Alcohol Reform Bill

The House is in Committee on the Alcohol Reform Bill. It is a decision on the age for the sale and purchase of alcohol from licensed premises. [Interruption] Order! Would members who are having a conversation like to take it outside the Chamber.

We are in the process of beginning the debate on the alcohol purchase age. The House is in Committee on the Alcohol Reform Bill. Following—[Interruption] Members should listen to this. Following the leave granted by the House yesterday, I remind members that this debate will take the form of an in principle debate on the issue of the age for the sale and purchase of alcohol from licensed premises, and the issue of the purchase age will be decided at 5.30 p.m. by an election from the three options: 18 years, 20 years, and a split age. If this election does not produce a majority decision, the option receiving the fewest votes will be eliminated, and the issue decided between the remaining two options by a personal vote. The Committee will report progress at the conclusion of the voting, and any amendments to the bill necessary to implement the Committee’s decision will be drafted by parliamentary counsel.

The issue before the Committee is the age for the sale and purchase of alcohol from licensed premises. In the interests of fairness and participation in the debate, members will get an opportunity for an individual 5-minute call.

I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I think in briefing the Committee you missed one relatively important point, and that is to tell members of the Committee that, as agreed by leave yesterday, there will be only a 1-minute bell between the declaration of the first vote and the starting of the second vote, and therefore members should not go back to their offices.

Thank you very much for reminding the Committee of that, Mr Mallard—very much appreciated.

In principle debate on the issue of the age for the sale and purchase of alcohol from licensed premises