Crime: Retail Trade

(asked on 11th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on levels of incidence of crime of the density of shops selling alcohol.


Answered by
Kit Malthouse Portrait
Kit Malthouse
This question was answered on 19th November 2020

Research commissioned by Public Health England assessing the relationship between the density of alcohol-selling outlets, consumption and alcohol-related harm has shown mixed results. While there is some evidence of a positive relationship between the density of alcohol-selling outlets and levels of crime this is only one of many possible factors.

Consideration of the possible impact on local levels of crime of a high density of shops selling alcohol is a matter for licensing authorities. These decisions are often based on a wide range of factors including local intelligence provided by the police on alcohol-related crime.

A licensing authority may complete a cumulative impact assessment to help it to limit licences granted in areas where there is evidence to show that the number or density of licensed premises in the area may be contributing to problems that are undermining licensing objectives.

Reticulating Splines