(Gower) (Lab):...Clubs
themselves also have to take responsibility. When Hannah went on
one radio show to talk about this issue, a nightclub owner was
arguing that the rise in reported drink-spiking incidents was
because students going out were not used to drinking so much
after being stuck indoors because of covid and were reporting it
as spiking. Fortunately, that attitude seems to be limited to a
few uncaring club owners. In fact, Mike Kill, chairman of the
Night Time Industries Association, has called on the Government
to hold an inquiry into spiking. The association would like a
review of the way in which spiking is classified and recorded,
meaning that it could look at solutions based on the full facts.
It has also highlighted a scheme put in place by Devon and Cornwall
Police that provided on-site testing as soon as
there was a report of spiking. That meant a uniform approach to
reporting, assessment and evidence gathering, which increased
confidence and reduced fear of crime among customers. Will the
Minister today agree to meet me and the Night Time Industries
Association to discuss the scheme trialled in Devon and Cornwall
and see how we can roll this out across the country? Where there
are patterns of this behaviour that can be identified, it is much
easier for effective policies to be put in place, and this could
be put in place quickly...
(Warwick and Leamington)
(Lab):...I agree entirely with my hon. Friend that there is an
urgent need for the data, which I think was mentioned earlier in
the debate, but also for multi-agency meetings through the local
authorities, the police, and universities—wherever. Some of the
work being done by Devon and Cornwall
Police which was discussed earlier, is really
interesting. We as parliamentarians should certainly be pushing
for that, but so should the Government be urging the Home Office
to call on chief constables to work with local authorities, those
on campuses, universities and further education colleges to lead
on and to try to address this phenomenon...
To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE
