Late-night bars face coalition clampdown
By politics.co.uk staff
Measures to roll back Labour’s easing of restrictions on late-night drinking in Britain’s urban centres are set to be introduced by the Home Office, according to a report.
Clubs and bars open after 23:00 could face additional charges, helping to pay for the cost of policing late-night disturbance and disorder, if home secretary Theresa May hands local authorities the power to impose the ‘law and order’ fee, the Observer newspaper reported.
Under the Labour government the number of establishments allowed to continue selling alcohol after-hours increased dramatically. The coalition government could force late-night drinking spots to justify how they benefit the local community.
“We want to give police and local authorities more powers to strip problem premises of licenses,” a Home Office spokesperson told the paper.
“A review of alcohol taxation and pricing will also be undertaken to ensure it tackles binge drinking without penalising responsible drinkers, pubs and important local industries.”
Alcohol-related violence costs the British economy £7 billion every year, according to pressure group Alcohol Concern.
