Licensing change to tackle drink problems

CATHY Jamieson, the justice minister, has pledged new laws to tackle Scotland’s "uneasy relationship with drink" as she prepares to unveil the Executive’s proposed new liquor-licensing regime.

At a conference in Edinburgh today she will publish plans to scrap statutory permitted hours for alcohol sales and to introduce new measures to tackle under-age and binge drinking.

Based largely on last year’s proposals from Sheriff Principal Gordon Nicholson’s review, the plans also will include licensing standards officers to monitor more closely landlords’ compliance with the new rules, and a ban on irresponsible drink promotions.

The end of nationally-set trading hours should allow council licensing boards to make decisions on selling alcohol in pubs and restaurants on a case-by-case basis.

But despite hopes that a "liberalised" licensing regime could promote a "continental-style" approach to alcohol consumption among Scots, Ms Jamieson already has ruled out permitting round-the-clock drinking.

She said: "Scotland has always had an uneasy relationship with alcohol.

"It may provide us with our national drink, but it also provides us with real national problems."