HC Deb 11 July 1996 vol 281 cc265-6W
Mr. Touhig

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to encourage the use of toughened glassware in the licensed victuallers trade; [36142]

(2) what consultations he has had with representatives from the licensed victuallers trade about the possibility of introducing toughened glassware for use within the industry; [36144]

(3) what plans he has to require the licensed victuallers trade to use toughened safety glassware; [36143]

(4) what estimate he has made of the possible reduction in the number of injuries in pubs, clubs and restaurants involving drinking glasses or glass bottles if toughened safety glassware were introduced into the industry. [36145]

Mr. Maclean

Licensing authorities already have wide powers under both the liquor and entertainment licensing laws to require the use of toughened glass or synthetic drinking vessels on particular occasions or in particular premises if they consider the circumstances justify their doing so. We have no plans to require the licensed victuallers trade to use toughened, safety glassware. I am aware of the research which has been carried out into the relative merits, from a public safety point of view, of toughened safety glassware and ordinary, annealed, glassware.

We have had no recent representations from the licensed victuallers trade on this issue.

Mr. Touhig

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of(a) injuries per year and (b) injuries to members of staff per year, in pubs, clubs and restaurants, which involve drinking glasses or glass bottles. [36146]

Mr. Maclean

The available information is based on the 1988 and 1992 British crime surveys which estimate that annually there were about 32,000 incidents of violence—woundings and common assaults—in and around pubs, clubs and other licensed premises involving bottles or drinking glasses. Of these, about half, or 17,000, resulted in the victim receiving cuts. However, the data do not separately identify whether the cuts were due to a bottle or glass. Another 11,000 of these incidents resulted in injury of some other type, for example, bruises and scratches. Incidents against staff cannot be separately identified.