Blears: "Acting on advice"

The minister responsible for crime reduction has defended the government's reform of the pub licensing laws.

Answering questions in the Commons on Monday, Hazel Blears said the move towards 24-hour drinking was taken on police advice.

The government has been accused of encouraging "binge drinking" and town centre trouble by legislating to allow bars to remain open through the night later this year.

But Blears argued that the courts and police forces were being given accompanying powers to take action against establishments which fuel anti-social behaviour that spills out onto the streets and that the law should allow the "90 per cent" of responsible drinkers to enjoy themselves.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said the minister was "wrong to blame the police" for the law.

"Why is the government ignoring expert advice and pressing ahead with 24-hour drinking before they have got a proven solution to this problem?" he asked.

Blears insisted she "was not blaming the police for this situation".

"The police have pressed us for more appropriate powers to deal with irresponsible drinking, and that is exactly what we have done," she said.

Alcohol licenses have also been redrawn under the new law, with larger pubs and bars that attract big crowds on Friday and Saturday nights being asked to contribute more to city centre policing.

Nightclubs

However Liberal Democrat spokesman Mark Oaten pointed out that nightclubs have been excluded from this system.

"There has been a restructuring of fees paid by licensed premises so that fees paid by larger premises quite rightly pay more. But can she explain why nightclubs have been excluded from this new regime?" he asked Blears.

"And is she also aware that the industry website is claiming to have 'played a blinder' in negotiations with the government by actually avoiding paying this new fee.

"Surely it is not just pubs that cause trouble on Friday/Saturday, but many of the problems are caused by nightclubs.

"Why have they been excluded from this new fee arrangement?"

The minister replied: "We had several revisions of the proposed licensing fee structure as a result of consultations with local authorities and with the industry itself.

"We now have a fee structure that will meet the cost, not just of administration, but very importantly of inspection and enforcement as well."

She claimed that the Local Government Association are "content with the fee structure" and that it would be reviewed again in 12 months time.

"We have put in place measures to multiply the amount of money paid by those premises which are likely to cause the most harm and the most risk," Blears said.