Proposed legislation ‘brings drinking laws into the 21st century’- Hargey

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Communities minister Deirdre Hargey

Q Radio News/PA

Northern Ireland’s communities minister has described proposed liquor licensing laws as a “great move which brings our drinking laws into the 21st century”.

Deirdre Hargey said the proposals strike a balance between supporting businesses and tackling harm caused by alcohol, and will modernise pubs, allowing them to open until 3am as well as new opening hours over Easter.

The reforms include the removal of restrictions that currently limit trading hours over the Easter period.

They would also pave the way for certain licensed premises to extended their opening hours by one hour up to 104 times a year.

Smaller pubs would be able to extend the time for last orders up to 85 times a year.

The current “drinking-up” time of 30 mins for all licensed premises would be increased to one hour under the Bill, to discourage people from drinking too quickly and to allow more time for gradual departures at the end of the night.

Assembly members were engaged in a lengthy consideration stage of the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Bill on Tuesday night, debating 63 amendments.

At the start of the debate just before 7pm, Stormont Speaker Alex Maskey said the debate “has all of the hallmarks of taking us well into the early hours of the morning”, and urged MLAs to “stick to the core topic”.

One amendment from independent MLA Claire Sugden would allow alcohol to be sold in cinemas.

Ms Hargey has said she would prefer further public consultation on that proposal before it became law.

Other proposals to be debated by the Assembly include limits on where supermarkets can promote deals on alcohol sales, in areas around where the products are sold in store.

The Bill would also ban the use of loyalty schemes in off-licences.

If the Bill passes the consideration stage it would only have two further stages before it receives royal assent and becomes law. That could happen over the summer, with the majority of the law changes introduced in October.

Licensing laws were last updated in the 1990s. A bid to update the legislation was progressing through the Assembly before the collapse of powersharing in 2017 but that Bill was lost when the institutions collapsed.

Speaking ahead of the Assembly debate, Ms Hargey said the long-awaited reform, included in commitments in the deal to restore powersharing in 2020, was “within reach”.

“The Bill contains a balanced package of reforms,” she said.

“While supporting the hospitality industry, it is my duty to also be mindful of the negative impact that the harmful consumption of alcohol can cause, to individuals and to whole communities.

“This Bill therefore also includes the relevant safeguards to ensure that people are protected from alcohol-related harms.

“I look forward to taking this Bill through its consideration stage and next stages in the coming weeks and to deliver on this much-anticipated reform.”

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