Agenda item - Reducing Alcohol Related Harm to Children and Young People - CYPOSC Referral

Report from the Director of Environment (copy attached).

28.1    The Committee considered a report from the Director of Environment regarding Reducing Alcohol Related Harm to Children and Young People – CYPOSC Referral.

28.2    The Head of Overview and Scrutiny, Mr Hook, introduced the report and highlighted the recommendations that directly related to the Licensing Committee, which covered a range of different options for the Committee to consider.

28.3    Councillor Duncan stated that he had sat on the CYPOSC panel which conducted this review and felt it had been an excellent non-party analysis of the problem. He noted that children in the city were suffering increasing impact from alcohol abuse and there was evidence to suggest it was getting worse in the eastern part of the city. He highlighted the recommendations and felt that a co-operative approach to these issues needed to be taken with the trade. Recommendation six related to the proliferation of licensed establishments outside of the Cumulative Impact Area and Councillor Duncan felt that this year’s review of the boundary needed to take this into consideration. He urged the Committee Members to support the recommendations.

28.4    Councillor Older noted that whilst recommendation eight dealt with impacts to health, this was not a licensing consideration. Mr Nichols agreed but added that this recommendation, and some others, were directed towards Children’s and Young Person’s Trust rather than the Licensing Committee.

28.5    Councillor Hawkes noted that youth workers were working with young people on many of the issues raised within the report, and added that this valuable work needed to continue and be supported.

28.6    Councillor West noted that the recommendations of this report could inform the Best Practice for Responsible Licensing Notice of Motion, which was being drafted by Officers in the near future.

28.7    RESOLVED –

1.         That the Committee notes the evidence, findings and recommendations of the Children’s and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee and its scrutiny panel, in relation to Reducing Alcohol Related Harm to Children and Young People.

2.         That the Committee agrees the response to recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 11 (those specific to Licensing and Trading Standards) as set out in appendix 1 of the report.