Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the written ministerial statement by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport of 4 March 2008, Official Report, columns 102-5WS, on tackling alcohol-related problems, when the summit of police and local authorities to discuss proposals to tackle alcohol-related problems was convened; and what the outcome of the discussion was.
Answer
[holding answer 10 November 2008]: The Home Office and Department for Culture Media and Sports jointly held a summit with senior police officers and local authority Chief Executives on 5 June to discuss how the powers in the Licensing Act 2003 and other interventions can be used most effectively to control problem premises which sell alcohol. Following the successful summit, the Department for Culture Media and Sports has issued guidance on a range of innovative and tough conditions as well as on the introduction of the 'yellow card/red card' scheme to encourage earlier and stronger intervention to tackle problem premises. The Home Office has recently rolled out bespoke, regional workshops to help frontline practitioners to better understand and encourage them in the use of the general alcohol-related tools and powers and specifically Licensing Act 2003 offences.We will be augmenting these workshops with a comprehensive support package including updated tools and powers guidance, video training modules and reference materials.