Licensing laws not being enforced say Lib Dems

November 10, 2007: The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to start holding Britain's pubs, bars and off-licences to account for the country's binge drinking problems.

The party's Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Don Foster MP, said: "The Government's own figures show a complete failure to tackle Britain's growing drink problem.

"When the new Licensing Act was introduced we were promised a continental drinking culture, but in reality we've seen a dramatic leap in alcohol-related A&E admissions and a surge in drunken violence.

"We have laws in place to guard against these incidents, but they just aren't being enforced — when laws are flouted, licences must be revoked or suspended.

"The buck must stop with ministers — it's their job to hold Britain's pubs, bars and off-licences to account for the country's binge drinking culture."

Mr Foster was commenting on Government figures that show that:

l Of the 252,600 personal licence holders in the UK only 13 had had their licences suspended and just 11 were revoked.

l Of the 122,900 premises licensed for sale of alcohol, only 69 licenses were suspended.

l In the latest available figures (2005) only four licensees were convicted of selling liquor to a drunk person.

This, say the Lib Dems, is despite the fact that the latest figures show that:

l In 2006/07 there were 1,087,000 violent incidents with alcohol involved (46% of all violent incidents).

l The number of drinkers being admitted to A&E has almost doubled (up 96%) under Labour to 148,000 a year, or 400 per day.

l The Home Office's Tackling Underage Sales of Alcohol campaign found that 40% of licensed premises were failing to ask for identification on the first visit by their inspection teams.

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