Written question asked by Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative) on Tuesday, 9 December 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 11 December 2008. It was answered by Alan Campbell (Labour) on Thursday, 18 December 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she plans to take to increase the number of prosecutions brought for selling alcohol to a drunken person.

Answer: The majority of people who drink enjoy alcohol sensibly, but we are determined to take action to reduce the health and social harms caused by those who don't.The Government have recently announced actions to combat this problem. These include; a new mandatory code of practice to target the most irresponsible retail practices, a £3 million cash injection for CDRPs for enforcement activities in 198 areas. A further £1.5 million has been allocated to our priority areas where we are working closely with partnerships, making sure they make full use of all the powers available to them to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder.We have introduced new powers including alcohol disorder zones, directions to leave and expedited license reviews, plus we are encouraging greater use of existing powers such as designated public place orders to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder.In addition a responsible alcohol sales campaign took place in November and December 2007 which focused on enforcing the law concerning the sale of alcohol to those persons who were drunk. The campaign took place over four weekends and involved 30 police force areas. This campaign is part of a sustained drive by police and trading standards, as well as the alcohol retail industry, to clamp down on irresponsible retailers.

Secondary information