Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Huppert Excerpts
Monday 1st November 2010

(13 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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James Brokenshire Portrait James Brokenshire
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The hon. Gentleman makes a very important point, and it will be interesting to hear whether the former licensing Minister, the hon. Member for Bradford South (Mr Sutcliffe), who is now on the shadow Front Bench, will be able to explain why that café culture, which was supposed to be created as a result of the previous Government’s reforms, has perhaps not arisen. In reality, we have seen an increase of about 65% in the number of hospital admissions linked to alcohol over the five years to 2008-09, and that is why we think that reforms are required.

Julian Huppert Portrait Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)
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In the Minister’s work on the Licensing Act, will he ensure that he looks carefully at the licensing of one-off and annual events, such as Strawberry Fair in my constituency, so that delays in determination, because of late interventions, for example, do not mean that the events have to be cancelled regardless of what is decided?

James Brokenshire Portrait James Brokenshire
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I am not familiar with the detail of the individual event to which the hon. Gentleman refers, but we are looking at temporary event notices and how community events are licensed, and if issues continue to prevail in relation to that situation no doubt he will write to me.