Blears gets personal in drinks advice to Blair

by The PMA Team

Home Office minister Hazel Blears has sent Prime Minister Tony Blair a plan that outlines 39 steps the industry and Govern-ment should take to reduce the harm created by alcohol.

The document ­ leaked to the Morning Advertiser ­ contains a range of Blears' personal views on the way forward.

Among her ideas is a reduction in the capacity numbers in city-centre venues to reduce the likelihood of aggression sparked by overcrowding. Blears also wants tighter controls on noisy pubs, with a new fixed-penalty notice scheme and a more pro-active approach to licence revocations at problem pubs. She had told Blair that the fixed penalty notices should be issued to pubs and clubs that are making too much noise as a step short of a closure notice.

She wants pubs to take part more fully in pubwatch meetings, with attendance at a minimum number of meetings a year a condition of the licence.

The Home Office minister also believes there should be a Government statement on the legality of imposing minimum pricing conditions on premises.

Blears tells Blair: "There should be a Government statement endorsed by the OFT on what is currently legal and illegal in terms of addressing irresponsible drinks promotions, which can be widely disseminated.

"The Home Office should [also] consider whether such action is sufficient or whether further controls are needed to tackle irresponsible drinks promotions, committing to early action if necessary." A total of 18 of Blears ideas involve action by the pub and drinks industry. Other ideas include discussing with broadcasters and regulators how television and broadcasters could avoid glamourising binge drinking.

Blears told trade leaders: "I have made it clear to the Prime Min-ister that this report contains my personal conclusions, informed by a number of round-table discussions with industry and other representative bodies." She has argued that the pub and drinks sector should offer specific suggestions on how its one million employees "can work as a powerful force for cultural change".

Rob Hayward, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, described many of Blears ideas as "good", but he called for "full engagement" with the industry.

Tuppen hits back at Ofbooze'

"We really need to talk," British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) chairman Ted Tuppen, told MPs and Peers at the BBPA and All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group's Christmas reception last week.

Tuppen was referring to the Government's "Ofbooze" social responsibility proposals, outlined exclusively in last week's Morning Advertiser. He said the industry was deeply concerned about the plans and their costings.

Tuppen also criticised the Government's Gambling Bill. "Why didn't you just come out and say you don't care about pubs?" Radio One DJs who glorify their drunken exploits also drew criticism from Tuppen. The Morning Advertiser story received extensive coverage in the national media last week, including a front page story in the Daily Mirror.