The Publican Online recently published some interesting stats. An article by James Wilmore on 30 September 2010 shows that out of the 7,567 venues in England & Wales with a 24-hour licence to sell alcohol, 5902 of them belong to supermarkets and shops, that's almost 80% of the 24-hour licences in England & Wales operated by the off-trade.
The on-trade get a bad press when it comes to alcohol related issues yet the less regulated off trade seem to be able to do what they like when it comes to how they promote and sell alcohol.
The current myth perpetuated by the likes of the Daily Mail is that a return to 'conventional' licensing hours will see a revitalising of the traditional, good old British pub. This in turn will also stop the need to preload on alcohol at home before going out and therefore our town centres will be free of vomiting, urinating, fighting yobs. As most of the 24-hour licenses are owned by supermarkets where is the logic of this stance?
The kindest way to describe this viewpoint would be naïve. It is badly thought out which ever way uou look at it, stated with no understanding of how the on-trade works or the regulations to which it has to operate.
There are currently Home Office consultations to regulate and tax the on-trade further with late licence levies and for some insane reason they are tying this up with moves to impose minimum pricing charges to combat 'below cost' selling, of which the main culprits are the supermarkets, i.e. the off trade.
Pricing and licencing hours are two different issues. These should never be tied into just one discussion. But why let logic get in the way of a headline grabbing government initiative?
The late night sector of the licensed trade is a valuable asset to the UK economy. Not only is it a great source of tax and duty revenue and employs thousands of people it is also the potential antidote to the current government thinking to make everybody feel miserable because we've all got to pay for the profligacy of the previous government or the negligence of the banks (delete the one you disagree with). Britain needs good late night entertainment to cheer it up. The emphasis is once again on entertainment. Alcohol should only ever be seen as part of the entertainment mix in good on-trade licensed venues. After all you have to give people a reason to go out instead of an evening in watching X Factor and drinking their cheap supermarket booze (that they bought at lunchtime).
Ronnie Rees
6 October 2010
The on-trade get a bad press when it comes to alcohol related issues yet the less regulated off trade seem to be able to do what they like when it comes to how they promote and sell alcohol.
The current myth perpetuated by the likes of the Daily Mail is that a return to 'conventional' licensing hours will see a revitalising of the traditional, good old British pub. This in turn will also stop the need to preload on alcohol at home before going out and therefore our town centres will be free of vomiting, urinating, fighting yobs. As most of the 24-hour licenses are owned by supermarkets where is the logic of this stance?
The kindest way to describe this viewpoint would be naïve. It is badly thought out which ever way uou look at it, stated with no understanding of how the on-trade works or the regulations to which it has to operate.
There are currently Home Office consultations to regulate and tax the on-trade further with late licence levies and for some insane reason they are tying this up with moves to impose minimum pricing charges to combat 'below cost' selling, of which the main culprits are the supermarkets, i.e. the off trade.
Pricing and licencing hours are two different issues. These should never be tied into just one discussion. But why let logic get in the way of a headline grabbing government initiative?
The late night sector of the licensed trade is a valuable asset to the UK economy. Not only is it a great source of tax and duty revenue and employs thousands of people it is also the potential antidote to the current government thinking to make everybody feel miserable because we've all got to pay for the profligacy of the previous government or the negligence of the banks (delete the one you disagree with). Britain needs good late night entertainment to cheer it up. The emphasis is once again on entertainment. Alcohol should only ever be seen as part of the entertainment mix in good on-trade licensed venues. After all you have to give people a reason to go out instead of an evening in watching X Factor and drinking their cheap supermarket booze (that they bought at lunchtime).
Ronnie Rees
6 October 2010
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