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Burstow challenges Ministers on Licensing Laws
October 31, 2005 12:00 PM
Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow last week challenged Ministers to put the new Licensing Laws - due to be implemented on the 24th November - on ice.
A committee of MPs from all parties, called together by the Liberal Democrats, met on Wednesday to debate delaying implementation of the 24 hour drinking laws. Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs united in their call to delay the regulations, but the Government used their majority on the committee to force through the law.
Paul Burstow MP commented:
"There is an ever growing mass of evidence showing binge drinking spiralling out of control. It's time to put Labour's longer licensing hours on ice.
"Ministers have made a grave error in ignoring the chorus of calls for the Licensing Act to be reviewed. Both judges and police point to the research which shows longer licensing hours will simply inflame the binge drinking problem."
ENDS.
Notes to editors
1. Paul Burstow MP represented the Liberal Democrats at last week's committee on the regulations (Statutory Instrument 2005 No. 2091, The Licensing Act 2003) governing implementation laws allowing pubs, clubs and off-licences to sell alcohol round the clock.
2. Police Powers
Licensing Minister, James Purnell MP has written to all MPs urging them to support the rapid introduction of the Licensing Act. He cites though new police powers are the primary reason for urgency.
Yet the case for urgency is far from persuasive:
a. Powers introduced already - some sections of the Licensing Act in
relation to enforcement have already been introduced, such as greater powers for police officers to confiscate alcohol from young people (s.155 and s.199) introduced over two years ago.
b. Powers yet to be introduced modest - police powers to shut premises for 24 hours exist already under the Licensing Act 1964 and were even extended as recently as 2001.
c. Existing powers not being used - Under Labour, enforcement of
alcohol-related offences has been appalling. Only 11 landlords a year on average have been prosecuted for allowing drunken or riotous behaviour on their premises and similar new powers to tackle binge drinking added by the 2001 Criminal Justice Act have only led to one (unsuccessful) prosecution.
3. A comprehensive review of the research concludes that:
"in those countries with a well established binge drinking culture, increasing access to alcohol has led to increased consumption."
4. Longer licensing hours in Iceland, Ireland and Canada produced not a decrease in consumption, violence and drunkenness but an increase.
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