Clause 14 - Authorised persons, interested persons and responsible authorities
Licensing Bill [Lords]
11:00 am
Dr Kim Howells (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Pontypridd, Labour)
I did not mean to interrupt the hon. Gentleman's flow. This is a complicated issue. He will be aware that four levels of supervision will be set out in the guidance: no access, access only for specific purposes, such as an under-18 disco, supervised access for children under 14 and unsupervised access. It is the last of those categories that worries me. As this is an intervention, I will not speak at length. The situation at the moment is complex. One of the great mainstays is that the licensee can say, ''Right, out of here, you're not coming in.'' The licensee's role in exercising discretion is still fundamental under the new arrangements. I hope that gives the hon. Gentleman a little confidence. The situation at the moment is open to abuse, but is largely contained because the licensee has that power.