Violent Crime Reduction Bill

moved Amendment No. 72:"Page 11, line 25, at end insert—" ““(   )   Regulations made under subsection (8) shall include provision for appeals against decisions determining such questions as set out in subsection (8)(b).”” The noble Viscount said: In moving Amendment No. 72, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 73. The amendments follow on from the previous amendments, to which my noble friend Lady Anelay has spoken. The purpose of this group of amendments is to try to get some idea of when draft regulations will be published relating to the charges that will be imposed on licence holders in alcohol disorder zones. It was as long ago as last October that the Government were asked in another place when these draft regulations might be available, and six months later we still have not had a chance to examine them. Bearing mind the amount of detail that is being left to regulations, can the Minister give the Committee an assurance that draft regulations will be available to be scrutinised before Report stage of the Bill. It has been left to regulations to specify the rate of charges, exemptions and discounts, payments and enforcement and the appeals process. We have already discussed the issue of regulations that specify what the money raised by the scheme can and cannot be used for. These details are absolutely critical if we are to get a clear picture of what the effect of an alcohol disorder zone designation will have—both on businesses and on alcohol-related disorder itself. Before conferring such sweeping powers on local authorities, does the Minister agree that this House needs greater time for scrutiny of the details of such schemes? I beg to move.