Written question asked by Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Davies of Oldham (Labour) on Tuesday, 23 February 2010.

Alcohol

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the role of well-run public houses as solutions to alcohol misuse.

Answer: Well run pubs are part of the solution to alcohol misuse through the provision of a regulated and civilised environment. A well managed pub is one that complies with licensing law and promotes the four statutory licensing objectives in the Licensing Act 2003. For example, offences under the Licensing Act 2003 include selling alcohol to a person under 18 years of age or to a person who is drunk, allowing disorderly conduct on the premises and breaching the conditions attached to a premises licences. The statutory licensing objectives include the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. Responsible pubs work with the police and licensing authorities on best practice initiatives such as Best Bar None and local pub-watch schemes, which help to promote these objectives.

Secondary information