Tories could force "late-night" pubs to pay more for licence
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling today promised the Tories would give councils the power to force pubs with late-night licences to pay more for the privilege as part of major plans to "tear up" Labour's licensing regime.
Grayling, speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester also reinforced his party's plan to ban supermarkets from selling alcohol below-cost and increase duty on "super-strength" drinks, such as cider and "alcopops".
On the Licensing Act, he said: "No-one thinks the government's 24-hour drinking regime has created a continental cafe culture. Things have gone far too far."
He said that in many towns Friday and Saturday nights had become a "battle zone" for police.
The Tories would "tear up" the licensing regime, he said. New measures would include giving councils the powers to restrict the opening hours of pubs, clubs and off-licences and stronger penalties on pubs that break the rules that lead to problems.
Councils will be also able to make premises "pay more for late-night licences", Grayling warned.
Justifying higher taxes on super-strength drinks, he said it was now too easy for 14 year-olds to get drunk "too quickly and too cheaply".
He said "local traditional prodcuts" would not be affected, but added: "We will call time on the drinks that fuel anti-social behaviour".
He pointed the finger at supermarkets saying selling alcohol below-cost was fuelling binge-drinking.
Grayling acknowledged the new plans would not be popular with the drinks industry, but said they were necessary to tackle the problems of binge-drinking.
Details of the measures include:
- Raising the price of a four-pack of super strength lager by £1.33 and more than double the tax on super strength cider
- Increasing the price of large bottles of "alco-pops" by £1.50
- Banning supermarkets from selling alcohol at below-cost price
- Introducing bigger fines for those caught selling to children. Repeat offenders could have their premises closed for several days.
- Making "late night, problem premises" pay more for their alcohol licences to help cover the cost of policing
Mark Hastings, communications director at the British Beer & Pub Association said the Tories needed to "start seeing social drinking in pubs as part of the solution to binge drinking, rather than part of the problem".
"With 50 pubs closing per week the Conservatives should appreciate that any increase in regulation, red tape and tax will put community pubs under considerable further pressure leading to more closures and job losses - something I am sure they would want to avoid," he added.
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers welcomed the ban on below-cost selling in supermarkets, but also warned changed to the Licensing Act coudl have "unforseen circumstances" for pubs.
Chief executive Nick Bish said: "We are disappointed that the proposals outlined today have not been discussed with affected businesses... the 2003 Act took two years to introduce and imposed significant legal and administrative costs on individual pubs. We want gradual evolution not further revolution."
Paul Smith, executive director of late-night trade operator trade group Noctis, said late venues were often paying higher rates, and contributing towards taxi and street marshalling, which was not often recognised.
He added: "Late-night operators also have to deal with the problems of pre-loading."
