Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Norman Baker and Nick Smith

Monday 28th April 2014 Commons Chamber

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)]

6. What recent progress she has made on tackling crime and antisocial behaviour arising from alcohol abuse.

[The Minister for Crime Prevention (Norman Baker)]

The coalition Government has overhauled the Licensing Act 2003, giving local areas stronger powers to deal with problem premises. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 will provide front-line professionals with powerful new tools to tackle alcohol related antisocial behaviour. We are also banning the worst instances of cheap and harmful alcohol sales, and we are working with 20 local alcohol action areas to reduce alcohol-related crime and disorder.

[Nick Smith]

Given strong evidence that a higher price for alcohol means less public disorder and better health, when will the Government do the right thing—as they have finally done with plain packaging—and introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol?

[Norman Baker]

Minimum pricing is on the radar; it has not been ruled out and the matter is still under consideration. We are looking with interest at what is happening north of the border in Scotland, and helping the Scottish Government in its efforts.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Norman Baker and Nick Smith

Monday 10th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)]

When a retired police officer says that senior officers briefed him to report a fight involving alcohol as just drunk and disorderly rather than as a public order offence, I am concerned. What steps is the Home Secretary taking to ensure that targets do not lead to the massaging of crime figures?

[Norman Baker]

I assure the hon. Gentleman that we take alcohol issues very seriously indeed, including the way in which they are recorded by the police. There is a great deal of alcohol harm in this country: £21 billion is the cost to the public purse from antisocial behaviour, damage to the health service and lost productivity. As Ministers, we all expect the police to record crime accurately.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Norman Baker and Nick Smith

Thursday 18th October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Norman Baker]

That is very much part of the work undertaken in the Department through the door-to-door journeys initiative, which I have begun. In addition, I recently allocated £7 million to the cycle-rail working group to improve facilities for cyclists at stations. We look to franchise deliverers to enhance cycle provision as a consequence of franchises that are let.

[Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)]

6. What his plans are for electrification of the Welsh Valleys lines.