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The latest Home Office crime
figures have revealed that across the Peterborough City Council area
there were 3576 violent attacks against individuals last year. Based
on Government surveys of crime victims, this suggests that 1681 of
these attacks could have been alcohol-related.
There is growing concern about the
overlapping problems of late night drinking, fast food outlets
selling alcohol at night; under-age drinking; the easy availability
of high-strength alcohol; and retailers like supermarkets selling
alcohol below cost-price. Labour’s licensing laws, which came into
effect in 2005, have created a presumption in favour of alcohol
licences being given out, and imposed tight restrictions on who can
object to any licensing application.
The Police Federation has warned
that the need to police town centres around the clock is making it
harder to answer emergency calls elsewhere.
Conservative leader, David Cameron,
has explained how the Conservative Party will tackle the problems of
binge-drinking Britain:
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Stronger powers and more
discretion for elected local councils, and a greater say for
local residents on licensing applications
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Tougher penalties for premises
which sell alcohol to under-age drinkers
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Reviewing the rules which allow
fast food outlets like kebab and pizza shops to sell alcohol
into the early hours
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Changing the law to stop the
‘loss-leading’ sale of alcohol by retailers.
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Rebalancing the duty on alcohol:
reducing rates on low-alcohol beers and ciders, and increasing
it on very high-strength products (the likes of Tennent’s Super)
and on alcopops.
Stewart commented: “Labour’s
licensing laws are too lax. We don’t want a return to the old days
where every pub shut at 11pm. But Peterborough City Council needs
greater powers to tackle the binge-drinking and violence that plague
the city centre. The reckless sale of high-strength,
bargain-basement alcohol is damaging health and fuelling violence.
“Conservatives believe that socially
responsible adults should be able to have a night out in
Peterborough city centre without fear of violence. Parents should be
reassured that their children are not going to come to harm.
Peterborough’s community pubs should not be tarred with the same
brush as irresponsible ‘vertical drinking’ bars or fast food outlets
peddling booze into the early hours. We need to make our city centre
feel safe at night once again.”
Stewart
Jackson was elected in May 2005 to represent the
Peterborough constituency in the House of Commons.
To find out more about him, his views and activities, visit his
website at
www.stewartjackson.org.uk
Peterborough UK
Community Website - February 2009
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