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BII Scotland criticises licensing bill amendment
Tue 20 Apr 2010
BII Scotland has spoken out against plans to force premises that are licensed to sell alcohol to show how they making their establishments accessible to disabled people.
George Foulkes, a Labour MSP, has suggested this requirement in an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill.
This would require licensed premises to prove what measures they are taking to ensure they are complying with the Disability Discrimination Act.
However, BII Scotland has questioned the wisdom of the amendment, since laws governing disabled access to licensed premises are already in place.
Janet Hood, spokeswoman for the body, told the Morning Advertiser that "one has to wonder what this is for".
Robert Botkai, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood Solicitors, added: "We seem to be on a slippery slope with licensing authorities and officers seeking to use the licensing regime as a way of enforcing regulations covered by other legislation.
"This should be resisted by licence holders and it is good to see that the BII is challenging this in Scotland."
The Disability Discrimination Act was introduced in 1995 and has been amended over the years in an attempt to tackle discrimination against disabled people.
This includes measures to ensure that physically-impaired people have access to goods, facilities and services, as well as employment and education.
