Clause 65 - Industrial and provident societies, friendly societies etc.
Licensing Bill [Lords]
3:45 pm
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
As I understand it, clause 65 is lifted, perhaps verbatim, from the Licensing Act 1964. Perhaps the Minister can confirm whether it is the same, word for word. I suspect that clause 66 is of much the same ilk. Most clubs that come under this part of the Bill are non-profit-making clubs, which is why they enjoy such benefits, but why do some—those identified in clause 65—apparently not have to fulfil the requirements placed on other non-profit-making clubs? Is there something special about them? They are, in some cases, charitable institutions and registered under various other Acts of Parliament. Does that confer upon them the ability to run a club that involves the sale of alcohol and provision of entertainment better or more wisely than any other group of people who come together to form a non-profit-making club? It seems that, because the measure was in earlier legislation and there was no input from anyone to say that it was working badly or inappropriately or was conferring special privileges, the Government just decided to lob it in here. That is not a real justification for keeping it.