Stage 1 consideration by the Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee
Remit
On 14 May 2015, the Health and Sport Committee launched a call for written views to inform its consideration of the Alcohol (Licensing, Public health and Criminal Justice) (Scotland) Bill.
This Member’s Bill was introduced by Richard Simpson on 1 April 2015 and the Health and Sport Committee has been designated as lead committee for consideration of it at Stage 1.
As stated in the accompanying policy memorandum, the Bill aims to promote public health and reduce alcohol-related offending. It contains measures that:
- place restrictions on the retailing and advertising of alcoholic drinks;
- make changes to licensing laws;
- place obligations on the Scottish Ministers to publish, review and report on its alcohol education policy; and
- direct certain people whose offending or antisocial behaviour is attributable to alcohol consumption towards treatment or restrictions on that consumption.
The Bill covers ten areas of activity:
- Minimum price for packages containing more than one alcoholic product (section 1) – this would close a perceived loophole in the existing law which prevents retailers selling multiple units of alcohol at a discount in comparison to the price of a single unit.
- Alcoholic drinks containing caffeine (section 2) – this would place a restriction on the caffeine content of alcoholic drinks.
- Age discrimination in off-sales (section 3) – this would prevent licensing boards banning sales to under-21s as a condition of a premises licence.
- Container marking in off-sales (section 4) – this is better known as “bottle-tagging”. It would allow licensing boards to require that bottles are marked with a code so that drink from underage drinkers can be traced back to specific licensed premises.
- Applications for, or to vary, premises licence (section 5) – this would change the requirements to notify and publicise such applications with the intention of increasing community involvement.
- Restrictions on advertising (sections 6 – 13) – these sections would limit alcohol advertising near places (such as schools) used by children and at events targeted at children. It would also limit alcohol advertising on retail premises.
- Alcohol education policy statements (section 14) – this would require the Scottish Government to publish, and review, an alcohol education policy every five years.
- Drinking banning orders (sections 15 – 29) – these sections would enable a court to impose a ban on drinking in specified places where a person is convicted of an alcohol-related offence.
- Alcohol awareness training as alternative to fixed penalty notices (section 30) – this would allow police constables to offer training as an alternative to a fine when an offence is committed under the influence of alcohol.
- Notification of offender’s GP (section 31) – this would require that an offender’s GP is notified by the courts where the consumption of alcohol has been a contributory factor in their offending behaviour.
The Bill and accompanying documents can be viewed on the Parliament’s website at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/Bills/88187.aspx
What information is the Committee looking for?
Respondents were invited to address the following questions in their submissions:
- Do you support the Bill as a whole?
- Do you support particular provisions in the Bill?
- Do you have concerns about particular provisions in the Bill?
- How will the particular provisions in the Bill fit with your work, or the work of your organisation?
- Will the Bill have financial or resource implications for you or your organisation?
- Do you have any other comments or suggestions relevant to the Bill?
What happens next?
The Committee will be considering those witnesses it wishes to hear oral evidence from in due course, based on a thematic approach to the Bill and also informed by the written evidence received. Stage 1 oral evidence sessions are likely to take place after the summer recess.
