Law passed to bring in mandatory code

Pubs are facing a major crackdown as the government has been given the power by Parliament to introduce its controversial mandatory code of practice.

The Policing and Crime Bill, which includes the mandatory code on alcohol, received Royal Assent in Parliament yesterday.

However, the code is an "enabling" clause in the new Act, which means that what will be in it is still up for discussion.

But it is likley to mean pubs will be subject to up to nine national mandatory conditions controlling the way they sell alcohol.

These include a ban on irresponsible promotions, such as "all you can drink for £10", being forced to offer wine in a 125ml measure, spirits in a 25 or 35ml measure and free tap water.

The industry has estimated the new code could cost the trade £58m to implement in its first year.

A spokesman for the British Beer & Pub Association said: "The government now has the power to press ahead with a code - but we're still the dark over when it may happen or what it may contain.

"They should publish the results of the consultation process, which clearly showed there is little support for it.

"In the mean time we will continue to make the case that the government should not press ahead with measures that will damage the trade."

The make-up of the code could be influenced by the government's public consultation on the code, which more than 7,000 people responded to. The Home Office said the responses were still being considered.

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said: "The public are at the heart of everything we do and they are our best weapon in fighting crime.

"The Policing and Crime Act gives police and local authorities new powers to tackle the issues of most concern to communities, like gang violence, alcohol-related crime and disorder, prostitution and lap-dancing clubs."

Other measures in the Policing and Crime Act include:

• Lowering the number of times premises can sell alcohol to young people before incurring a penalty and toughening the penalties for those premises
• Strengthening police powers to deal with young people drinking alcohol in public;
• Giving greater powers to Local Authorities to control the opening and regulation of lap-dancing clubs;