The Violent Crime Reduction Bill going before Parliament covers imitation guns, knives and alcohol abuse.
A retail body however was quick to complain that the law would penalise law-abiding businesses.
The Bill, says the Home Office includes new powers to ban the manufacture and sale of imitation firearms and toughen sentences for carrying imitation firearms, increase the age limit for purchasing to a knife to 18 and ban those individuals responsible for alcohol-related violence from specific areas for up to two years.
What they say
Crime Reduction Minister Hazel Blears said: “There is increasing public concern around relatively low level crime and anti-social behaviour escalating to more serious offences because people are under the influence of alcohol or carrying weapons. Outlawing the manufacture and sale of imitation firearms, clamping down on binge and underage drinking and ensuring knives are less accessible will help to tackle this.
The Bill would:
Make it illegal to manufacture or sell imitation firearms that could be mistaken for real firearms;
Bring in higher sentences for carrying imitation firearms;
Create tougher manufacturing standards to ensure that imitation firearms can’t be converted to fire real ammunition;
Increase the age limit for buying or firing an air weapon without supervision from 17 to 18;
Make it an offence to use other people to hide or carry guns or knives;
Increase the age limit for purchasing a knife from 16 to 18;
Introduce powers for head-teachers and other members of staff to search pupils for knives;
Introduce Alcohol Disorder Zones (ADZs) which will require licensed premises to contribute to the cost of alcohol-related disorder in specific areas where it has been identified as a problem.
Exclude individuals responsible for alcohol-related disorder from certain areas and licensed premises by imposing ‘Drinking Banning Orders’ which could run for up to two years;
Create powers for police to ban the sale of alcohol at licensed premises for up to 48-hours for selling alcohol to under 18s; and
Provide police with the power to exclude individuals at risk of carrying out alcohol-related disorder from a specific area for up to 48 hours.
What retail says
Kevin Hawkins, British Retail Consortium (BRC) Director General, said: "The BRC is committed to working with Government to promote sensible drinking and combat alcohol misuse, but it is crucial that the Government’s strategy for dealing with alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour does not penalise well-conducted premises and sensible drinkers for the excesses of the minority.
"An ‘Alcohol Disorder Zone’ implies the drawing of lines on maps within which all licensed premises would be liable for costs. Off-licensed shops and supermarkets in particular are not the cause of alcohol-fuelled disorder and also pay their business rates for a range of goods other than alcohol. These businesses should not be charged for the extra costs associated with such anti-social behaviour.
"Leaving aside the existing burden of taxation on the licensed trade, including the heavily- increased licensing fees, it is clear that without a centrally determined and rigorously detailed definition of how such costs are to be calculated, local authorities would just regard ADZ’s as an extra source of revenue – which would, of course, be an incentive for them to designate these Zones.
"We welcome the general principle of Drinking Banning Orders as a way to help tackle persistent offenders. Retailers will continue promoting the Government’s advice on sensible drinking at point of sale and product labelling and using ‘PASS’ – the proof of age standards scheme created by the BRC and endorsed by the Home Office, to tackle the problems with fake ID and create a nationally accepted proof of age scheme."
What Ministers say
Schools Minister, Jacqui Smith said: “Real progress has been made in tackling serious bad behaviour in schools and most pupils never carry knives on school grounds. But there are a few who ignore the fact that it is against the law to have a knife in school. This is unacceptable, and we want to ensure that head teachers have the necessary powers to enforce good discipline in the classroom.”
Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell said: "The measures in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill are a key part in the fight against alcohol-fuelled crime and disorder.
"They complement the new licensing laws, which will help eradicate trouble flashpoints through ending fixed closing, give the police tougher powers to deal with trouble venues and provide greater protection for children and local communities."
