Policing and Crime Bill

My Lords, I am very grateful for the comments from noble Lords and noble and learned Lords. The distinction that has just been made is very important; namely, the distinction between damaging yourself, which is bad enough given all the costs involved to society and to your family, and damaging others, which falls into a different category. We should bear that in mind. I am mindful that the Minister has just mentioned the estimated £100 million a year cost of this violence. I am grateful to him for highlighting that and the 87,000 incidents. This is a very serious issue. Although I understand that he does not want to include lots of extra measures in the Bill, many different bodies have asked for this measure. After all, we are not saying that it has to be undertaken automatically, but are proposing only that a licensing authority should be under a duty to consider taking this step. We are not saying that licensed premises must serve drinks in polycarbonate vessels or in an alternative material to glass; we are simply saying that the licensing authority must take steps in this direction. Given the scale of the problem that the Minister has just enunciated, it is a reasonable ambition to wish to see the measure included in the Bill. I shall mull over the Minister’s comments and the support for the measure that I have received throughout the House before Report. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 123A withdrawn.