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Vol. 748 Wednesday No. 53 16 October 2013 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Introduction: Lord Whitby...............................................................................................533 Questions Alcohol: Late Night Drinking .....................................................................................533 EU: Northern Cyprus...................................................................................................535 Identity Cards................................................................................................................537 Northern Ireland: Abortion..........................................................................................540 Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill First Reading..................................................................................................................542 Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills Motion to Appoint.........................................................................................................542 Care Bill [HL] Report (3rd Day)..........................................................................................................543 Probation Service Question for Short Debate............................................................................................606 Care Bill [HL] Report (3rd Day) (Continued) ....................................................................................621 Grand Committee Children and Families Bill Committee (3rd Day)............................................................................................GC 227 Written Statements......................................................................................................WS 71 Written Answers ...........................................................................................................WA 79 £4·00 Lords wishing to be supplied with these Daily Reports should give notice to this effect to the Printed Paper Office. 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The first time a Member speaks to a new piece of parliamentary business, the following abbreviations are used to show their party affiliation: Abbreviation Party/Group CB Cross Bench Con Conservative Con Ind Conservative Independent DUP Democratic Unionist Party GP Green Party Ind Lab Independent Labour Ind LD Independent Liberal Democrat Lab Labour Lab Ind Labour Independent LD Liberal Democrat LD Ind Liberal Democrat Independent Non-afl Non-affiliated PC Plaid Cymru UKIP UK Independence Party UUP Ulster Unionist Party No party affiliation is given for Members serving the House in a formal capacity, the Lords spiritual, Members on leave of absence or Members who are otherwise disqualified from sitting in the House. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2013, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 533 Introduction: Lord Whitby[16 OCTOBER 2013] Alcohol: Late Night Drinking 534 Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate (Non-Afl): My House of Lords Lords, a police superintendent has the right to close premises where excessive disorder is being caused. Can Wednesday, 16 October 2013. the Minister tell the House how often this power has been exercised? 3pm Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I cannot give the noble Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Leicester. Lord a quantitative answer. One of the measures under the anti-social behaviour Bill, which will arrive in this House shortly, will give the power—on the Introduction: Lord Whitby authority of a police inspector—to order the immediate closure of premises. 3.08 pm Baroness Meacher (CB): My Lords, the Minister will be aware of the number of alcohol-related accidents Michael John Whitby, Esquire, having been created that impact on A&E departments every week. Is he Lord Whitby, of Harborne in the City of Birmingham, aware of the considerable evidence that alcohol is a far was introduced and took the oath, supported by Lord more dangerous substance than herbal cannabis which Baker of Dorking and Lord Edmiston, and signed an is, of course, an illegal substance in this country undertaking to abide by the Code of Conduct. today? Does he believe that this is a logical policy? Alcohol: Late Night Drinking Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I would not want to Question venture into a discussion with the noble Baroness, Lady Meacher, on the question of drugs. I believe that we have a debate on this tomorrow. Alcohol is clearly 3.13 pm harmful if taken to excess and is responsible for Asked by Lord Avebury considerable economic damage to the country as well as for health service costs. To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps they will take to curb the late night purchasing Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab): My Lords, it is and consumption of alcohol. worth noting that alcohol consumption dropped by 13% between 2004 and 2010, though it seems to have The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home increased since that time. I cannot imagine why.However, Office (Lord Taylor of Holbeach) (Con): My Lords, we recognise that problems remain, and more needs to the Government have given local people greater powers be done to tackle anti-social behaviour connected with to tackle problem drinking late at night. I am pleased the excess drinking of alcohol. I am rather concerned to say that Newcastle is scheduled to be the first area at what the Minister said in response to my noble to introduce a late night levy on 1 November. This will friend Lord Mackenzie, who has been President of the make premises selling alcohol late at night contribute Police Superintendents Association, about the late-night to the cost of policing. A number of other areas are levy and the actions that police superintendents can also considering banning the sale of alcohol in the take. This has not been a success. Problems still continue. early hours of the morning. Only one late-night levy is about to be introduced and others have not been. Can the Minister assure me that, when the anti-social behaviour Bill is debated in your Lord Avebury (LD): My Lords, does my noble Lordships’ House, the Government will seriously consider friend not agree that since only two late night levies—and our amendments, rather than reject them, as they did no early morning restriction orders—have been imposed in the Commons? since they were enacted two years ago, these measures should be more closely targeted on areas and premises Lord Taylor of Holbeach: I cannot promise to accept that cause the problems, particularly areas of cumulative opposition amendments to the Bill, but I am sure that impact? Secondly, will my noble friend explain how noble Lords will consider all amendments that are the Government’s current licensing proposals are going tabled. However, I can assure the noble Baroness that to reduce or curb the number of licences issued, this is an important piece of legislation, and I hope she particularly in areas of cumulative impact, bearing in recognises that the measures being introduced by the mind that the number of licences issued has been Government are designed to tackle the anti-social increasing every year since 2003? elements that drinking can cause. Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My Lords, the cumulative Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (CB): My Lords, do the effect of the measures we have introduced enables Government recognise that the current below-cost licensing authorities to target problem premises and sales of alcohol are responsible for at least 900 major areas; for example, we have reduced the evidential crimes per year? Do they also recognise that the threshold, given licensing authorities the power to introduction of minimum pricing, on top of banning make representations in their own right, and clarified low-cost sales, would probably cut out 32,000 crimes cumulative impact policies that can apply now to the per year? When are the Government going to revise on and off trade alike. their policy on minimum pricing and below-cost sales? 535 Alcohol: Late Night Drinking[LORDS] EU: Northern Cyprus 536 Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The noble Baroness will The Senior Minister of State, Department for Communities know that the Government have made an announcement and Local Government & Foreign and Commonwealth on this. Although minimum pricing is always there to Office (Baroness Warsi) (Con):