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james73 · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject:

Chaos as new drink laws come into force (Evening Times)

THOUSANDS of pubs, clubs, off sales and even supermarkets will be operating
illegally from tomorrow amid turmoil over a licensing overhaul.

New figures on the eve of Scotland's first major change to licensing in 30 years
show many establishments are caught in the administrative meltdown over
the required consents.

The chairman of Glasgow's licensing board says the trade could be "on the
brink of closing down".

Eight years since the idea to tackle Scotland's drinking culture with legislation
got off the ground, and 18 months since the transition into the new Act began,
local authorities are struggling to process the paperwork required for tomorrow
to sell liquor legally.

There have also been claims that the new Licensing (Scotland) Act is forcing
the closure of four pubs a week and that one fifth of venues, mainly in rural
Scotland, have already shut.

Confusion over what is expected when the legislation comes into force, and how
it will be policed, have led to appeals to the Scottish Government and the licensing
authorities to announce a clear enforcement moratorium for any retailers affected
by delays plaguing the system.

It is understood that licensing boards and police forces have entered into an
understanding that they will adopt a "softly, softly" and "commonsense" approach
to enforcement in the first few months of the new rules.

Chief inspector Stuart Neill, the new head of licensing at Strathclyde Police, said
the laws give scope for tackling drunkenness in premises and town centres, as
new sanctions lower the thresholds and increase the grounds of complaints
by police to licensing boards on. He also welcomed the new powers to shut problem
premises with immediate effect.

Leading health professionals also believe that the Act has potential to reduce overall
consumption across the population.

Happy hour promotions, which encourage alcohol consumption, will be outlawed in
pubs and clubs while supermarket and shop displays of drink must be contained
to one stand-alone area.

Customers will also be entitled to free tap water in bars and clubs, and soft drinks
must be "responsibly priced".

People can, for the first time, object to or support an application to a licensing board
anywhere in the country.

More contentious rulings on bans on supermarket "promos" and a minimum pricing
system have been moved into different legislation, despite Edinburgh and Dundee
announcing that they will explore if there is room within the new laws to ban
promotions in off-sales.

James H

_________________
The blinding obvious is what you showed to me.....

james73 · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2009 2:42 pm Post subject:

Glasgow worst for life expectancy (BBC)

Babies born in Scotland have the average lowest life expectancy in the UK,
latest figures show.

The Office for National Statistics figures for 2006-08 show males in Scotland
can expect to live to 75 years, and females to 79.9 years.

In contrast, males in the south-east of England have the highest life expectancy,
at 79.2 years, with females in the South West top at 83.1 years.

Life expectancy has improved in all areas between 1991-93 and 2006-08.
The biggest improvements were in London, which had increases of 4.9 years
for males and 3.4 years for females.

The smallest increases were in Scotland for males (3.5 years) and in Wales
for females (2.4 years). In the same period the gap between male and female
life expectancy at birth narrowed in the UK - from 5.4 years in 1991-93 to 4.2
years in 2006-08.

In 2006-08 the widest gaps between males and females were in Northern Ireland
and Scotland (4.9 years). Across the UK, the average life expectancy at birth
for males in 2006-08 was 77.4 years, up four years on 1991-93. For females
the UK average was 81.6 years, up 2.8 years on 1991-93.

In 2006-08, average life expectancy at age 65 for the UK was 17.4 years for
males, up 3.2 years from 1991-93. For females it rose by 2.1 years to 20 years.
Locally, Kensington and Chelsea recorded the highest average life expectancy
at birth - 84.3 years for males and 88.9 years for females.

Glasgow City was the area which recorded the lowest average life expectancy
at birth - 70.7 years for men and 77.2 years for women.

Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, said:
"It's good to see life expectancy increasing across the UK - and that men are
steadily catching up. But the north/south divide remains and seems to be largely
linked with deprivation.

"To close that gap we must keep improving the way our most disadvantaged
communities live, learn, work and play - all of which profoundly affect health."

James H
_________________
The blinding obvious is what you showed to me.....

james73 · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 1:33 pm Post subject:

Glasgow is winning its war on poverty (Evening Times)

City earns praise for improving more areas, but 'much needs to be done'

Glasgow is winning its battle against long-term social deprivation, a Scottish
Government report has confirmed.

The city has experienced "sustained change" in levels of prosperity, health,
crime, and educational attainment during the last five years, according to the
latest Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

The figures show the city has continually improved in all deprivation indicators
in recent years and has lifted more areas out of deprivation since the last report
in 2007.

It finds that Glasgow has fewer datazones in the 15% most deprived bracket
and one third fewer in the 5% most deprived category - the only local authority
in Scotland to experience that degree of decrease.

But the report adds that "serious issues" still exist and Glasgow faces the highest
share of income deprivation in Scotland.

Housing And Communities Minister Alex Neil said: "It is encouraging to see
progress and the sustained change that is happening in Glasgow but there are
still serious problems to be addressed in our communities.

"We know there are areas where daily life is a lot harder because of the area
you live in, and this is unacceptable. We can't be complacent and we are determined
to redouble our efforts to address existing problems and support households
and communities across Scotland, especially during the economic downturn.

"That means we are taking bold steps to tackle long-running social issues, such
as drug and alcohol abuse that have been left to fester for too long."

He said "new life" was being breathed into communities through multi-million-
pound investment in regeneration projects and "affordable" house building.

Steven Purcell, Glasgow City Council leader, said: "These continuing improvements
in Glasgow are down to the huge programme of local regeneration that has
been carried out by Glasgow City Council and the billions of pounds of inward
investment that have been brought into the city.

"Last year, the council and its Community Planning partners invested more
than £100m in projects aimed at tackling deprivation, and the improvements
are to be welcomed."

The city gave £3.5m towards Glasgow Works to tackle unemployment and the
council says this has helped improve the city's labour market potential and
income levels.

The council has also played a major role in the rebuilding of thousands of homes
across the city.

James H
_________________
The blinding obvious is what you showed to me.....