Judith Cochrane
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“<BR /> <BR />If I may, Mr Speaker, I want to mention one other thing that gave me some added focus as the Bill progressed. Many of you will know that, just as I was launching my consultation, I got the news that Dad was seriously ill.”
“They had a very heavy workload but made sure that they made the time to engage with me and to complete the report. I formally presented to the Committee three times, once after no sleep and wearing the same clothes as the previous day after pulling an all-nighter here, but these things happen when you give yourself tight timescales and ar…”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank all the Members for their engagement tonight. If they could all write me a job reference, that would be really helpful. If all that is true, I should be very employable. I also thank everybody else who has engaged with me during the stages of my Licensing Bill.”
“I might even manage to deliver on the goal of having a clean, tidy house, although I cannot imagine that Jonny will let me take over the role of cooking again just yet.”
“I would like to express my condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the prison officer who, we heard, tragically died today. As we complete this Assembly term, it is clear that there is still so much to be done to stamp out dissident republicanism.”
“I thank the Member for his question. The Member will be aware that, in the recently completed roof project, the Assembly Commission took the opportunity to refurbish or replace all of the existing roof-mounted mechanical and electrical services and, where appropriate, to incorporate renewable technologies in the scheme, specifically photo…”
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“Before, the stadium could have done that through an occasional licence, so what we have done is brought some protection to residents of those areas. <BR /> <BR />One of the other issues that has been talked about at some length at Committee Stage, which Mr Allister and others have raised, is in relation to some of the aspects for under-18s. As a mum of a seven-year-old and an 11-year-old, I obviously understand those concerns, and I am still considering whether there are any other amendments that I could bring forward in that area. I believe that we need to balance the child protection issues while, at the same time, allowing alcohol to be sold in a responsible manner.”
“One of the very positive things that has come out of this process is the establishment of the stadium community committees, to which Mrs Kelly and others referred. Our three major stadia are situated in residential areas, and it is important that lines of communication are open to address any concerns and provide information to residents. <BR /> <BR />Some of the issues raised at Committee were not necessarily in relation to the licensing itself, which is what my Bill is about. Even those that were in relation to it were, admittedly, small in number. When you delve a little deeper, you find that what my Bill actually does is restrict the licensing arrangements, so that a stadium cannot now have a licence until 1.00 am, unless it is for just a small function area.”
“I thank all Members for their contributions to the debate. The Chair of the Committee brought forward a comprehensive outline of the Committee process, and I agree with him that our licensing laws need reform. Northern Ireland is a very different place to what it was in 1996 — in a good way, I believe — and our legislation needs to reflect the different society that we now live in. <BR /> <BR />I would have liked to have been able to take forward changes to other areas of the legislation, but I hope that bringing forward this small change as a private Member's Bill has at least put the issue of licensing firmly on the agenda, and that it will be taken forward in a comprehensive manner in the next mandate.”
“I thank the Member for giving way again. He is aware that it is a new form of licence. It is a licence that is specific to a stadium and is ancillary to an event occurring in a stadium. On the notion of a 365-day licence, we will not be opening pubs in the stadiums. The licence is ancillary to an event. <BR /> <BR />If our stadiums, that have been invested in by the Northern Ireland Executive, could manage to run events 365 days a year, I would be immensely surprised. It would mean that they were really, really, realising the full potential of the stadiums. I do not see that happening; that is not in the business plan. The licence will always be ancillary to an event.”
“As I said, it will be made through regulations that will come before the Social Development Committee that the Member sits on. He will have the opportunity to put that in. You may find that the number of seats will be specified in the regulations, but it was felt that the regulations could be drawn up in a much more beneficial way than putting that aspect into the Bill. It was felt that the amendment was more restrictive than how I left it before. That is why I tabled the amendment.”
“So the safer way to ensure that the policy intent of this is for our stadia of regional or national importance was to remove the information on the number of seats and allow the control to lie with the Department, so that the Department must stipulate, through regulations, whether or not a stadium is of that importance.”
“I thank the Member for giving way and for raising that issue. The reason why the amendment that has been brought before you today is slightly different from the final one that I discussed with the Committee is on the basis of conversations that I had with the Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC) about making sure that this was really tied down to our three regional or national stadia. The OLC felt that using the term "Northern Ireland", which I thought he would possibly support, would be more appropriate in allowing the Department to draw up its regulations. <BR /> <BR />On moving away from the provision on the number of seats, a strategy for subregional stadia is out for consultation, and there was a fear that one of those could end up with 8,001 seats and may, therefore, allow it to fall into that category.”
“Most of them refer to very minor changes or are proposed to bring some sections together. It is an alternative approach of putting all those changes to provisions in clauses 2(3) and 4(2)(a), where references are made to all categories of licence, in the same place rather than throughout my Bill. <BR /> <BR />That is really all that I have to say on the matter. The amendments are very technical in nature. I look forward to hearing what other Members have to say.”
“During Committee Stage, there was a bit of discussion around whether that had to mean that a sporting event or something else was happening on the playing field or, perhaps, that something was going on in one of the function areas in the stadium. That amendment is really to clarify that issue by making it clear that it means any event that is going on within the stadium. <BR /> <BR />The other aspect of that amendment is that it removes from the definition the number of seats in the stadia. Through discussions at Committee and with the Department, we decided that it would be more appropriate to leave the designation of a stadium as being of regional or national importance up to the Department, to be made by regulations. So that is a change. <BR /> <BR />The other amendments really are technical in nature.”
“I welcome the opportunity to move the Consideration Stage of the Bill. As Members know, the proposal with the Bill is to do with the investment by the Executive in our national and regional stadia, namely the Kingspan Stadium at Ravenhill, Casement Park and the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park, as well as the dissatisfaction with current arrangements. <BR /> <BR />The Bill has changed very little between Second Stage and now, and there were very few amendments to be brought forward. The main amendment, amendment No 2, is about the definition of an outdoor stadium. I have tabled that amendment so that the new type of licence that will be created will be tied to there being business going on in the stadium, making the licence ancillary to whatever is going on in the stadium at the time.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for engaging with me recently on my private Member's Bill on licensing. During the Bill's legislative progress, it became clear that a number of issues were not consulted on in 2012, such as microbreweries, under-18s on licensed premises and so on. Will the Minister ask his Department to progress a much wider consultation process so that, in the next mandate, better, more modern legislation can be taken forward?”
“Alliance will accept the democratic process that has agreed this Budget but, going forward, I urge the Minister to enter into full consultation and discussion on meaningful reforms, including considering some revenue-raising such as prescription charges, which could be taken forward quite quickly, and exploring some other medium-term options as well. I also ask him to include a commitment to publish the independent audit of the cost of division that was part of the Stormont House Agreement. <BR /> <BR />Our Budget process is difficult as we continue to live in difficult times for public services. Responsible leadership is therefore needed, and that means being honest with the public and taking the difficult strategic decisions that will ensure the best outcomes for Northern Ireland as a whole. We support the passage of the Bill.”
“<BR /> <BR />Reskilling and upskilling our people is essential to give everyone the opportunity to realise their full potential and to make a valuable contribution to society. It is one of the challenges that our Budget really needs to focus on and properly address if we want people to be ready for the devolution of corporation tax. If we need more resources in that area, perhaps we should reconsider the total allocation under the Delivering Social Change banner. That funding is being maintained as per previous allocations, but I am not confident on delivery given the previous failings of the social investment fund, which I know some have referred to as the "pet projects fund". <BR /> <BR />I apologise if I have come across as completely negative this evening; I genuinely have tried not to.”
“<BR /> <BR />I would like to make some comments on the budgetary allocation for economic development. We know that the new Department for the Economy will be established in this incoming financial year. That is good news, as it will bring together the further and higher education sectors alongside our business community and should help to strengthen the economy and drive it forward. However, Alliance has concerns that the 2016-17 Budget has prioritised Health and Education at the expense of the economy. It is a fact that we have disinvested in higher education for a number of years. The cynic in me might say that that is because it fell under an Alliance portfolio. Nevertheless, it is an issue that needs to be addressed.”
“Part of that is due to our divided system, and another part of it is to do with our high administrative costs. We therefore also need a more meaningful approach to area planning to reduce the number of empty desks and leadership — again, from all our political parties — so that, when difficult decisions have to be made about mergers, amalgamations or closures, people face up to them, are honest with the public and say, "This is what needs to be done". However, I welcome the budgetary allocation for capital expenditure, which Mr McCrea also mentioned. I am hopeful that, in this incoming year, capital resources will finally be allocated to Strandtown Primary School in my constituency of East Belfast for the badly needed modernisation of the accommodation.”
“It is clear that there are processes crying out for reform in our health sector, so it is not just about closing services in different places. It is about really, really reforming those processes. <BR /> <BR />Even through high-level benchmarking of costs compared with other jurisdictions, we can see that efficiencies need to be made in education, yet the large degree of protection that has again been given to the Department of Education seems to create less incentive for that reform. The Alliance Party of course supports investing more resources directly in schools, but we believe that that can be achieved by better use of the Department's budget in the first place. <BR /> <BR />More money is already spent on education in Northern Ireland than in neighbouring jurisdictions, but less money is being invested directly in the pupils.”
“<BR /> <BR />On a previous occasion in the Chamber, I think that there was a mention of a transformation fund for some of the cost-saving initiatives that may come about. I ask the Finance Minister to confirm that he will be supportive of that type of investment being prioritised. I hope that there will be a focus on using improved IT solutions, as communication in the health sector really seems to be one of the biggest challenges and one of the biggest wastes of resources. Just yesterday, I had to make three separate phone calls to secondary care providers to find out one simple piece of information about an arm injury that I have. I was eventually told to phone my GP, who would be able to access the records and provide the information. That bounced the responsibility back to primary care, which is already under pressure.”
“I thank the Minister for his intervention. I was going to come to that in my speech. Of course, I am not the expert who can tell you exactly what needs to be there, but I do know that an independent panel has been put in place, and I believe that there needs to be serious public political commitment to see through changes that may be brought forward by that panel. We cannot expect people to come forward with ideas and then respond with, "Not on my doorstep". We have seen that so many times before. I am calling for that political leadership from all parties, and I welcome the Health Minister's apparent commitment to reform and the fact that he has put a panel in place. I am just hoping that any necessary changes that are proposed by the panel will be realised.”
“The focus of the Department of Health therefore needs to be on reform, not simply on using the resources to cover gaps here and there by way of a sticking-plaster approach. We need to rationalise the way in which services are provided and invest in further prevention measures.”
“Does he believe that the Budget will assist in reforming the health sector? Will it ensure that necessary action is taken on education? Will it feed into addressing the cost of a divided society and investing in the economy? <BR /> <BR />Looking at the Department of Health. Yes, the 2016-17 Budget, compared with that for 2015-16, has allocated an extra £128 million, and, of course, that is welcome news. However, even with that increase, the cost pressures facing the Department are extremely worrying. Our population is increasing in size and getting older, and more people are living with chronic conditions. Unhealthy lifestyles are creating more demand for services, and new developments in medical technologies and drugs are increasing demand and adding to the cost pressures.”
“I ask the Minister how the proposed spending in front of us will begin that process of making our public finances more sustainable? Perhaps I missed it.”
“Therefore, I still have some hope that, when the rationalised Departments are in place and a new Programme for Government agreed, we will see a more strategic approach. No more circulating a Budget the night before an Executive meeting with the two largest parties displaying a disregard for the views of other parties represented on the Executive but a properly consulted-on Budget that effectively aligns with the strategic priorities for all our Departments across the period to 2021. <BR /> <BR />Whilst I still have hope, it does not mean that we should simply brush over the 2016-17 proposals that, I believe, missed the opportunity to begin to lay any groundwork for the radical reform needed to deliver better outcomes for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Budget Bill. I will endeavour not to do the parrot impression that I did last night and cover the points that everybody else had covered. <BR /> <BR />Members will be aware that the Alliance Party opposed the Budget at the Executive and when the Budget resolution came before the Assembly in January. That was the time when there was still an opportunity for an alternative to be agreed. However, now that these democratic decisions have been taken for better or worse, we have a duty to support the measures to put in place the finance for our Departments and public agencies. <BR /> <BR />We recognise that 2016-17 is a transitional year and is to be followed by a four-year Budget.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer and for the fact that he acknowledges that there is an issue. What steps can be taken in the coming months to identify the financial resources to begin to implement the Executive's economic inactivity strategy that his Department co-produced with DEL?”
“I am supportive of the second part of the amendment, which places a date of introduction for the reductions by 30 September 2016 to allow our eligible clubs to receive the relief as soon as possible. Again, however, that has not been drafted as a separate amendment. That makes it difficult to try to support that aspect of it, if we are not convinced of the merits of the amendment in its totality. <BR /> <BR />I will listen carefully to further contributions to see if there is further clarification on how additional support might be given in a fair and balanced manner, before I commit one way or the other.”
“I therefore welcome the Bill, in general, as it provides a power to enhance the rate relief for the clubs, subject to criteria being prescribed in regulations. <BR /> <BR />Looking specifically at the amendment, whilst I am sympathetic to the idea that we should increase the relief to all clubs that are currently eligible for the 80% relief, I have some reservations about whether it is fair if it is done with such a blunt tool. I am supportive of the bar areas being assessed, similar to other non-sporting club bars, and to a decision being taken then on whether the club should be able to avail itself of the additional relief in the bar area. However, that is not what the amendment is proposing, unfortunately.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at Consideration Stage of the Rates (Amendment) Bill. The amendment is primarily concerned with the rating of premises that are occupied by community and amateur sports clubs. I commend Mr McKay for bringing the issue forward and for the fact that at least some of his proposal is now included in the Department's Bill. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that these clubs play an important role in Northern Ireland. Having grown up as an active member of a ladies' hockey club, I know the positive impact that being involved in sports can have on our physical and mental health. Such clubs also provide activities for young people, and many are involved in positive community relations work. I think that it is important that, as an Assembly, we support them in their growth and sustainability.”
“I could not quite hear the Minister's full response due to the talking just to my right. If I am right in thinking that some of the money has been set aside for the outcome of the report, does that mean that the Minister will perhaps think that that money could be used for other schemes such as job creation and skills development, rather than just welfare reform mitigation?”
“I have seen the security staff trying to explain to parents why their child must stand outside in the rain while the parent queues to buy some food and drink from the kiosk, even though, half an hour earlier, that was not the case and the child was allowed to be near them. This Bill will remove that burden but, at the same time, ensure that there is a well-managed, family-friendly environment. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Members for their comments and their support, and I ask them to allow the Bill to pass Second Stage so that it can be scrutinised further at Committee.”
“It is up to Members if they feel that they want to amend any aspects of the Bill. I am not quite sure where that part would fit in, although we may be able to fix the issue around hotels. I have had conversations with the Department, and it may be that there is something that it wants to bring forward. However, that is certainly not the intention; I have kept the Bill as tightly focused as I can. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that the current licensing restrictions place a time-consuming and a huge administrative burden on our regional and national stadia, particularly on Kingspan, where its caterers have to apply for an occasional licence every time there is a match. The children's restrictions at 9.00 pm also place a massive operational task on the stadium.”
“This does not grant the licence; this is only enabling legislation to say that you will be allowed to apply for it. It will be up to the court to determine whether that needs to be used. I want to make sure that our stadia can realise their full potential, and that is why I am trying to future-proof the Bill and think of the things that may come up in future years. <BR /> <BR />The other aspect was about whether the Bill would be used as a vehicle for ad hoc events. When I went to the Committee the last time, the two main issues that were raised with me were about Drumbo Park and about underage discos where the bar is closed. At the time, I said that I had no problems with those issues. The Drumbo Park issue has not been consulted on, and I do not know whether that would be a hindrance.”
“The operators, such as the GAA and Ulster Rugby, do not intend to operate their licences at that stage; it is not really their approach to things either. I would not be averse to putting it into the Bill, but I see it being a matter for the courts to be able to authorise bespoke licences to fit operationally with a stadium's business plan. <BR /> <BR />Mr Allister also referred to whether clause 6 needed to be in there. It may not need to be used, but I am trying to future-proof the Bill. It may be that a stadium ends up holding an event at which the Queen comes to visit and there is a wonderful big concert at which they want to serve champagne until midnight, for instance. All I am trying to do is to future-proof the Bill by saying that you will be allowed to apply for it.”
“Mr Dickson supported the proposal and referred to the indoor arena and how it is a tried and tested model. Mr McCallister also spoke in support of a number of aspects of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />I will try to answer Mr Allister's questions. First, he referred to the use of stadia for other events such as the Schools Cup final. He might be aware that I specifically referred to events geared towards children in my consultation document. There is a power there for the courts to place a condition on the licence that would say that it could not be operational at such an event. I can certainly give consideration to putting it into the Bill. It may be that if we start to pick one or two things, we could come up with a very lengthy list, which starts to bog things down.”
“You can pay your corkage and you can sit there drinking with your children to whatever time. Where there is not a licence in place, it is more difficult to regulate it, so I agree with Mrs Kelly's comments on that. <BR /> <BR />Mr Beggs referred to the lack of progress on legislative change for licensing that we have seen over the Assembly term. He specifically talked about children and agreed that it is important that they are supervised by an adult, but he highlighted the anomaly of stopping at 9.00 pm in an outdoor stadium when it does not stop in an indoor arena; that is a gap in our legislation. Mr Beggs also welcomed the clause that will attach conditions to licences, both at the time of application and renewal and also at any time during the life of the licence.”
“Given the fact that there seems to be general support for this, it would be prudent to try to move forward ahead of the next sporting season. <BR /> <BR />Mr Douglas referred to the consensus among the members of the Social Development Committee. He also mentioned having been at the SSE Arena for the ice hockey, where he could see that the sale of alcohol was ancillary to the event. It was very family-friendly; indeed, the Bill is intended to mirror that operational environment. <BR /> <BR />Mrs Kelly talked about better regulation coming from licensing, and I agree with that. For example, people are worried, perhaps, about having alcohol in the presence of children, but if you go into a bring-your-own restaurant at the moment you can bring a number of bottles of wine or beer or whatever you choose to drink.”
“These are issues that may be able to be addressed. Certainly, I know that the issue of when the bar is closed has been consulted on. It may be that that issue might be addressed in the Bill. That partly answers one of Mr Allister's questions. It is a very tightly defined Bill. I have done that specifically because I do not want to be a situation where the Bill does not progress because it gets clogged down on lots of different things where we cannot get consensus.”
“He mentioned the key issue of the behaviour of those who drink alcohol in the presence of children. I am confident that the safeguards and a number of operational aspects, which are already in place in Kingspan for instance, would be put in place in the other stadia and would allay any fears around that. He referred to the wide range of stakeholders that would need to be consulted and the timescale, which remains a challenge. I feel that there has been a lot of support out there for the Bill. I think that people might drop everything when the Committee calls in order to try to facilitate this. <BR /> <BR />Mr Maskey also raised the issues of Drumbo Park Greyhound Stadium and the recent court ruling on underage discos on licensed premises, when the bar was actually closed but the hotel was still found to have been in breach of its licence.”
“I thank Members for their contributions today. I think it is a sign of improving times that we can stand here and debate licensing arrangements for world-class stadia such as the Kingspan Stadium, the national football stadium and Casement Park. The fact that Northern Ireland can now attract major sporting events and other events is to be welcomed, and we should be doing all we can to ensure that legislation helps, not hinders, us. There is clear evidence that these major events bring with them widespread benefits to the economy. <BR /> <BR />The Chairperson of the Committee for Social Development, Mr Maskey, referred to the due diligence that had been carried out to date and the potential benefit to all three stadia should the Bill progress.”
“<BR /> <BR />At this point, I thank Members for their interest to date in the proposal and in the Bill and for the positive feedback they have given. I ask them to support the passage of the Bill this evening.”
“As with the indoor arenas, the proposal is that outdoor stadia would be subject to the provisions intended to protect children and young people under the age of 18. <BR /> <BR />An important point, as well, in one of the clauses is the additional safeguard that has been put in. A court would be given the power to attach any conditions that it considered appropriate to a licence for an outdoor stadium. This would, for example, allow the court to respond to concerns about the sale of alcohol at certain types of event, particularly those perhaps aimed at a young audience. The court could use that power when granting or renewing such a licence and at any time during the course of a licence as well. It is important to note that those safeguards are there.”
“<BR /> <BR />The other clauses in the Bill are quite routine and mirror the 2004 Order, but it is important to note that the existing safeguards in the Licensing Order would also apply to outdoor stadia. Those safeguards include that the sale of alcohol must be ancillary to the normal business carried on on the premises. That means that an outdoor stadia licence would not authorise the sale and consumption of alcohol when the stadium was not being used for an event, sporting or otherwise. It would need be subject to the normal business of the outdoor stadium being carried on, and the general permitted hours would apply, so it would be the same as other premises. Also, any alcohol sold must be consumed on the premises; therefore, there is no eventuality of off-sales or anything else being permitted.”
“It will allow the licensing of stadia that are deemed to be of regional or national importance and designed and intended to be used for a range of events and activities. There would be a new category — an outdoor stadia category — added to article 5(1) of the Licensing Order, and there would be a very clear definition. Clause 2 talks about the definition of a stadium of regional or national importance. Now, there has been a little bit of feedback even in the last week or so on how that might need to be tweaked a little more. Currently, it either has a certain capacity or has been designated as being of regional or national importance by the Department. It may need to be tweaked a little further, and I hope to be able to do that through Consideration Stage.”
“My original proposal included an amendment to article 44 of the 1996 Licensing Order to allow a stadium licence to be granted to sell alcohol for extended hours, that is until about 1.00 am. Naturally, some residents had concerns about that, and some pub owners in the vicinity of the stadia expressed the view that they would lose business if that were the case. On the back of those responses, I therefore removed the proposal to allow a permanent licence with extended hours. <BR /> <BR />I turn, then, to the specifics of my Bill. It is concerned solely with the liquor licensing of our large outdoor stadia of regional or national importance; it is not to do with all the other issues around liquor licensing that have been raised. The Bill will introduce a new category of licence.”
“I have already mentioned that I deliberately targeted organisations that had previously expressed an interest in licensing legislation through their responses to departmental consultation exercises. On top of that, I targeted health organisations and church bodies. Most of them came back to say that it was too narrow an issue and, as there was no proposal to actually change licensing hours etc, they did not feel the need to respond. One alcohol awareness charity — Balance, based in the north-east of England — said that it would be against reinforcing the relationship between alcohol and spectator sport. <BR /> <BR />Of the small number of other people who raised an objection to the proposal, the main issue was additional permitted hours.”
“I am happy to report that I received an overwhelming majority of responses supporting the proposals, with many respondees welcoming the common-sense nature of the intended outcome.”
“<BR /> <BR />Additionally, there were supportive responses to the proposal from the Federation of Small Businesses, which described the recommendation as a common-sense approach, aimed at improving the operational efficiency of stadia, with further benefit of increasing competition for contracts among local SMEs in the hospitality sector; and from Hospitality Ulster, which noted a clear need to modernise our liquor licensing laws. However, Hospitality Ulster felt that the Bill should be amended to include some more of the key points that the Social Development Minister agreed during his consultation.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ulster Rugby, too, offered its full support, echoing the sentiments of the GAA and IFA and warned of the potential consequences of maintaining the status quo, which could leave Northern Ireland unable to host some major future sporting events, such as the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and the Rugby World Cup 2023, a fact that was also reiterated by the Irish Rugby Football union (IRFU) World Cup bid committee board.”
“<BR /> <BR />The IFA said that it was fully supportive of the proposed changes and stated that current legislation did not reflect the reality of the situation it faced today and, in consideration of the three main stadia, their capacity to draw large crowds and add to the economic welfare of Belfast and Northern Ireland, the ability of those venues also to participate in the controlled sale of alcohol as an added facility would be greatly beneficial to their management and development.”
“<BR /> <BR />In order to ensure that a wide variety of views were represented in the consultation, I directly approached a wide range of stakeholders who had previously responded to the liquor licensing consultation that had been carried out by the Department for Social Development. Among those in support of the proposals were, probably not surprisingly, the GAA, which was very supportive and said that it believed that the new Bill will be a very positive development which would assist it in the organisation of games and enhance the economic development of both Belfast and Ulster.”
“Also, maintaining and creating a family, controlled environment, without restrictions on permitted hours, could provide significant revenue to the venues and the economy as a whole through the hosting of such events and by maximising their potential. <BR /> <BR />I carried out a five-week consultation on the policies behind the Bill and the intended wording. I received 276 responses by the deadline, and a few more came in after it. Of those that came in on time, over 95% supported the introduction of the Bill, and a proportion of them recorded that they felt the Bill should go further and I should try to amend more of the licensing law.”