Drinking laws clarified
The culture secretary has been forced to insist that pubs will not be open for 24 hours under new government legislation.
Tessa Jowell said on Sunday that she is opposed to round the clock drinking as Labour splits over changes to Britain's licensing laws threatened to spiral out of control.
Stakeholder Response: British National Temperance League
Barbara Biggs, CEO of BNTL, said: "BNTL is against the relaxation of the drinking laws as we feel there is just not sufficient evidence to indicate that it will not cause more harm than good.
"Ms Jowell in her defence of the legislation draws heavily on a piece of research, 'Drinking of public disorder', commissioned by the Portman Group - the campaigning arm of the drinks industry. She also cites that initially the police were generally in favour of staggered closing times. However this was retracted as violence within our cities, towns and country increased so dramatically over the past few years.
"The police admit they do not have the manpower to police these alcohol-fuelled incidents we have all seen on our televisions. Figures indicate that we today drink 121 per cent more than in 1951 – we are all paid more, we are more independent, we stay single longer with no commitments or ties and the sole aim of young men and increasingly young women at the weekend is to go out and 'get plastered'.
"The drinks market is worth £30 billion, but the cost to society is: 1.2million violent incidents linked to alcohol, 360,000 domestic violence incidents linked to alcohol, 70 per cent of accident and emergency admissions linked to alcohol, 22,000 premature deaths linked to alcohol.
"More flexible opening hours will not begin to reduce these appalling statistics and as Andy Meyer said in the Guardian (Saturday
"But that does not mean we should not try to do something to prevent this.
"There is no quick fix solution, we need to tackle the problem together with all concerned from the teachers, the drinks industry, local councils and police playing their part in making our city centres a place to enjoy on the evening. The prime minister is right is saying that the drunken behaviour of the minority should not prevent the majority from enjoying a evening out but the reality is that it does and the relaxation of the licensing laws is not going to suddenly stop this behaviour."
Stakeholder Response: Alcohol Concern
Geethika Jayatilaka, director of policy and public affairs, said: "Although many pubs will not apply for 24-hour licenses, the reality is that our public services are simply not geared up to cope with longer hours of any sort. Longer hours are not going to solve the binge drinking culture that we have here in the
"Allowing extended licensing hours, without putting in place the necessary infrastructure to cope with the impact of people drinking into the early hours is a time bomb waiting to go off.
"Pub-goers will be spilling out of pubs later and over a longer period of time which means local authorities will need to have the powers to deal with this and make sure that town and city centres don't become no-go areas at the weekends. This means ensuring transport systems are in place so that people can get home safely, street cleaning services to deal with increased refuse and extra police and emergency services to cope with alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and accidents.
"It is vital that Industry is asked to contribute to the costs of these and we would welcome levies on licensed premises to pick up the tab for these extra costs incurred by extended hours. Current suggestions on license fees which local authorities will be able to charge will simply not cover the costs of running the new regime, meaning that local residents may well end up subsidising big businesses."
Stakeholder Response: Royal College of Physicians
Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Royal College of Physicians' alcohol committee, said: "Already, alcohol-related diseases are costing the NHS about £1.7 billion every year. Around 17 million working days are lost annually because of alcohol abuse, costing our economy £6.4 billion.
"Seventy per cent of all weekend night-time admissions to hospitals' Accident and Emergency departments are linked to alcohol. More than half of all violent crime is related to drink. We have serious doubts that the continental style of drinking will be so easily translated into
"Given the starting point of an epidemic of binge drinking, it is more likely that liberalisation will instead be associated with a rise in alcohol misuse, drunkenness, medical damage, violence and public disorder.
"The places that will take advantage of changes in the law are not the local, neighbourhood pubs where responsible drinking already occurs and the staff know their customers. It will be the large, anonymous, urban establishments, with a young clientele, that will benefit most - but experience the most trouble, whether it is through an increase in street violence or in damage to health."
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