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Clause 17 — Closure of certain licensed premises due to disorder or disturbance

Part of Criminal Justice and Police Bill – in the House of Commons at 2:00 pm on 10 May 2001.

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Photo of Simon Hughes Simon Hughes Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs) 2:00, 10 May 2001

We welcome the amendments. The battle throughout our proceedings has been to restrict the powers that the Bill grants the authorities against the liberties of individuals and businesses. It was a perpetual theme of the Committee stage. A Labour Government, trying to be excessively authoritarian, had to justify themselves against all sorts of arguments. Some were made by Conservative Members, others by us and many by people outside the House. We tried to point out that the powers were simply unnecessary.

I put my neck on the block on Third Reading, and made it clear that, if a General Election had taken place on 3 May, various clauses would not have been passed. I can say with authority, after conferring with colleagues in Another place, that although we would have tabled amendments such as those that we are discussing, other amendments, such as Government proposals to extend curfews and to hold samples of DNA from people who were shown to be innocent would not have been accepted. The House of Lords would not have allowed the Bill to proceed. The month's delay has meant more time for debate in another place, where the Government argued that their proposals had been tested and were able to win votes. Consequently, the Bill has been allowed to proceed in its current form.

We were unable to win some of the big battles against a Government who have a Majority in the House. They have a majority under our electoral system, but not in the country. We are therefore grateful for small victories. There was a danger of imposing closure orders on pubs for unrelated activities outside them. That is unacceptable. In a busy, built-up area such as the Old Kent road in my Constituency, the police might take the view that some activities were causing disorder and intervene. If the amendments are accepted, closure orders can be imposed only if the prospective or actual disorder is "related to" the relevant pub. Pubs that keep good order will not be in trouble. That is progress. We wish that the Government had been more enlightened on other matters for which we would support a more liberal and less authoritarian regime.

Lords Amendment agreed to

Lords amendments Nos. 4 to 7 agreed to

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