Professor Joe Barry:

I wish to comment on what Ms Jones said. The strategic task force on alcohol was established in 2002 when this first became an issue. Before that, it was not really seen as a problem, but it has been for approximately 15 years. The general idea was that alcohol was not an ordinary commodity and that it was causing huge harm. The feeling was that it should only be sold by people for whom it was their livelihood, whether it be a specialist off-licence or a pub. It was recommended that there be no increase in the number of licences. The mixed trading stores, whether they are multiples or corner shops, now present a huge problem. One probably cannot take licences from people, but it is certainly possible to stop issuing new ones. It has been obvious for a long time that the mixed trading stores are the problem. The structural separation provision was lobbied against successfully six years ago. That is the reason it is such a problem. I was listening to what was said on Tuesday. Obviously, the advertisers see alcohol as an ordinary commodity. There was the discussion about Barry's Tea and Lyons Tea, but the alcohol problem is much more serious.