Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru). It was answered on Wednesday, 22 March 2006 on behalf of the Wales Office.

Alcohol-related Crime

Question: One of the lurid allegations that we were making was that alcohol-related crime would increase late at night. I spoke to a representative of North Wales police this morning and learned that, since the Act came in, there has already been a 4 per cent. increase in alcohol-related crime between midnight and 2 am, and a 2 per cent. increase between 2 am and 4 am. Things are not as rosy as the Secretary of State suggests, and what he has said does not add up with what North Wales police have told me. I wonder who is right. Will the Secretary of State also undertake to review the temporary event notices, under which licences can be granted for 10 events a year, simply by giving 48 hours notice to the police?

Answer: Obviously, I shall be happy to look at that question for the hon. Gentleman. However, I simply do not accept his selective use of statistics, either for north Wales or right across England and Wales, where the picture is very different from all the ritual expectations whipped up by his party, along with its alliance partners in the Assembly, the Conservatives.

Secondary information