Queen's Speech: Ban on below-cost sales within next 18 months

The coalition government plans to introduce a law banning below-cost sales of alcohol within the next 18 months, it was confirmed in the Queen's Speech today.

It also wants to "overhaul" the Licensing Act within the same time period.

The measures will be part of a new Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament in the current session.

The Bill sets out a plan to "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".

It will also allow councils to "charge more for late-night licences to pay for additional policing" and give them powers to "shut down shops or bars persistently selling to children" and "doubling the maximum fine for selling to children to £20,000".

And "banning the sale of alcohol below cost price" is also set out in the Bill, published on the 10 Downing Street website.

But reacting to the plan, the British Retail Consortium said below-cost selling is "simply not the widespread practice portrayed and defining it is a complex issue".

"If the government is determined to pursue legislation we would want to ensure it applies sensibly and bears in mind the impact on the vast majority of consumers who buy and drink alcohol responsibly," the group said.

As expected, communities will also get new powers to help save local facilities and services threatened with closure, such as pubs, as part of a Decentralsiation and Localism Bill.

ID cards will also be scrapped, as part of a Identity Documents Bill, which was one of 23 announced today.

A law will also be introduced to "improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses".