Welsh MUP: Council officers to check off-licenses

Council teams in Wales will be swooping on stores to make sure new alcohol minimum pricing laws are being followed.

Denbighshire council’s public protection business manager Ian Millington told councillors his officer would be in a position to report back on their findings by the summer.

The new minimum pricing of 50p per unit of alcohol, introduced into law by Welsh Government, became effective on Monday this week (2 March). It is hoped the move will reduce the consumption of cheap alcohol, especially among children.

Mr Millington, speaking to members of the council’s licensing committee in Rhyl, said officers from licensing and trading standards would be visiting premises.

He said: “Licensing teams will be checking on the minimum pricing of alcohol. All 120 off-sales units will be checked.

“That’s coming with Welsh Government support and that’s likely to be happening across Wales. In June we should be able to give some sort of indication of compliance.”

Wrexham Council’s executive board will be asked next week to allow its public protection department to apply the legislation as soon as possible.

In a report, Cllr Hugh Jones, whose portfolio it falls under, said: “The council is responsible for enforcing this legislation within Wrexham county borough.

“Welsh Government is keen to establish an early measurement of compliance and has therefore requested inspections of all relevant premises in the first three months of implementation.

“In the event of non-compliance there are two formal enforcement options available to the council: issue of a fixed penalty notice of £200 (£150 for prompt payment) the payment of which would avoid prosecution proceedings.

“Prosecution; the penalty for which is a level three fine, currently a maximum of £1,000.

“The legislation also makes the offence a relevant offence in Schedule 4 to the Licensing Act 2003. This makes it possible for non-compliance to be taken into consideration by a licensing authority when making decisions on granting, renewing or revoking premises licences.”

The Public Health Minimum Price for Alcohol Wales Act 2018 forces retailers to use a formula for working out minimum pricing.

Scotland introduced a similar system in May 2018 which saw alcohol sales drop by around eight per cent.

The biggest price increases resulting from the new law are expected to be for so-called ‘white ciders’ – strong, cheap ciders which are often sold in large plastic bottles.

Cllr Jones said there were approximately 125 premises off licences in Wrexham and the authority would receive a payment of around £61 for each inspection carried out.

Executive board members will be asked to authorise officers to exercise the new powers at a meeting on Tuesday, March 10.