Published: Thursday, 19th June, 2008 10:00
Martin Salter's Westminster Diary
By Martin Salter, MP for Reading West
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Reading West MP Martin Salter
I HAVE been busy in Parliament in the last fortnight, sponsoring a Ten Minute Rule Bill which aims to halt the explosion of binge drinking by stopping the sale of cut-price alcohol, and in working to set up a cross-party parliamentary group on Gurkha Rights.
The Alcohol Sales (Regulation of Prices and Promotion) Bill aimed to bring in a four-point package to combat binges in which people drink over half the weekly limit of alcohol in one sitting.
It includes a minimum unit cost of alcohol, and enforcement of better labelling on alcoholic drinks so that labels show clearly how many units of alcohol are in each container.
Society pays a huge price for binge drinking – alcohol is a factor in half of street crimes, and the cost to the NHS is £3.2 billion.
Most of us enjoy having a drink with friends, and may go over the top on occasions. But this bill aims to cut the human toll of regular week-in, week-out binge drinking.
It was supported by Alcohol Concern, the National Association of Headteachers, the British Medical Council and the Police Federation, and I hope that the Government will take up these proposals.
Last week I also supported the Government’s Counter Terrorism Bill, which would allow the police more time to question terrorist suspects.
In considering how I would vote I had a simple starting point. The first duty of any Government is the defence of their people.
Yes, this includes civil liberties, but just as important are the rights of potential victims and the security of the nation.
It is clear from the evidence from the Head of the Security Service that the terrorist threat facing the UK is real, acute and growing.
Peter Clarke, who was until recently the head of Scotland Yard’s counter terrorism command, has spoken about the investigation he led in 2004 into a number of terrorist suspects, saying: “We were minutes away from having to release a group of terrorists. Two years later, they pleaded guilty to plotting to make a dirty bomb and to kill fellow citizens in huge numbers.”
Mr Clarke is certain that the police will need longer than 28 days in future to question terrorism suspects.
It has been suggested that the legislation could have an impact on community relations. I accept this is a risk but I also know the greatest and most detrimental impact on community relations occurs if a bomber gets through.
I believe the proposals are proportionate, sensible, and precautionary and contain sufficient safeguards to guard against misuse. It is clear that the public agrees and I firmly believe that David Davis, in particular, and the Conservative and Liberal parties are completely out of touch on this issue.
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