop within 20 yards.
§ Mr. EcclesNo licence was necessary as I understand the work was carried out on property to which the free limit of £500 for railways applies.
§ 118. Mr. Beswickasked the Minister of Works if he is aware that, within the last 18 months to two years, licences have been issued to five different traders within the High Street, Uxbridge, to take out old shop windows and install new ones, and that a licence was issued to another firm to build seven new shop window fronts; and how these cases of modernisation differ from that of Messrs. Suters, Limited, High Street, Uxbridge, who were not allowed to complete, by the fitment of one window, a scheme started in 1936.
§ Mr. EcclesThe five licences were issued on change of user where the old shop front was unsuitable, and were all for much smaller amounts than that required by Messrs. Suters. I have no knowledge of the particular case in which a licence was granted for seven shop fronts.
Messrs. Suters, Ltd., have already a shop front on the main street and I do not feel justified in licensing another at the back.