§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many registered clubs failed to submit to the Department of Finance their certified returns of liquor expenditure for the year ending 31st December 1976; and whether he is satisfied with the Department's arrangements for the detailed examination of such accounts.
§ Mr. DunnAll the registered clubs which were operating during 1976 have submitted their certified statements of expenditure on intoxicating liquor incurred during the year ended 31st December 1976 although in 10 cases they were not received before the publication of the annual return. I am satisfied with the arrangements for the scrutiny of the accounts of registered clubs.
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§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many registered clubs there have been in Belfast in each of the years 1969 to 1977 inclusive; how many public houses there have been during each of those years; and what conclusions he draws from these figures.
§ Mr. DunnThe information is as follows:
BELFAST PETTY SESSIONS DISTRICT Number of Registered Clubs Total number of Public Houses licensed Number of Public Houses operating 1969 … 81 421 Not known 1970 … 91 403 1971 … 100 383 1972 … 102 355 314 1973 … 103 341 282 1974 … 117 312 246 1975 … 132 302 231 1976 … 140 277 209 1977 … 152 257 198 The increase in the number of registered clubs reflects the pattern elsewhere in Northern Ireland. The reduction in the number of public houses has been due to various commercial and other factors including acquisition of areas taken over for redevelopment and also to premises destroyed in terrorist attacks.
§ Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the procedure for opposing applications for the opening of clubs.
§ Mr. DunnSection 6 of the Registration of Clubs Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 provides that the divisional commander of the RUC for the district in which a club's premises are situated or any person owning or occupying premises in the neighbourhood of the club premises may object to the grant of a club's application for the issue or renewal of a certificate of registration on any of the 15 grounds of objection as prescribed in Schedule 3 to the Act.
Objections must be lodged within a period of 21 days of the date of the last publication of the public notice of the club's intention to apply for grant or renewal of a certificate. All applications for registration and any objections to such applications are dealt with at the annual registrations courts held in January each year for the petty sessions districts.