This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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ServeWise Licensing conference
02/12/2004
A licensing system can be created which will improve
health and break the link between excessive drinking and
crime, the ServeWise Licensing conference was told
today.
Deputy Finance and Public Service Reform Minister Tavish
Scott outlined the Executive's plans to introduce
legislation early in 2005 which should protect young
people, communities and responsible traders.
It aims to:
- outlaw nationally those irresponsible drinks
promotions which can lead to binge drinking and
violence
- tackle under-age drinking through no proof no sale
approach
- tackle overprovision
- put in place a national licensing framework with
standard national licence conditions
At the conference in Glasgow, attended by various
Licensing Boards, Drug and Alcohol Action Teams, police and
licensed trade, Mr Scott said:
"Our current licensing system dates back to the 1970s.
It does not reflect Scottish society in the 21st Century.
That is why the Executive is bringing forward legislation
to modernise our outdated licensing laws.
"We want to put in place a robust licensing system which
will improve health and break the link between excessive
drinking and crime. There is no doubt our record here makes
grim reading:
- Nearly three-quarters of the assailants in violent
crimes were reported to be under the influence of
drink
- One third of prisoners said they would not be in
prison if they had not been drinking
- Young people - aged between 16 and 24 - in Scotland
drink more than any other age group
- The cost of alcohol misuse on the NHS in Scotland
was £95.6 million and the total cost to Scottish
society is estimated to be £1.1 billion
"Those shocking statistics illustrate exactly why doing
nothing is simply not an option - alcohol-fuelled violence
and anti-social behaviour is a real and visible problem
across Scotland and must be tackled.
"We need a licensing system that contributes to a
safer, stronger Scotland, and ensures that modern Scotland
has modern licensing laws, laws that can respond to
changing habits and behaviours and support the alcohol
industry from producer through to consumer.
"Irresponsible drinks promotions can fuel this violence
and by removing these we come one step closer to protecting
young people and making our town and city centres safer -
helping to make Scotland a safer place in which to live and
socialise.
"Overprovision is the root of problems being experienced
by many communities where there has been no coherent
overall policy in place. It is an important part for our
policy that Boards should conduct new overprovision
assessments and block licences in anti-social hot
spots.
"We also want it to be easier for a wider range of
people from local communities to have a say in the grant of
licences. We are proposing to give wider rights to object
and make representations to individual licences."