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11.27 am

Mr. George Howarth (Knowsley, North): I join in the congratulations to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Dr. Spink)--first, on his good luck in drawing a high enough ballot place to introduce the Bill, and secondly, on his choice of topic. However, he should have struck a slightly less aggressive tone in his speech, particularly as he is aware that the Opposition support the Bill. He might also have acknowledged that Labour-controlled authorities in Coventry and Glasgow forged new ground by introducing bans on drinking in public for all age groups--something that covers the earlier intervention by the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland). In local government and in the House, Labour has given support to the points that the hon. Gentleman has made.

I was going to make some observations on the speech by the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Hawkins) but, unfortunately, he made his speech--in which he commented on the fact that there were not many Labour Members present--and has not been seen since. I thought it worth mentioning his speech only because he had little to say about the Bill, but a great deal to say about law and order issues and the Government's record. So confident is he of defending that record to the people of Blackpool, South that he has taken himself off and found another constituency, but he can defend his observations in due course, I am sure.

In congratulating the hon. Member for Castle Point and supporting the Bill, I must point out that considerable evidence is available on the subject--some over a long period--which supports the need for something to be done about young people and alcohol. In a report in 1994, the Government's chief medical officer observed:

"From a very early age, young people develop a sophisticated awareness of alcohol and drinking behaviour. It appears that regular drinking, that is at least once a week, often begins at an early age and that weekly consumption in 14-15-year-olds is increasing. Recent surveys show that 20 per cent. of 9-15-year-olds have had their first alcoholic drink by the age of 8 and 89 per cent. by 13 years. Twelve

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per cent. of 11-15-year-olds are regular drinkers, and young people are also at risk for drunkenness offences and related criminal behaviour."

Clearly, we have known for a few years of the scale of the problem across an alarming age group.

Similarly, a report from the Home Office working group on young people and alcohol as early as 1987 commented--this is particularly important, because it is a comment on urban areas:

"Studies in several city centres in England and Wales have shown that almost half of the incidents of disorderly behaviour dealt with by the police occur shortly after the end of permitted drinking hours, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, and often involve young men."

Therefore, the Home Office acknowledged as early as 1987 that there was a problem in city centres.

Another Home Office research study in 1989, "Drinking and Disorder: A Study of Non-Metropolitan Violence", stated:

"Inevitably, some of the lads (many of whom are very young) are over-excited or have drunk too much. Then an incident happens. Drunks stumble against each other, or insults are passed. Perhaps the proprietor of the local take-away feels he has to call the police. Then siren-cars draw up screaming--or perhaps some foot-patrol officers appear quickly. Whatever it is, the appearance of the police becomes part of the entertainment. There is something to watch. The crowds get more excited, jeer and taunt the police. Perhaps the whole incident calms down and the lads disappear . . . Perhaps it escalates".

The problems are well documented and have been studied in great detail, so it is timely that we now try to deal with them.

One can draw a number of clear conclusions from the available information. First, there is a growing problem of under-age drinking. Worryingly, as the hon. Member for Castle Point described, ever younger children are drinking. Secondly, the mixture of young people and alcohol is often volatile. Disorderly behaviour, which even in its mildest forms can be intimidating for elderly people and women, is a case in point.

The hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam referred to her experiences on trains. Many women feel very intimidated, whether in the streets, on public transport or in other public places. Elderly people certainly find it frightening when large numbers of young people congregate, either drinking or under the influence of drink, and they have to confront them. It is unacceptable if all those public places are not free for everyone to use and to feel safe and free in.

Sadly, drink and incidents of violence in young people often go hand in hand. Indeed, the Royal College of Physicians has estimated that one quarter of 14-year-olds become violent after consuming alcohol. There are probably well-publicised incidents of a violent kind every week in every major town and city involving young people. If we can remove the source of the violence--that is, alcohol--by the measures contained in the Bill, all to the good.

The hon. Member for Castle Point and the Minister cited the Portman Group and some of the excellent work that it has done. I also want to place on record the Opposition's appreciation of the important work that the group carries out. The Minister also mentioned the problem of so-called alcopops. The most worrying feature is the cynical way in which some manufacturers market those products. They are not designed for the mass market

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or for middle-aged people such as myself or other right hon. and hon. Members. They are tightly targeted to attract very young people into believing that they are taking something that is essentially a lemonade-style product, but which has some alcohol in it. The naming of the drinks and the way in which they are advertised are tightly targeted at young people.

I join the Minister in deploring those products and the way in which they are marketed. It is fair to give the industry warning that, if it does not clean up its act, legislation may soon become necessary to force it to do so. The jury is out, but the matter is in the industry's hands. If it does not act voluntarily, we shall need statutory control.

Dr. Spink: Will the hon. Gentleman join me in welcoming the adjudication of the Portman Group on the three cases this morning, which lays down a marker for the industry?

Mr. Howarth: I do indeed, and I have commented on the work of that group and the work that it plans for the future.

The hon. Member for Castle Point also called for increases in youth facilities and I agree, but we must give much more thought to what sort of facilities young people want in the world that we now live in. In my teenage years in the 1960s, our needs were far more simple. I was happy to attend the local church youth club once or twice a week, where a few records were played and there was a snooker table, of which I made full use. That was about the extent of our ambitions.

Although sporting activities rightly figure prominently among the needs of young people--my children are involved in a wide variety of sporting activities, including soccer--the style and presentation of youth facilities has changed since my day and it is a far more sophisticated area. I do not want to labour that point, but we must give it much more thought.

My borough of Knowsley has given a great deal of time and thought to how to package sporting facilities in a way that is more attractive to young people. For example, on a Saturday night, my daughter uses the leisure centre in Huyton, which offers the use of all the facilities in one evening for a limited entrance fee. Some young people find such an offer much more attractive than just paying for a swim, some weight training or whatever.

A lot of work is being done to make such activities more attractive, but the hon. Member for Castle Point is right to say that, in the absence of other things to do, young people are drawn to street corners. In that setting, they often learn the sort of behaviour that leads to excessive drinking, vandalism and other forms of minor street crime, which can turn into more serious crime in later years. It is right to acknowledge that problem, although it forms no part of the Bill.

The hon. Member for Castle Point mentioned the importance of the family in forming people's drinking habits, and referred to the more continental style of introduction to drink. As a parent, I agree. It is important for young people to be introduced to alcohol in a home setting and in a way that does not encourage binge drinking: perhaps a drink with a meal, or the occasional

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glass or bottle--or can, as that is what young people seem to prefer--of beer. An ethos of small-scale, enjoyable, controlled drinking in a family setting should be established. That is the approach that I take, and I am sure that the same goes for many other hon. Members.

The right hon. Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt), who I gather was something of an inspiration for the Bill, spoke of his experience in his constituency, and expressed support for the Bill on behalf of the Conservative candidate in Wirral, South. He would not expect me to allow that to go without comment: as I have taken pains to find out, the excellent Labour candidate for that seat, Ben Chapman, also supports the legislation, and he has asked me to convey his welcome for it. However, he expressed some serious concerns and praised the intelligent way in which the Merseyside police deal with the problem.

Drinking out of doors, as I have seen in my constituency, happens more in the summer months. In the hot summer of 1995, there was an eruption of the problem in the parks in Kirkby. The police made the observation that people who were illegally importing drink--mostly lager--from the continent would pull up their transit vans at places where they knew that young people congregated, and target them specifically. That is a matter to which we must give some attention in the future, although the Bill will be a help.

The Bill is a good start, although it will not solve all the problems. The Home Office has model byelaws in place to deal with the wider problem, and I would encourage local authorities to take them up. The Bill is worth while, and we support it. I wish the hon. Member for Castle Point well as it proceeds through its later stages.

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