National Pubwatch Conference: Shout from the top
The National Pubwatch Conference heard some positive responses to the start of the new regime. By Daniel Pearce.
The pub trade should be celebrating the good results of the Licensing Act so far - and working to make them even better. That was the message from Julian Sargeson, chief executive of the Laurel Pub Company, at last week's National Pubwatch Conference in Chester.
Referring to the 20 per cent fall in violent crime over the Christmas period, the Laurel boss declared: "I can't believe people are trying to play down the success. If my sales were up as much as this I'd be cock-a-hoop. Local authorities, police forces and licensees should have a pat on the back. This industry has been trodden on, raped and pillaged. A 20 per cent difference is immense."
Mr Sargeson's comments came after other speakers, including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's licensing chief Andrew Cunningham and deputy chief constable Graeme Gerrard of Cheshire Constabulary, had dismissed the early results as inconclusive. The Laurel boss described how in the past few months his team had taken a series of steps to tighten up on responsibility, including:
- The launch of its own social responsibility charter
- A review of its drink offers
- Actively encouraging managers to join their local Pubwatches.
"Last year, 200,000 people were refused a drink at a till in one of our venues," he said. "That is a quite staggering amount. This is not an industry with its head in the sand."
Earlier, deputy chief constable Gerrard described how the police were treating early evidence that the Licensing Act was hitting disorder with scepticism. "It will be interesting to see what happens when people come out in daylight. At the moment they just want to get home as quickly as possible," he told the audience of 200 delegates. "We must be sceptical."
He claimed the £2.5m Home Office alcohol misuse enforcement campaign before Christmas had been bound to reduce behaviour. "The money's now been spent, and now we'll get a better idea," said the deputy chief constable.
But he praised National Pubwatch and local Pubwatch networks as "an excellent example of the trade helping itself".
"We need a responsible drinks industry and Pubwatch is an excellent example of that," he said.
ACPO reviews extra costs
A senior police chief claimed the trade could yet be forced to foot the bill for extra police costs - outside of alcohol disorder zones - arising from the new licensing regime.
Deputy chief constable Graeme Gerrard of Chester Police said the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was assessing the additional costs to police forces.
"We have to keep people on the ground and the people responding to 999 calls on for longer. The 'active hours' have increased. The issue for ACPO is, who pays for this?" he declared.
"Its view is that the licensing industry should. Racecourses and football clubs have to pay for extra police officers. If you create extra problems for the community, why should the community pay for that?"
Later Martin Rawlings, director of pubs and leisure at the British Beer & Pub Association, said any attempt to levy additional costs on the trade would be fraught with difficulties.
"Local collection schemes will end in chaos, and end up pitting people against each other," he said. "It would be better to put a penny on a pint of beer if they have to."
Work with it, pleads DCMS
The new licensing system provides an opportunity for licensees to play their part in improving society, according to the senior civil servant responsible for licensing.
Andrew Cunningham, licensing chief at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said: "The conditions on licensees are better suited to modern day crime and disorder. There's a chance to work with the system and make society better."
The focus now at the DCMS was on:
- reviewing the statutory guidance
- reviewing the fees through the independent fees panel
- reviewing the guidance to the authorities
- following the Home Office's Violent Crime Reduction Bill - which includes alcohol disorder zones - in the Lords.
The licensing chief claimed there was strong evidence that pub closing times were now being staggered in towns and cities across England and Wales.
But for now it was too early to claim any sort of positive response. "Monitoring and evaluation is the new challenge. We will need to assess the first 12 months first," he said.
