Violent Crime Reduction Bill

moved Amendment No. 91:"Page 12, line 46, leave out ““either by name or, if appropriate,””" The noble Baroness said: This is another amendment about process. It is a minor probing amendment, which will be a relief to the Minister. Clause 14 (1) states:"““An order designating an alcohol disorder zone must identify the locality . . . either by name or . . . by describing its boundaries””." In default of there being guidance or regulations on all the matters before us, I have tabled the amendment to seek guidance from the Government as to how they expect that description to be made. The Minister will be aware that there is great concern in some areas. If an ADZ were designated by a geographical name—for example, if my area was designated as ““Goldsworth Park””—would that not give all the people who lived and worked in that area a bad reputation? If the local authority seeks to be transparent about describing an area, and if businesses in that area qualify to pay the extra charge, it will be clear to everyone that the area is an alcohol disorder zone. My concern is that, in ensuring that the local authority has that clarity and transparency, one might also have a bad effect on property prices and businesses in the area. If one wanted to invite someone out for a pleasant evening—perhaps an alcohol-free evening—on a Saturday, one might phone up one’s friend and say, ““How about coming with me to the latest alcohol disorder zone?””, and the respondent might well tell you where to go—but not to the alcohol disorder zone. People have a real concern that there could be a depression in property prices due to the way in which these places are described. There is also the problem of how one makes the zone clear by description. Do there have to be grid references on the ordnance survey map? Does one describe a zone by defining the boundary roads around that area? So I have tabled a probing amendment to ask how the Government are going to give advice on that and also how the local authority would be expected to give a clear indication, as you approached an alcohol disorder zone, that you were entering it. Or will there be no notices? After all, we have notices around Greater London from that personage, the Mayor of London, saying that you are about to enter the congestion charge zone. Instead of having ““CCs”” around, are we going to have ““ADZs””? How will people know, or is that fanciful? Will it simply be the case that businesses in the area will be clearly told, ““This is the area covered by an ADZ. You’re going to have to pay up””, and no one else will be told specifically how the area is defined? I beg to move.