Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) Order 2010

I reply briefly to the noble Lord, Lord Redesdale. Does he not believe the words in the Explanatory Memorandum that the mandatory regulation has been made necessary because the voluntary code, agreed by the industry in 2005, has not been followed? The document states: ""Whilst the majority of premises are well-run, the review revealed a disturbing level of irresponsible and harmful practice in significant sectors of the industry, along with evidence that the current social responsibility standards were not being consistently applied or were ineffective in promoting good practice"." I am sure that that does not apply to his own pub, which I am sure is run impeccably, but a lot of people out there are not sticking to that voluntary code of practice, which is the reason for these mandatory regulations. I do not think that it is enormously draconian—it is really quite a small raft of mandatory conditions. This is a useful, but not sufficient, regulation.