Clause 67 - Associate members and their guests
Licensing Bill [Lords]
4:00 pm
Mr Nick Harvey (North Devon, Liberal Democrat)
The hon. Gentleman is wrong to propose the amendment. It would delay the access of members of other clubs to social clubs. From a constituency point of view, many of the clubs in seaside towns in North Devon offer their facilities to people who are visiting resorts and are members of clubs elsewhere. Some people come only for a long weekend or a few days and if they had to wait for the two days proposed in the hon. Gentleman's amendment, half their holiday would be gone. Clubs allow members of other clubs simply to show another club card, be it from the National Union of Liberal Clubs, the CIU, or, heaven forfend, even from Conservative or Labour clubs—such people are simply allowed to brandish their cards and come in. That approach is preferable to the delay that is inherently built into the hon. Gentleman's amendment.