MP's - Councils should set Minimum Beer Prices ...
Discussion
MPs call for minimum drink prices
Councils should be able to use their powers to set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks in bars to help cut anti-social behaviour, MPs have said.
The home affairs select committee wants to end cheap drinks promotions thought to encourage binge-drinking.
The government estimates binge-drinking costs Britain about £20bn a year and MPs want pubs to pay more towards policing drink-fuelled disorder.
But pub industry groups said setting minimum drink prices would be illegal.
Planning 'needed'
Home affairs committee chairman John Denham said: "The attention on 24-hour licensing misses the point - problems of disorder are occurring now.
"The underlying problem is of too many people drinking heavily in small geographical areas."
The Office of Fair Trading has consistently stated that price fixing or minimum pricing is prohibited under UK and European law
Mark Hastings
British Beer and Pub Association
He said longer term policy should be on proper city planning "with diverse activities supported by adequate transport and other facilities".
The Home Office responded by saying it recognised "alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder is much too high".
It said it was looking into a wide range of measures to combat the problem and that the committee's recommendations would be taken into consideration.
'Other difficulties'
The committee's report said there was "no clear-cut evidence" on whether round-the-clock drinking introduced by the government would reduce the number of alcohol-related problems.
Differing closing times may reduce some problems but may cause other difficulties for the police, it said.
"The changes may make it more difficult for the police... to predict where and when officers need to be deployed," it said.
Councils should be able to prevent high concentrations of pubs
Crime and Society Foundation director Richard Garside said the report showed "evidence about anti-social behaviour is thin and the effectiveness of government strategies is unproven".
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten described the effects of Friday and Saturday night binge-drinking as "unacceptable".
"Big night-time venues should make an up-front contribution to the costs of maintaining public safety," he said.
But Mark Hastings of the British Beer and Pub Association, which represents over half the pubs in the UK, rejected the proposal for minimum alcohol prices, saying such a move would be illegal.
"The Office of Fair Trading has consistently stated that price fixing or minimum pricing is prohibited under UK and European law," he said.
Education programme
Chief Police Officers president Chris Fox said providing transport and toilet facilities in pub and bar areas was essential.
"They should also be investing in a public education programme to help change the binge-drinking culture that exists," he said.
On other types of anti-social behaviour, the MPs committee said Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) were working.
But it said moves should be taken to reduce the 42% which are currently broken.
Parenting orders - which demand mothers and fathers learn how to cope with rebel children - often were effective but were "under-used", it added.
The committee recommended help should be given to parents before situations reached crisis point.
Councils should be able to use their powers to set minimum prices for alcoholic drinks in bars to help cut anti-social behaviour, MPs have said.
The home affairs select committee wants to end cheap drinks promotions thought to encourage binge-drinking.
The government estimates binge-drinking costs Britain about £20bn a year and MPs want pubs to pay more towards policing drink-fuelled disorder.
But pub industry groups said setting minimum drink prices would be illegal.
Planning 'needed'
Home affairs committee chairman John Denham said: "The attention on 24-hour licensing misses the point - problems of disorder are occurring now.
"The underlying problem is of too many people drinking heavily in small geographical areas."
The Office of Fair Trading has consistently stated that price fixing or minimum pricing is prohibited under UK and European law
Mark Hastings
British Beer and Pub Association
He said longer term policy should be on proper city planning "with diverse activities supported by adequate transport and other facilities".
The Home Office responded by saying it recognised "alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder is much too high".
It said it was looking into a wide range of measures to combat the problem and that the committee's recommendations would be taken into consideration.
'Other difficulties'
The committee's report said there was "no clear-cut evidence" on whether round-the-clock drinking introduced by the government would reduce the number of alcohol-related problems.
Differing closing times may reduce some problems but may cause other difficulties for the police, it said.
"The changes may make it more difficult for the police... to predict where and when officers need to be deployed," it said.
Councils should be able to prevent high concentrations of pubs
Crime and Society Foundation director Richard Garside said the report showed "evidence about anti-social behaviour is thin and the effectiveness of government strategies is unproven".
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten described the effects of Friday and Saturday night binge-drinking as "unacceptable".
"Big night-time venues should make an up-front contribution to the costs of maintaining public safety," he said.
But Mark Hastings of the British Beer and Pub Association, which represents over half the pubs in the UK, rejected the proposal for minimum alcohol prices, saying such a move would be illegal.
"The Office of Fair Trading has consistently stated that price fixing or minimum pricing is prohibited under UK and European law," he said.
Education programme
Chief Police Officers president Chris Fox said providing transport and toilet facilities in pub and bar areas was essential.
"They should also be investing in a public education programme to help change the binge-drinking culture that exists," he said.
On other types of anti-social behaviour, the MPs committee said Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) were working.
But it said moves should be taken to reduce the 42% which are currently broken.
Parenting orders - which demand mothers and fathers learn how to cope with rebel children - often were effective but were "under-used", it added.
The committee recommended help should be given to parents before situations reached crisis point.
I know when I went before the court to get my Justice's licence when we opened the pub, I was grilled by the Police regarding promotional prices.
The powers that be are very concerned regarding what they consider to be "pocket money pricing".
It is reasonable, in that if you can go out with £15 and get 15 pints of wife beater for that, than you are going to be in a far worse state than if it was charged at the best part of three pounds a pint...
I believe it all comes down to the licencing hours, remove that finishing line, and there is no need for the Fri night rush, (home from work at 6, quick shower, etc and in the pub for 7- 7.30, and power drink until 11).
Remove the time constraints & yes there will be an initial chaos time with the chavs catatonically plastered, but the responsible part of our society would be allowed to make an informed decision as to when to finish & go home.
Ahh - just spotted the flaw in my argument. Informed choice. Never happen under this government....
Hey Ho,
Chris
The powers that be are very concerned regarding what they consider to be "pocket money pricing".
It is reasonable, in that if you can go out with £15 and get 15 pints of wife beater for that, than you are going to be in a far worse state than if it was charged at the best part of three pounds a pint...
I believe it all comes down to the licencing hours, remove that finishing line, and there is no need for the Fri night rush, (home from work at 6, quick shower, etc and in the pub for 7- 7.30, and power drink until 11).
Remove the time constraints & yes there will be an initial chaos time with the chavs catatonically plastered, but the responsible part of our society would be allowed to make an informed decision as to when to finish & go home.
Ahh - just spotted the flaw in my argument. Informed choice. Never happen under this government....
Hey Ho,
Chris
This could be dangerous for the government.... If everyone sobers up they'll realise how 
ed the country is... Beer is solace 
Everyone knows the root of the problem is our antiquated licencing hours, bought in during the war. Relax these and the problem will go away.
You gotta love the communist mind set
ed the country is... Beer is solace Everyone knows the root of the problem is our antiquated licencing hours, bought in during the war. Relax these and the problem will go away.
You gotta love the communist mind set
I'm not against the tax on alcohol going up if it was spent on better policing. What really gets on my tits is the fact the thieving pubs charge £1.50 for a pint of cola which has no duty on it at all. There should be something done about that, if a pint of cola was 80p i'd certainly slip one in between a few pints just to keep a clear head etc, but the sheer amount of proift the pubs must make out of it puts me off!
Rob.
Rob.
We must be protected from ourselvesThe Wiz said:
The government estimates binge-drinking costs Britain about £20bn a year
You what!?
£20bn a year is a hell of a lot to be spending on a couple of extra police on the street at 3am!
And it earns them/the country how much?!
As someone who frequently goes to town on a Friday/Saturday night I find you will perhaps see one scuffle/case of drunken vandalism on a night out, usually nothing, but never more than one or two. I find it very hard to see how this is costing the government so much, especially when so many people ages 18-35 are frequently going out and spending £50-£100 a time.
Some spokesman for the pub trade trade was interviewed on the radio earlier today. He pointed out that pubs already pay £20billion in tax every year.
The total budget for policing in the UK is around £10billion. How much more do they want?.
This is typical of todays government philosophy. Rather than try and solve problems, they use them as revenue raising oportunities.
The total budget for policing in the UK is around £10billion. How much more do they want?.
This is typical of todays government philosophy. Rather than try and solve problems, they use them as revenue raising oportunities.
sparkythecat said:
The total budget for policing in the UK is around £10billion. How much more do they want?.
In regards to this issue and many others we are just going for quick fixes-a partial solution is to have more police-I believe there are not enough police officers given the size of the UK population and crime rates.
deckster said:
Most definitely not - in fact imposing minimum prices like this is against European law. Not that it's ever stopped them in the past
It is depressingly predictable that the few worthwhile European laws are the only ones this mob feel free to ignore, yet the more barkingly mad ones that no one in their right mind would follow are the ones we embrace as though they're the saviour of civilization. Just how
ed up is this country? I feel a bonfire coming on...
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