Minister admits mistakes on licensing reform

The government has admitted making mistakes during the implementation of the Licensing Act, but reassured licensees it is learning from them.

Speaking at the Business in Sport and Leisure Conference 2006 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, minister for creative industries and tourism Shaun Woodward MP told an audience of business leaders that while the act was "never going to change a culture that has been endemic for decades" he had seen a regime which has been simplified and "allowed us to have some impact on some of the problems of drinking in this country".

He said: "The transition part was difficult, the government acknowledges that. Could we have done things better? Yes. Are we learning from it? Yes we are."

Mr Woodward also took the opportunity to publicly slam right-wing media reaction to the act and suggested it would take many years before the true effect of reform would be felt.

"The dire predictions that were promulgated by the media - the so called café culture and binge drinking - I could show many headlines from the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday about that. The fact of the matter is this is utter rubbish.

"I'm not saying the picture is complete or we have resolved the problems we have with underage drinking and other things. Realistically the picture we should really find should only be taken after several years, not several months."

He reiterated his belief in self-regulation as the first port of call and urged the industry to work with government to solve problems.

"Three our of four people in this country drink sensibly," he said. "I really don't think it should be for government to actually say we've got to change these peoples lives because of abuses that have been carried out by a minority."