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22/07/2003
Victorian licensing law scrapped in Wales
The government has scrapped a 122-year-old law in Wales which banned the sale of alcohol on a Sunday.
The move, announced by Licensing Minister Richard Caborn, is the first step in an overhaul of England and Wales' Licensing Laws.
The eradication of the Welsh Sunday Opening Polls - part of the government's Licensing Act 2003 that was passed earlier this month - modernises the Welsh licensing system, creating more choice for consumers and businesses.
The polls were last held in 1996 when every area in Wales voted for alcohol to be able to be sold on a Sunday. The next poll in any Welsh district could have been held this year.
Licensing Minister Richard Caborn said: "This rule dates back to Victorian times. While the whole of Wales now has Sunday opening, the rule allowing polls on closing still lingers on.
"It doesn't reflect the way people live their lives today. If people in Wales want to buy a bottle of wine from a supermarket on a Sunday, or enjoy a pint with their Sunday lunch in a pub, they should be able to do so."
Under the old rule, if at least 500 registered voters in any Welsh county or county borough requested it, the local authority had to hold ballots in which people elected whether or not alcohol should be sold there on a Sunday.
Wales Office Minister Don Touhig added his support to the abolition of Sunday Closing Polls in Wales, saying: "This change is long overdue. It is clear that the vast majority of people in Wales are in favour of Sunday opening and it is right that the law has been brought up to date."
By giving them the assurance that the sale of alcohol on a Sunday will remain legal for the foreseeable future, the licensing trade believe it will help long-term planning, increase investment and create more jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries.
(GMcG)
The move, announced by Licensing Minister Richard Caborn, is the first step in an overhaul of England and Wales' Licensing Laws.
The eradication of the Welsh Sunday Opening Polls - part of the government's Licensing Act 2003 that was passed earlier this month - modernises the Welsh licensing system, creating more choice for consumers and businesses.
The polls were last held in 1996 when every area in Wales voted for alcohol to be able to be sold on a Sunday. The next poll in any Welsh district could have been held this year.
Licensing Minister Richard Caborn said: "This rule dates back to Victorian times. While the whole of Wales now has Sunday opening, the rule allowing polls on closing still lingers on.
"It doesn't reflect the way people live their lives today. If people in Wales want to buy a bottle of wine from a supermarket on a Sunday, or enjoy a pint with their Sunday lunch in a pub, they should be able to do so."
Under the old rule, if at least 500 registered voters in any Welsh county or county borough requested it, the local authority had to hold ballots in which people elected whether or not alcohol should be sold there on a Sunday.
Wales Office Minister Don Touhig added his support to the abolition of Sunday Closing Polls in Wales, saying: "This change is long overdue. It is clear that the vast majority of people in Wales are in favour of Sunday opening and it is right that the law has been brought up to date."
By giving them the assurance that the sale of alcohol on a Sunday will remain legal for the foreseeable future, the licensing trade believe it will help long-term planning, increase investment and create more jobs in the hospitality and tourism industries.
(GMcG)
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Sunday trading laws to remain the same
There is to be no change to current Sunday shopping hours, Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling has announced. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 limits the opening of large shops - those shops over 280 sq m/3,000 sq ft - in England and Wales to only six continual hours between 10am and 6pm. Larger shops must also close on Easter Sunday.
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