Clause 13 - Designation of alcohol disorder zones
Violent Crime Reduction Bill
1:00 pm
Jeremy Wright (Rugby and Kenilworth, Conservative)
I was talking about amendment No. 162 and the concept of reasonableness that it would bring to clause 13(1). I invite the Minister to consider the fact that the test set out in the Bill is subjective. The local authority should be satisfied not only of the necessity for an alcohol disorder zone but that imposing such a zone is the most appropriate response. Because of the financial obligations that the clause will impose not only on the businesses who may be at fault but on some that are not at fault, it seems sensible for that additional fetter to placed on the discretion of local authorities.
The Minister said that the alcohol disorder zone was an order of last resort, and I understand that it should not be used unless it is the only way to deal with the problem. It therefore seems sensible to have such a safeguard. I accept that the opinion of the chief police officer of the locality will have to be taken into account, but even with that additional constraint it seems sensible to consider putting an additional fetter on the discretion of local authorities, to ensure that alcohol disorder zone proposals are reasonable in every respect, so that they have the support of the business community.