I should like to know from the Minister how the powers under this section will be enforced. If a proprietor refuses me admission to a hotel, can I go for the Guards? Do I have to wait and report the matter and have it investigated? As I see it, this whole section is in default. I think a hotel proprietor could say the next day: "We had no staff" or: "We had rooms positively booked" or make some suggestion like that which would be reasonable or held to be reasonable. I should like just to bring that whole question to the Minister's mind again. I am not suggesting that the idea to make a hotel receive people is not a good one but it will be practically impossible to enforce the section and bring a successful criminal prosecution against them. In that regard I think the section is to a great extent useless legislation. I regard it very nearly in the same way as I regard such hopeful clauses in Bills as:
"the Minister shall after consultation with the Minister for Finance or after consultation with the Minister for Local Government".
I do not think these sort of things have any force at all. I think that in relation to receiving guests and also with regard to food Section 3 is unenforceable.
What is a reasonable refusal to serve food or what is reasonable food at one o'clock at night? The staff have gone and the night watchman or the receptionist may be the only people there. Will they be compelled to rouse the staff to get food or are they supposed to get it themselves and leave whatever job they might be engaged on? What is the position? I cannot see Section 3 being enforced at all or a criminal prosecution under the section ever being brought or ever being successfully enforced. For that reason I feel that the Minister should have made it more a matter for a civil action and cut out the criminal side altogether. I do not think he can possibly enforce it.