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.
"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."
ReplyDeleteI'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.