Mortgage help for struggling families

Dec 4 2008 by William Green, The Journal

Crackdown on lap-dancing clubs and binge drinking

NEW laws to control lap-dancing clubs and binge drinking will be passed after ministers backed a campaign by a North MP.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods yesterday spoke of her delight after her calls to change the way in which lap-dancing clubs are licensed were included in the Queen’s Speech.

The controls are included in a Policing and Crime Bill, which also seeks to tackle binge drinking. A ban on ‘all you can drink’ promotions in pubs and bars was among measures announced by ministers, supported by a £4.5m crackdown on alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder.

The Government also announced it intends to introduce a mandatory code of practice for alcohol retailers after a review found many failed to abide by their own voluntary rules, and give licensing authorities new powers.

Measures include outlawing girls’ nights, bans on bulk discount buys in supermarkets and ensuring consumers can see the alcohol content of drinks when they buy them.

Northumbria chief constable Mike Craik, Association of Chief Police Officers lead for alcohol licensing, said: “For too long, some retailers have been putting profits before responsibility and cutting the price of alcohol until it is cheaper than water.”