Ministers meet to tackle problem premises
Police, local authorities and Government Ministers met today to discuss stepping up the use of powers designed to clamp down on those who sell alcohol irresponsibly.
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker and Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe called the meeting of senior police and local authority representatives to explore how existing powers can be used more effectively to control problem premises. They also shared knowledge about effective measures for tackling problem behaviour at pubs, bars and retail outlets.
High on today's agenda was a discussion about the use of a new yellow and red card system. A yellow card will put the problem premises on immediate probation together with tough and uncompromising sanctions; a red card will mean the immediate loss of the licence. One of the aims of the summit is to discuss how this approach can be put into practice.
Vernon Coaker said:
"I am grateful for the ongoing support of our police and local authority partners in clamping down on the minority of problem premises. By working together we have already achieved a great deal - in the last national campaign fewer than 15 per cent of premises repeatedly sold alcohol to children, down from nearly 50 per cent three years ago.
"Today's meeting is about sharing evidence of what works well already, alongside understanding how new powers will help us to go even further."
Gerry Sutcliffe said:
"Most licensees take their responsibilities seriously, but we need to be sure that those who don't are quickly dealt with. There is a range of powers available that are being used effectively in many areas, but there is not a consistent picture across the country. We want to hear from police and local authorities about what has worked well in their area, and what problems prevent existing powers and resources being targeted effectively."
Ministers also encouraged police and Trading Standards officers to make full use of local knowledge to identify and target premises that are known to be selling alcohol to children or are a source of disorder, and make full use of the powers in the Licensing Act to deal with them.
These powers include the ability to review a licence as soon as problems occur, increased fines for breaches of the law, and the ability to apply a range of conditions on licence holders.
In order to ensure a more consistent and effective use of licensing powers and other interventions across England and Wales, the key points identified at the summit will be used to inform a series of regional workshops in the coming months. Local enforcement and licensing practitioners will be invited to attend the workshops to familiarise themselves with all the tools and powers available to tackle problem premises and alcohol-related crime and disorder.
An evaluation of the Licensing Act in March found that authorities are not always using the considerable powers granted by the Act to tackle problems, and that there is a need to rebalance action towards enforcement and to crack down on irresponsible behaviour.
Today also saw Alcohol Disorder Zone (ADZ) legislation come into force. ADZs will provide local authorities and the police with a measure of last resort for tackling high levels of alcohol-related nuisance or disorder in parts of town and city centres.
Notes to Editors
1. The meeting is taking place today (Thursday 5 June) in central London. It is not open to members of the press or public.
2. On 4 March 2008 Culture Secretary Andy Burnham published a written Ministerial Statement providing an evaluation of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003, which can be found at: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/minister_speeches/1997.aspx
3. Under the proposed red and yellow card system, enforcement agencies would be encouraged to seek reviews of a premises licence when local intelligence suggests that individual premises are selling to children or causing other crime problems or causing noise nuisance.
The aim would be to put the premises on probation, during which time the authorities could impose a package of tough new conditions designed to combat the identified problem. Effectively they would be given a yellow card and put on notice that the next offence or breach would mean an automatic second intervention - a red card. If satisfied that there has been no improvement, the licensing authority could revoke the licence.
Such a system would be highly visible and send a clear message to alcohol retailers, and the public, that action will be taken against those who act contrary to the licensing objectives and the law.
Public enquiries: 020 7211 6200
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Published on: 2008-06-05
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