asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of applications which have been made to the respective local price regulation committees for licences under the Location of Retail Businesses Orders, 1941, the number of licences granted, and the number refused?

Up to 31st March, the latest date to which statistics are available, 1,980 applications had been received and 760 licences had been granted. As some of these applications were still under review at that date, I cannot at present give a figure for licences refused. The figure for licences granted includes removals of existing businesses to new premises.