§ Mr. Masonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has yet held an inquiry into the adverse social aspects of beer supply and the tied-house system as suggested by the Monopolies Commission and the Erroll Committee; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LaneNeither the Monopolies Commission nor the Erroll Committee suggested such an inquiry. The former recommended, in effect, that the licensing system should be relaxed so that the licensing authority should no longer be able to apply the criterion of need. The latter made a similar recommendation in the context of the extensive changes which it proposed in the liquor licensing law. When the committee's report was published on 5th December, my right hon. Friend said that he proposed to assess
24Wamounts have been spent each year under the urban aid programme; and how these have been divided up between the education service and the social services.
§ Mr. LaneThe following table shows the expenditure authorised on education and other social services projects in England and Wales under each phase of the urban programme to date.
public reaction and to consult interested organisations before reaching any decisions on its recommendations. This stage has not yet been completed, and he is not yet in a position to make a statement.—[Vol. 847, c. 391–2.]