Spiking: Scottish Local Authorities (responsible for licensing premises)

The request was successful.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Local Government Association offer guidance on good practice for licensing authorities in response to spiking. Our inquiries relate to the extent to which your licensing authority implements these recommendations – specifically:-

Q1) Do you explicitly reference spiking prevention in your statement of licensing policy?

Q2) Have you run a communications campaign to clearly demonstrate that your council takes a zero-tolerance approach to spiking.

Q3) Which of the following partnership schemes are training packages are referenced in your statement of licensing policy?
· Pubwatch
· Best Bar None
· Purple Flag
· Community Alcohol Partnerships
· Street Pastors
· The Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) initiative
· ‘Ask for Angela’

Q4) Has your licensing authority followed the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee to consider the prevalence, prevention and reporting of sexual harassment and misconduct and gender-based violence in statements of licensing policy.

Q5) For the previous 5 calendar years please provide the number of venues which have had their licence suspended, revoked, or/and had conditions added to the licence, as a result of spiking incidents within the venue. Please could you provide this data broken down by year.
a) 2018
b) 2019
c) 2020
d) 2021
e) 2022
f) 2023 (including latest available data)

Q6) How many incidents of alleged spiking have been recorded by the licensing authority in the past five years. Please break down by year
a) 2018
b) 2019
c) 2020
d) 2021
e) 2022
f) 2023 (including latest available data)

Q7) Please provide details of the three most recent cases where a venue has had its licence suspended, revoked or/and had conditions added, as a result of spiking incidents

Thank you in advance for your help with these queries.

Yours faithfully,
Will Hecker

Freedom Of Information, East Ayrshire Council

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to people affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND), as well as funding
vital research into finding a cure. 

Please consider donating to the Provost’s chosen charity for the next two
years to help people living with Motor Neurone Disease.

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Hiles, Ian, East Ayrshire Council

CLASSIFICATION: OFFICIAL

Dear Sir,

 

I am writing to respond to your request for information under the Freedom
of Information Act. The reference on the email being  -
‘[FOI #973705 email]’

 

I have replied to each of your questions individually in bold type.

 

Q1) Do you explicitly reference spiking prevention in your statement of
licensing policy?

 

East Ayrshire Licensing Board are currently drafting its Licensing Policy
Statement which will be going out for discussion and consultation in the
upcoming weeks for implementation by November 2023, this topic will be
included in the discussion to be included in the draft Policy Statement

 

Q2) Have you run a communications campaign to clearly demonstrate that
your council takes a zero-tolerance approach to spiking.

 

East Ayrshire Council have not run a communications campaign of this
nature

 

Q3) Which of the following partnership schemes are training packages are
referenced in your statement of licensing policy?

·   Pubwatch

·   Best Bar None

·   Purple Flag

·   Community Alcohol Partnerships

·   Street Pastors

·   The Welfare and Vulnerability Engagement (WAVE) initiative

·   ‘Ask for Angela’

 

East Ayrshire Licensing Board have Best Bar None and Pubwatch schemes
referenced in the Licensing Policy Statement. The 'Ask for Angela' scheme
is used by several licensed premises within East Ayrshire but not
referenced in the Licensing Policy Statement

 

Q4) Has your licensing authority followed the recommendation of the Home
Affairs Select Committee to consider the prevalence, prevention and
reporting of sexual harassment and misconduct and gender-based violence in
statements of licensing policy.

 

East Ayrshire Licensing Board are currently drafting its Licensing Policy
Statement which will be going out for discussion and consultation in the
upcoming weeks for implementation by November 2023, this topic will be
included in discussion to be included in the draft Policy Statement

 

Q5) For the previous 5 calendar years please provide the number of venues
which have had their licence suspended, revoked, or/and had conditions
added to the licence, as a result of spiking incidents within the venue.
Please could you provide this data broken down by year.

a) 2018

b) 2019

c) 2020

d) 2021

e) 2022

f) 2023 (including latest available data)

 

No licensed premises within East Ayrshire have had their licence
suspended, revoked, or/and had conditions added to the licence, as a
result of spiking incidents within the venue for the previous 5 calendar
years.

 

Q6) How many incidents of alleged spiking have been recorded by the
licensing authority in the past five years. Please break down by year

a) 2018

b) 2019

c) 2020

d) 2021

e) 2022

f) 2023 (including latest available data)

 

There have been no incidents of alleged spiking recorded by the licensing
authority in the past five years

 

Q7) Please provide details of the three most recent cases where a venue
has had its licence suspended, revoked or/and had conditions added, as a
result of spiking incidents

 

No licensed premises within East Ayrshire have had their licence
suspended, revoked, or/and had conditions added to the licence, as a
result of spiking incidents.

 

Regards,

 

Ian Hiles

Licensing Standards Officer

East Ayrshire Council

Council Headquarters

London Road

Kilmarnock

KA3 7BU

 

Tel – 07825 832425

 

************************************************************************************

MND Scotland is the leading charity in Scotland providing care and support
to people affected by Motor Neurone Disease (MND), as well as funding
vital research into finding a cure. 

Please consider donating to the Provost’s chosen charity for the next two
years to help people living with Motor Neurone Disease.

[1]https://eastayrshi.re/provostcharitydona...

References

Visible links
1. https://eastayrshi.re/provostcharitydona...