Downing Street Says » 24-Hour Licensing Law

Asked if the Government was looking at the option of an alcohol levy, the PMOS replied that Charles Clark had met with ACPO and Chris Fox this week to talk about the issues surrounding the Licensing Act and the issues of resourcing. The PMOS stressed again the premise of the Licensing Act was about the concern expressed by police and others about a fixed turning out time, and the effect it was having on local communities and policing resources. What was important was that the licensing authorities, the police and the government all talked about how we coordinated closing times in a way that made sense locally. What also needed to be targeted was the problem of binge drinking. The Government and the police both agreed that those were the key issues.

Asked if Richard Caborn was correct in saying there were no plans to introduce a levy on the drinks industy, the PMOS said that discussions were still continuing and he did not want to overtake them. He compared the situation to the burglary issue earlier in the week, where advice had been taken from professionals, which was the best way to approach issues such as the one described.

Asked if a better comparison would be the casino example, where the Government had been "forced to place safeguards" the PMOS commented that people had been consulted regarding casinos, but repeated that there would be no change as regards licensing as he had said yesterday.

Asked if the reason Richard Caborn had said there were no plans was because the subject had been discussed and rejected, the PMOS said the journalist was jumping to conclusions. It was important to keep things in perspective. The industry said that the proportion for those premises applying for 24-hour licenses was about 1-2%. The real premise for the Licensing Act was the concern expressed by police and others about fixed turning out times. That was the real issue.

Asked if there was likely to be a voluntary levy, such as Richard Caborn spoke about, as opposed to a voluntary contribution from the licensing trade, the PMOS repeated that Charles Clarke had met with ACPO and others from the licensing trade this week, and was having discussions with them. People would find out the outcome of those discussions in due course.

Asked how soon a decision might be reached, the PMOS said that as Charles Clarke had already had several meetings in the week, it showed that urgent action was being taken on the matter.

Asked again about a levy, the PMOS said regardless of how many times the question was asked, the same answer would be given. It was sensible to answer a policy question properly, rather than rush to meet a newspaper deadline.

Asked why the subject of levies had suddenly been reopened, when the Home Office had been "trying to get" the DCMS to sign up for a levy "for years", the PMOS replied he did not agree with the characterisation.

Asked if the Government was surprised by the comments made by Wetherspoon’s that the industry did not want the levies, the PMOS said again, things had to be kept in perspective. The real problem was fixed closing times.

6 Comments »

i am well up for the 24 hour licencing. As i only drink on "Fridays" and want to make it worth my while!
Comment by Richard P Wills — 10 Feb 2005 on 11:27 am | Link
I love beer more than lots of other stuff so I think it is a fantastic idea to allow pubs to stay open later so that people like me can drink until the light of day.

P.S. My brain is not rotted as a result of alcohol abuse.
Comment by Paul Gillespie — 21 Nov 2005 on 1:17 pm | Link
Another weekend is over and I’m very disapointed, as I can still remember around 15% of the crazy things I got up to over my three night drinking bindge. I like to go to work on a Monday, leaving behind all the madness that drink brings about. But, due the current daft closing times, I was not able to destroy the required brain cells that hold the information I so badly want to lose.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as 24-hour binge drinking is on the doorstep! No longer do I need to worry about the obscenities I screamed at the boss last week. No longer will I need to remember sleeping with some dustbin hag. All will now be erased, as I batter my brain, liver and other essential organs into a fine pate in a weekly non-stop 72 hour drinking seige! Roll on Friday!

Hoorah and cheers!
Comment by Brett Graham — 21 Nov 2005 on 2:01 pm | Link
Another weekend is over and I’m very disapointed, as I can still remember around 15% of the crazy things I got up to over my three night drinking bindge. I like to go to work on a Monday, leaving behind all the madness that drink brings about. But, due the current daft closing times, I was not able to destroy the required brain cells that hold the information I so badly want to lose.
However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as 24-hour binge drinking is on the doorstep! No longer do I need to worry about the obscenities I screamed at the boss last week. No longer will I need to remember sleeping with some dustbin hag. All will now be erased, as I batter my brain, liver and other essential organs into a fine pate in a weekly non-stop 72 hour drinking seige! Roll on Friday!

Hoorah and cheers!
Comment by Brett Graham — 21 Nov 2005 on 2:01 pm | Link
I love Brett Graham’s blood.
Comment by Andrew Tompson — 21 Nov 2005 on 2:04 pm | Link
Gets my vote… :o>
Comment by PapaLazzzaru — 22 Nov 2005 on 2:38 am | Link

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» Friday, January 14, 2005

24-Hour Licensing Law

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