Pubs Should Pay For Street Pastors

Licensed premises should pay extra to fund night-time services like street pastors and taxi marshals, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill claimed during a night-time visit to Inverness.

Mr MacAskill said the move would benefit pubs and clubs by making city centres more attractive and less intimidating to visitors.

But those involved with the licensed trade in the city said the minister's desire for an extra tax on pubs was targeting the wrong group.

They claim people are getting drunk at home on cheap alcohol from supermarkets before heading to the pub.

Mr MacAskill was in Inverness on Friday night to meet the new street pastors, who patrol the city centre at weekends to help those affected by alcohol or drugs.

The minister said they were doing "a fantastic job".

He went on walkabout with police in the Highland capital to see at first hand the impact of the city's night-life.

Young men and women were seen in the streets carrying bottles of drink.

The minister saw officers put one young woman into a police van at 10.45pm after she became too drunk to stand in a nightclub.

Later, Mr MacAskill said that pubs and clubs should pay more to counter the impact of alcohol.

He said: "We believe those that are given the right to sell alcohol have to take some of the responsibility for the consequences of it. Its additional police officers that are needed and places for people who are drunk and incapable and shouldn't be in police cells or casualty units. There are taxi marshals and night buses to be provided.

"Somebody has to pay for it. It cannot be the taxpayer. We as a government do not have the funds. Accordingly, those who profit over the till should meet some of the costs.

"If we make the night-time economy a better place with a better ambience, then more folk will go. Equally we cannot go on as we are. Action needs to be taken and we will not hesitate to do that.

"Scotland has got its relationship with alcohol out of kilter. We have got to get it back in balance."

Last month Inverness became the second city in Scotland to get street pastors. There are plans to recruit more volunteers to the 22-strong team.

Street pastor co-ordinator Mark Hadfield, of Inverness Community Church, would welcome a charge on licensed premises to help fund the pastors' work.

He said: "Funding is always a big issue. We have some funding from the churches to help in the day-to-day running. But we could do with additional funding.

"We have a funding application to the Common Good Fund which would help us."

But Don Lawson, owner of Johnny Foxes in Inverness, said pubs paid enough in rates and said new licensing laws should help tackle problems caused by alcohol.

He added: "I think, with new rates the government has imposed, that there is more than enough to cover what Mr MacAskill calls litter and pollution.

"What we need is a culture shift to promote responsible drinking, but that could take a whole generation."

Mr Lawson added that supermarkets and off-licences had to be included in the efforts to tackle binge drinking.

Ramsay McGhee, area manager for the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said: "Licensees do not have a bottomless pit of money and what Mr MacAskill seems to forget is that it is not just publicans and nightclubs that supply alcohol. The bulk of alcohol is sold by supermarkets, and that is where people get their drink before coming out at night.

He added: "There are all sorts of issues here and there is no easy answer. Mr MacAskill tries to come up with an easy solution that the trade will pay for everything, but it is not as simple as that."

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