CURBS on drinks promotions in Scotland will be extended to off-licences and other retailers.
The Scottish Executive said that the Licensing (Scotland) Bill, which will ban certain offers in pubs and clubs, would be amended to cover off-sales.
Tavish Scott, the junior public services minister, made the announcement as MSPs debated the Bill, which aims to modernise Scotland’s 30-year-old licensing laws and tackle binge-drinking.
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The Bill will ban happy hours and promotions that encourage quick drinking, such as two-for-one deals. It also requires pubs, retailers and licensed traders to demand proof of age from young people.
Licensing boards will have to assess whether there are too many licensed premises and whether to block new venues or off-licences. Residents will be given a greater say in decisions and police will have more powers to close premises on safety grounds.
The decision by ministers to extend the curbs to off-licences came a week after Holyrood’s cross-party local government committee urged ministers to support such a move.