WSTA: Existing laws not being enforced

The Government should enforce existing laws rather than introduce a raft of new legislation and codes of conduct.

That is the view of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) in response to the Government's latest proposals.

The WSTA has published its own White Paper, which reveals:

• In the whole of England and Wales in 2006, only 8 people under 18 were taken to court for trying to purchase alcohol and only 11 were reprimanded.

• Only 56 people were cautioned or proceeded against for buying or attempting to buy alcohol for someone underage in 2006.

• Despite ministers calling for higher fines for refusing to stop drinking or to surrender alcohol in a public place, not a single person since 2004 has been given a fine of more than £250 and the maximum fine of £500 is not being used.

• Not a single person has been found guilty or proceeded against for the offence of obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk.

• Both Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the National Audit Office have acknowledged that the Licensing Act is not being used effectively by local authorities.

"Tough talk about action to curb underage drinking means nothing if we don't enforce the laws we have," said WSTA chief executive Jeremy Beadles.

"We do not need more legislation, we need to continue our partnership with Government to create stricter enforcement of our current laws."

The WSTA believes that where enforcement is used in conjunction with partnership at local level, progress is being made.