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Tuesday 7 April 2015

THERE IS A WAY BUT NO WILL



I was appointed to the Licensing Committee a short time before the powers of magistrates` courts to control the opening of licensed premises were removed to the local authority.  Further “simplification” of the process and changes “to reduce costs” were initiated by the outgoing government.  This is the published "consultation" that all local authorities based their responses upon.  Excuse all the quotation marks.  1984 has certainly caught up with us where words now have at least two meanings when used in government documents: the traditional and historic interpretation and that bestowed by Whitehall Weasels. Now five years later lo and behold that arch supporter of civil liberties Sir B. Hogan-Howe Met Commissioner is calling for licensing reform.  This whole sorry story is a perfect example of the myopia of government.  Appealing to the booze industry as the so called reform was meant to do has made the job of police so much worse than it need have been.  Depending on whose statistics are believed at least 50% of all crime is alcohol driven.  In Scotland the figure is as high as 70%.  There simply must be more done to reduce drinking by those under 21.  Unfortunately owing to political expediency whilst there is a way there is apparently no will.

1 comment:

  1. "Depending on whose statistics are believed at least 50% of all crime is alcohol driven. In Scotland the figure is as high as 70%. There simply must be more done to reduce drinking by those under 21."

    I'm not disputing your stats - but the logical leap you've made isn't obviously linked to me. Why reduce drinking by the under 21s. IME they don't make up the bulk of offenders. I accept that drinking is an issue with under 21s and that under 21s with an unhealthy relationship with drink are likely to become over 21s with a problem - but a solution focussed on the young might be missing the mark.

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