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| MPs call for pub happy hours ban | MPs call for pub happy hours ban |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Pub happy hours should be banned and supermarkets stopped from selling alcohol at a loss, in order to combat drink-fuelled disorder, MPs have said. | Pub happy hours should be banned and supermarkets stopped from selling alcohol at a loss, in order to combat drink-fuelled disorder, MPs have said. |
| The Home Affairs select committee said reckless drinking was placing a heavy burden on police resources. | The Home Affairs select committee said reckless drinking was placing a heavy burden on police resources. |
| One possible solution in England and Wales, MPs said, would be legislation setting a minimum price on alcohol - already being considered in Scotland. | One possible solution in England and Wales, MPs said, would be legislation setting a minimum price on alcohol - already being considered in Scotland. |
| Ministers said they would "look carefully" at the recommendations. | Ministers said they would "look carefully" at the recommendations. |
| Police challenges | Police challenges |
| The committee's call comes in a wide-ranging report on challenges facing police forces in the 21st Century. | |
| It said police faced a host of pressures, including public expectations over minor crime, rapid population change, and the number of murder suspects released on bail. | |
| But it added that evidence showed the biggest problem faced by police forces was violence and disorder caused by excessive drinking of cheap alcohol. | But it added that evidence showed the biggest problem faced by police forces was violence and disorder caused by excessive drinking of cheap alcohol. |
| It said one force had reported that its shift patterns were dictated by the need to have enough officers available to deal with the fall-out of weekend bouts of drunken disorder. | |
| Drink-fuelled crime meant that many forces could not meet the public's expectations of high-profile visible policing at other times, despite currently having record numbers in uniform, the report said.Violence: 45% of victims say their attacker had been drinking | Drink-fuelled crime meant that many forces could not meet the public's expectations of high-profile visible policing at other times, despite currently having record numbers in uniform, the report said.Violence: 45% of victims say their attacker had been drinking |
| Increased police powers to tackle drunkenness were not working and powers to review or revoke premises' alcohol licences were not being fully used, it said. | Increased police powers to tackle drunkenness were not working and powers to review or revoke premises' alcohol licences were not being fully used, it said. |
| Almost half of all violent crime victims report that their attacker was under the influence of alcohol, according to official figures. | Almost half of all violent crime victims report that their attacker was under the influence of alcohol, according to official figures. |
| Other official figures on the cost of goods over time show alcohol has become much more affordable in the last three decades. | Other official figures on the cost of goods over time show alcohol has become much more affordable in the last three decades. |
| Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, said retailers must end a "pile it high, sell it cheap" culture around drink. | Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, said retailers must end a "pile it high, sell it cheap" culture around drink. |
| He accused supermarkets of flouting the spirit of a voluntary code on alcohol sales. | He accused supermarkets of flouting the spirit of a voluntary code on alcohol sales. |
| "We cannot have, on one hand, a world of alcohol promotions for profit that fuels surges of crime and disorder and, on the other, the police diverting all their resources to cope with it," said Mr Vaz. | "We cannot have, on one hand, a world of alcohol promotions for profit that fuels surges of crime and disorder and, on the other, the police diverting all their resources to cope with it," said Mr Vaz. |
| Scotland's new licensing laws include powers to fix alcohol prices to stop cut-price promotions and happy hours, and ministers in Edinburgh say they might seek to set minimum prices for drink.HAVE YOUR SAYDo not penalise everyone who enjoys a sensible drink just because the sentencing for drunken louts is pathetic and there is no deterrentPhil, North WalesSend us your comments | |
| The report said MPs remained sceptical about whether recently introduced Alcohol Disorder Zones could work. | The report said MPs remained sceptical about whether recently introduced Alcohol Disorder Zones could work. |
| These force pubs and clubs to contribute towards the costs of policing drink-related crime. | These force pubs and clubs to contribute towards the costs of policing drink-related crime. |
| A Home Office spokesman said: "We know the police and the public remain concerned about alcohol-related disorder. | A Home Office spokesman said: "We know the police and the public remain concerned about alcohol-related disorder. |
| "We have given the police, licensing authorities and trading standards officers a range of tough powers to tackle alcohol-related disorder, including on-the-spot fines, confiscating alcohol in public places and closing down premises that flout the law. | "We have given the police, licensing authorities and trading standards officers a range of tough powers to tackle alcohol-related disorder, including on-the-spot fines, confiscating alcohol in public places and closing down premises that flout the law. |
| "Alongside this, the Department of Health has commissioned an independent review on the effects of alcohol price, promotion, consumption and harm which will be published shortly." | "Alongside this, the Department of Health has commissioned an independent review on the effects of alcohol price, promotion, consumption and harm which will be published shortly." |
| 'Expensive disaster' | 'Expensive disaster' |
| Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "[The report] is a shocking indictment of Labour's reckless approach to extended licensing and the top-down target-driven approach, which has resulted in perverse outcomes." | Shadow home secretary Dominic Grieve said: "[The report] is a shocking indictment of Labour's reckless approach to extended licensing and the top-down target-driven approach, which has resulted in perverse outcomes." |
| He said the Conservatives would reverse Labour's approach to 24-hour drinking, replacing it with "appropriate application at local discretion". | He said the Conservatives would reverse Labour's approach to 24-hour drinking, replacing it with "appropriate application at local discretion". |
| "We would ensure that laws passed to deal with alcohol-fuelled disorder are actually enforced - and take robust action to prevent loss-leader sales targeted at the young." | "We would ensure that laws passed to deal with alcohol-fuelled disorder are actually enforced - and take robust action to prevent loss-leader sales targeted at the young." |
| Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "This report is right to highlight how mistaken the government has been to try to run policing through Whitehall targets, which have proved an expensive disaster." | Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "This report is right to highlight how mistaken the government has been to try to run policing through Whitehall targets, which have proved an expensive disaster." |