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News
Cameron offers Big Society pub protection
As the fine detail of the UK’s Tory-Lib Dem coalition government slots into place, David Cameron has offered protection for pubs within his much-vaunted “Big Society” programme, but also promised greater powers for local authorities to remove, refuse or charge more for licences.
In a document released jointly with deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, Cameron promised to “introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure”.
It is not yet clear whether this pledge will alter the £4 million in government funding which was promised in March by former pubs minister John Healey for precisely this purpose.
A major pledge from the coalition programme saw the government confirm its intention to “overhaul the Licensing Act to give local authorities and the police much stronger powers to remove licences from, or refuse to grant licences to, any premises that are causing problems.”
In addition the document revealed: “We will review alcohol taxation and pricing to ensure it tackles binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries.”
The biggest impact here is likely to be felt in the off-trade, where the debate over minimum pricing has been grabbing national headlines over the past week.
However, publicans will be relieved to see the government laying much of the blame for the UK’s binge drinking problems at the door of the supermarkets with their loss-leader alcohol promotions.
Of more direct concern for pubs is the news that “We will permit local councils to charge more for late-night licences to pay for additional policing.”
While the 24 hour drinking laws introduced by Labour back in 2005 will not be scrapped, home secretary Theresa May made her own position clear at last week’s Police Federation conference, saying: “I was in opposition when the new laws were introduced and I argued against them.”
Many of these policies are expected to be confirmed in the Queen’s speech today as part of an ambitious programme of at least 21 bills due to be introduced over the next 18 months.
Gabriel Savage, 25.05.2010