Violent Crime Reduction Bill

I am grateful to the Minister for the way he has tried to set out the answer to show that the Government expect local authorities to behave in the way I want. The trouble is that that is not what the Bill allows local authorities to do. The amendment is all about process—he is quite correct about that—but it is important. He says that he cannot see that there would be a case where the local authority would go ahead if all the action plan was being put into effect. I agree that it would be extraordinary—I am trying to use parliamentary language—if it did go ahead with the plan in those circumstances. He also says that the Bill allows the authority to do it. It can just finish and say ““Right, that’s it. We’ll designate””. The Minister then asks: what if most of the action plan is being implemented, but the parts that are not are the essential parts—that is, those that would sign, seal and deliver the whole action plan? I rather suspect that this is exactly what will have to happen. If one has a period of eight weeks during which an action plan is to be put into effect, it will take some time to hit the ground running to be able to get the initial stages set up. I suspect a lot of the essential work will be crammed into the latter part of the period of the action plan. If, therefore, a local authority decided at any time, say half-way through, that it really wanted to go ahead and designate, it might in fact be pre-empting the ability of traders to put into effect the essential steps. They would not have had the chance to do so in the first part. I know the Minister says that the spirit is there in the Bill. I agree with him 100 per cent when he says that designation of alcohol disorder zones is the last resort, but that is not what this specific part of the Bill says. It does not have that rigour. What he has said is right, but that is not what the Bill says. The licensed trade feels strongly about this, so I do not think the Minister will be too surprised if on this particular issue I wish to test the opinion of the Committee. On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 89) shall be agreed to? Their Lordships divided: Contents, 135; Not-Contents, 131. [Amendment No. 90 not moved.] Clause 13, as amended, agreed to. Clause 14 [Procedure for designation of zones]: