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Responsibility for alcohol remains shared between government departments
Measures to regulate the sale of alcohol are included in
the Crime and Policing section of the Coalition's 'Programme for
Government', but licensing remains within the remit the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport, being the responsibility of John Penrose MP,
Minister for Tourism and Heritage. In addition, the portfolio for Anne
Milton MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health,
includes alcohol.
The Programme for Government includes the following commitments:-
- We will ban the sale of alcohol below cost price.
- We will review alcohol taxation and pricing to ensure it
tackles binge drinking without unfairly penalising responsible
drinkers, pubs and important local industries.
- We will overhaul the Licensing Act to give local
authorities and the police much stronger powers to remove licences from,
or refuse to grant licences to, any premises that are causing problems.
- We will allow councils and the police to shut down
permanently any shop or bar found to be persistently selling alcohol to
children.
- We will double the maximum fine for under-age alcohol sales to £20,000.
- We will permit local councils to charge more for late-night licences to pay for additional policing.