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Hansard quote o' the day, and a bonus vintage factlet

Monday, July 05, 2010
This, from 1910, in a discussion on regency arrangements were George V to die before his progeny were of age:

Sir John Brunner (Lib) "At eighteen years of age the ordinary individual begins his university life. If the Sovereign has to have a university training at all, that is the age at which he will begin, it. Eighteen years of age is too soon for a boy to begin reading dry documents and to sign his name all the morning, and to lay foundation-stones all the afternoon. I am not a Court physician, but I maintain that those of Royal blood do not mature any earlier than ordinary human beings.

Some fairly half-hearted googling suggests that even in 1922 only some 10,000 were receiving degrees each year, so that's a pretty odd definition of an 'ordinary individual'. Brunner would appear not to have been a graduate, so that makes it odder still.  

And the bonus ball:

    Mr. SHERWELL asked the Secretary to the Treasury if he can state on what basis the estimated amount of beer consumed per head of the population in England, Scotland, and Ireland, respectively, in the year ended 31st March, 1910, namely, .79, .27, and .63 barrels, respectively, is calculated?

    Mr. HOBHOUSE The estimated amount of home-made beer consumed per head of the population in the year 1909–10 is calculated on the net receipt of revenue from such beer in that year, adjusted to give the estimated true contribution of each country. This adjustment is made on the basis of statistics of transit of beer in the three Kingdoms in the year 1903–4 (see Annual Return of Revenue and Expenditure (England, Scotland, and Ireland)).

Makes you proud, doesn't it?

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posted by Croydonian

A solution to the nuisance of topping up one's wine glass

Thursday, January 28, 2010
From some forward-thinking Japanese folk:



Although I imagine washing it might be a bit of a pain.

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posted by Croydonian

Sake for sake's sake?

Friday, November 20, 2009
Maybe.

This from the Japan Times:

"Sake made its way into the British Parliament on Wednesday as the House of Lords gave the opening of a new session a twist to commemorate a landmark anniversary of bilateral relations.At a party hosted by the House of Lords, around 200 British lawmakers and other participants indulged in a taste of sake, which Japanese brewers hope will challenge the dominance of champagne and wine at party tables in Britain.

"The reaction I got here was beyond what I had expected," said Koichi Saura, a board member of the Japan Sake Brewers Association, who provided sake brewed in Miyagi and Toyama prefectures.

The event was part of the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce".

If I had been asked, I'd have gone too, but I can't see it catching on in a big way in these parts.

And here are Koichi Saura of the Japan Sake Brewers Association and the blessed Lord Pearson of Rannoch getting ready to let the good times roll:






 A report at another news source helpfully points out that Mr Saura is on the left.



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The vintage Hansard trawl - featuring beer, postal worker decorations and misbehaving scousers

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Sticking with 1909, because it was a vintage year.

The Egyptian Penal Code

What did Arnold Lupton have in mind?:

Mr. A. LUPTON (Lib) asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if murder, attempted murder, theft, attempted theft, destruction of crops, poisoning animals, and arson are contrary to the Egyptian penal code (etc)

And the answer he got back did not include either 'yes' or 'no'

The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Sir E. Grey) The whole text of the Ordinance has been laid before Parliament. It was discussed and passed by the Legislative Council, and I can give no fuller explanation of its provisions than appears in the Papers now laid. There is no provision in it which entails a sentence of imprisonment.

Pretty alarming, frankly.

British beer (average gravity).

Mr. George Younger (CON. Yes, of the brewing family. I checked on my suspicions. Also great grandfather of the sadly missed namesake) asked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state the numbers and average gravity of the bulk barrels of the beer brewed in the United Kingdom in the year ending 31st March last?

Mr. HOBHOUSE The number and average gravity of the bulk barrels of beer brewed in the United Kingdom in the year ended 31st March, 1909, was:—

Bulk Barrels. Average Gravity.
34,376,352 1053,26.

That would be nigh on a barrel per head of population. Makes you proud, doesn't it?

The Ceylon Police Service.

Mr. KEIR HARDIE asked whether, under the terms of the circular issued by the Colonial Office in April this year anent the establishment of probationerships from which vacancies in the Ceylon police service are to be filled, only British subjects of European descent may enter for the competitive examinations; and what are the reasons for thus barring out Singhalese gentlemen who possess the necessary qualifications from competing for these positions?

Fair question, pretty so-so response:

Colonel SEELY The answer to the first part of my hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative. It is essential that there should be an European element in the force, and this is supplied from the examination at home. The local element, which is also necessary, is supplied by local appointments.

Further to-ing and fro-ing followed, with the issue killed stone dead by this:

Sir H. COTTON Can he say whether a Singhalese gentleman in this country is eligible for competition?

Colonel SEELY I am not quite sure. On that point also I require notice.

Stripes for posties:

Mr. J. P. FARRELL asked the Postmaster-General whether, in the case of Michael Maguire, a postman of Longford, who some years ago lost three stripes, and 564 whose record since has been very good, he can see his way to restore this man to his former status in the service?

Mr. BUXTON If Mr. Maguire's record continues to be good, one of the forfeited stripes will be restored to him during the present month, and he will eventually become eligible for the full number of six stripes. There will be, however, a permanent loss of four years.


I think readers will be inclined to agree with my belief that stripes for postmen and women need to make a comeback sharpish.

What had they been getting up to in Liverpool?

Mr. SLOAN asked the Home Secretary if he has received from the Watch Committee of Liverpool a recommendation to hold an inquiry into the recent disturbance in that city; if so, does he propose to grant an inquiry, and on what date; will the inquiry be held on oath; and will the Press be admitted?

Mr. GLADSTONE No, Sir; I have not at present received any such recommendation.

And presumably Gladstone would not entertain further questions from Mr Sloan.

And finally, Motor Accident at Salisbury Plain (Speed Dangers).

Mr. JOWETT asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the evidence given at the inquest on the body of Gunner Snow on 14th August last, who was killed by a motor car on Salisbury Plain, the driver of which acknowledged that when the accident took place he was driving his car at the rate of 10 to 15 miles an hour into a dense mist...and whether he is considering what steps may be taken to prevent persons who, as owners and drivers of motor cars, are guilty of endangering the lives of others from using the public roads in future for the purposes which they have abused?

Mr. BURNS I have seen a report of the inquest in this case, and I understand that the question whether proceedings should be instituted against the driver of the motor car is under consideration. With regard to the subject generally, I may point out that if a person drives a motor car on a public highway recklessly or negligently or at a speed or in a manner which is dangerous to the public he is liable to penalties, and in the case of a second offence to imprisonment. Moreover, his licence to drive may be suspended, and he may be declared disqualified for obtaining a further licence for such time as the court thinks fit.





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Vintage Hansard, featuring an important question about chalk and wrongs done the Irish.

Friday, August 21, 2009
A bit of 1909 for you all:

Bayonet Charge, Cappamore

Mr. LUNDON (Irish Nat) (1) asked the Chief Secretary whether, as the result of the bayonet charge which took place at Cappamore (a small town in county Limerick. C) on 6th May last, the district inspector, Mr. M'Carthy, of Newpallas, who ordered the police to charge on this occasion, has been transferred to Newport, county Mayo, which is one of the smallest stations in the West of Ireland; and, if so, will he say whether this punishment on the inspector is due to the orders given on the occasion; and, in view of the conduct of the police authorities in connection with this matter, will the Government compensate the four men who were injured on the occasion?

Mr. BIRRELL District-Inspector McCarthy was transferred because the Inspector-General considered it desirable in 1923W the public interests to move him to another district. Newport, to which he has been transferred, is considerably larger than New Pallas, and the district attached to it is also larger than the New Pallas district. The men who were wounded on the occasion in question were members of a disorderly crowd. If they consider themselves entitled to compensation it is open to them to assert their claims in a court of law.


That I am a Unionist is a matter of record, but one can hardly wonder at the unhappiness of the Plain People of Ireland at British rule if a 'disorderly crowd' might receive a bayonet charge.


A masterclass in avoiding addressing a question:

Mr. ASHLEY asked whether the free conveyance of an officer's wife and family when he is sent away on duty is still confined to conveyance by sea, or whether this privilege has been extended to moves made by land?

Mr. FULLER The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative.

Mr. ASHLEY Will the hon. Gentleman say why when it is right to pay the carriage of the conveyance of an officer's wife and family by sea it is not so by land?

Mr. FULLER I am informed that it has always been the custom to pay for the conveyance by sea and that the War Office have no intention of making any change in the matter.

Mr. ASHLEY Will the War Office receive representations on the subject?

Mr. FULLER I really have nothing to add.
And there ends that exchange.


MPs having tired of ragging the Chancellor over what would or would not constitute a building, a new front is opened up:

CHALK AS A MINERAL

Sir GILBERT PARKER asked whether chalk would be considered a mineral within the meaning of the Finance Act, and therefore subject to taxation?

Mr. FULLER I must refer the hon. Member to the reply which was given by my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury on 21st June last to the hon. Member for North-West. Manchester.

There is nothing up for 21/6/9, so the minerality or otherwise of chalk remains unsettled.

A topic dear to many of us:

LICENSED HOUSES (HOURS OF OPENING).

Mr. PATRICK WHITE asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many hours per week, including Sunday, licensed houses are open for sale of intoxicating drink in London and Dublin, respectively;

Mr Fuller The number of hours during which licensed premises may by law be open during a week including Sunday are, in London, 123½ hours, and in Dublin, 98 hours.

The sheer unfairness, not to say out and out savagery, of that beggars belief.


More of the same later, maybe.

(1) - Lundon got into a slanging match with another Irish Nat - different faction - a few years later, this tale making the New York Times. Lundon called William O'Brien a descendant of 'the most blackguardly informer that ever appeared in Ireland'. O'Brien then shouted back 'you are an infamous liar and scoundrel!'. The two had to be held apart. Not exactly Swiftian or Wildean levels of wit.

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The 1909 Hansard trawl, featuring Scottish drunkeness stats, nimbyism and 'diversity'

Friday, August 07, 2009
And here they are:

Mr. MURRAY MACDONALD (Lib) asked the Lord Advocate whether he can state the number of arrests for drunkenness in Scotland in the months of May and June in 1907, 1908, and 1909, and the number of committals to prison during those months in the three years?
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL for SCOTLAND (Mr. Arthur Dewar) (for Mr. Ure)

The following is the statement of the numbers of apprehensions and citations for drunkenness under the six subjoined heads:—

* Drunkenness and drunk and incapable.
* Drunk and disorderly, etc.
* Drunk in charge of child, etc.
* Drunk or drinking in a shebeen.
* Disorderly on licensed premises, etc.
* Habitual drunkenness.

And the numbers of committals to prison during the months of May and June in 1907, 1908, and 1909 are..

Calls for a chart, I think:



Quite why only May and June interested the MP is a mystery

An outbreak of nimbyism:

Sir WALTER MENZIES (Lib) asked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that the Lanarkshire County Council have decided to erect a slaughterhouse at Kirkfield-bank; will he say whether the Local Government Board have received any complaint upon the subject; whether the Local Government Board have satisfied themselves as to the necessity for such an erection; and, if so, whether the proposed site is to be sanctioned?

Mr. DEWAR I understand the Upper Ward District Committee of Lanark propose to erect a slaughterhouse at Kirk-fieldbank. Appeals against the proposal have been made to the Local Government Board, who have remitted the matter to their medical inspector for inquiry and report. He is arranging to visit the locus shortly.

I can find no record of Menzies being a vegetarian...

Education Rates

Mr. GEORGE HARDY asked the President of the Board of Education whether his attention had been directed to the case of a farmer who was summoned for not paying his rates, and whose ground of refusal was that Roman Catholic doctrines were taught in some of the non-provided schools in his neighbourhood, and that no Nonconformist was allowed to be even a pupil teacher or a caretaker, and that the children were taught by the clergyman that only the priest could forgive sins; and whether, as these schools receive rate aid, he proposed to take any, and, if any, what, action to stop such practices?

Mr. RUNCIMAN I have seen a newspaper report of the case to which my hon. Friend refers. The report, however, does not disclose any breach of the law and I have no power to intervene.


So who is the bad person not 'celebrating diversity' here? The farmer or the headmaster?

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The end of history and the last pub, or 234 years to the Apocalypse

Tuesday, July 21, 2009
(With apologies)

Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the number of public houses which have closed in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Sutcliffe: The DCMS Statistical Bulletin on Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night Refreshment does not identify the number of pubs in England and Wales; but rather the number of premises authorising the sale or supply of alcohol by means of a premises licence or a club premises certificate. We understand that CGA Strategy, the pub and drinks market analyst, which tracks the pub closure rate on behalf of the British Beer and Pub Association, currently estimates that between 51 and 53 pubs a week are closing. At 53 per week, the pub closure level would equate to around 2,750 per year. Source

Let's run with the figure of 57,500 in 2007. At a rate of 4.78% of closures per year, the last one will close in 2244. Given that, to adapt the joke about the two Jews on a desert island joke, one needs to have a pub one does not go to, it is worse - there will only be one by 2223. We will be down to four figures by 2043 (which I *might* live to see), and three figures by 2090. If the rate continues to fall at 2,750 per year, the End of Days comes in 2027.

If this terrible set of events is not to come to pass, 'think globally, drink locally'.


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The Hansard Trawl, featuring tenrecs, the demon drink and the prospect of rather dull uploads to Youtube

Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Rozza opens up a new line in questioning. The man is indefatigable:

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals of each species were kept in quarantine facilities operated by his Department in 2008

And at number one with the proverbial bullet, are primates (2,209), beating a challenge from dogs (2,110) and cats (1,169). After that, it gets interesting, with beavers (38) in fourth, rabbits, tenrecs (I'd never heard of them either), cheetahs, bats and fruit bats. And just the one binturong, inter alia.

Someone does not 'get' it:

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Cheadle of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 399W, on railways: marketing, for what reason his Department has incurred no advertising expenditure, other than for statutory advertising, since the amalgamation into his Department of the Strategic Rail Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport uses a wide range of media and events to inform the public about rail policies and programmes. Advertising travel by rail is a matter for the rail industry, which spends substantial sums on advertising.

Maybe he is pining for 'this is the age of the train', or 'we're getting there'.

Something for Lord Adonis to do during the working day:

Mr. Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if the Secretary of State will make it his policy to monitor the incidence of publication on the internet of video recordings of traffic violations.

Paul Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Campbell) on 30 June 2009, Official Report, column 168W.

Tempting to wander the mean streets filming cars on double yellows and uploading the results to Youtube with suitably lurid descriptions.

The most unanswerable question of the week, probably:

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the statutory obligations upon it provided for in legislation on matters for which it is responsible which were introduced as a consequence of obligations arising from EU legislation in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available. [283472]

Mr. Straw: Information as to statutory obligations arising from EU legislation and their associated costs is not held centrally by the Department and could not be collected without disproportionate cost.

I suppose Straw could have replied 'how long is a piece of string', so I suppose he should be commended for his restraint.

In an unintentionally (?) telling juxtaposition, this question

'James Brokenshire: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many (a) men and (b) women aged (a) under 20, (b) between 21 and 30, (c) between 31 and 40, (d) between 41 and 50, (e) between 51 and 60 and (f) 61 years and above died from an underlying cause which was alcohol-related in each of the last 10 years

(A total of 5,870 last year)

was followed by this:

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many cannabis-related deaths there were in (a) Crosby constituency and (b) Merseyside in the last 12 months

and the response

There were no deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning and cannabis was mentioned alone or with other substances on the death certificate in (a) Crosby constituency,in 2007 (the latest year available).

There were no deaths where the underlying cause was drug poisoning and cannabis alone was mentioned on the death certificate.. in Merseyside metropolitan county, in 2007

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The DPRK update, involving beer

Sunday, July 05, 2009
I am indebted to Behind Blue Eyes for being a thorough gent and passing on this nugget of DPRK-related goodness.

Ushers is a defunct brewers based in Trowbridge, and the DPRK bought the brewery lock, stock etc and rebuilt in Pyongyang, where it is now brewing a rather lager-y looking concoction called Taedong River Beer.

Further digging has unearthed this from the KCNA:

"The beers including black beer and rice beer made by the Taedonggang Beer Factory are these days popular with the Pyongyang citizens. Beer houses are crowed with working people who look pleased with their successes in the current 150-day campaign. It was Juche 91 (2002) that the just built Taedonggang Beer Factory began supplying beer to the citizens. The cold and soft Taedonggang beer rich in gas content immediately came into great favor among the customers by catering to their tastes".

And here comes a DPRK traffic law that should be copied by the UK without delay:

"The refrigerator vans carrying beer have a traffic privilege on the streets of Pyongyang like cars carrying soybean milk to children".

A fine rule of the road, I am sure folk will agree.

There's a Youtube clip all about it here:



At least one of the comments that have slipped by the DPRK's red pencil merchants is quite entertaining:

"I want to make a well-known Dutch compliment to Kim Jong Il.

'Kim Jong Il moet eens flink in zijn reet geneukt worden door een roedel schurftige bruine bosberen met syfilis"

It means "May the warm rays of the sun forever shine on the honourable face of Kim Jong Il'

We reserve this compliment only to those whom we deem most worthy.
Please feel free to mention my compliment in party publications and do not forget to include the full text of the compliment as well".
I think we can all work out what 'syfilis' is, and resort to Babelfish suggests that KJI should be subjected to intimate relations involving a bear suffering that disease.

Still more digging has unveiled the DPRK's YouTube channel, so for the delectation of readers, I offer up a Korean lounge act performing 'Socialism is Good':



The lyrics, apparently, go like this:

"Socialism is good, socialism is good!
In socialist nations, the people have high status.
Overthrow the reactionaries.
Imperialism flees with its tail between its legs.
The entire nation is in great unity and has raised the socialist construction to a new height,
to a new height" Etc etc.

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A really long wait for opening time - two months - and a pretty lousy substitute in the meantime

Sunday, June 28, 2009
From Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq:

"Beer replaced with bear"

"Alcohol ran out in the town of Illoqqortoormiut in eastern Greenland over two weeks ago....The only incident for police to respond to has been an inquisitive polar bear on the lookout for an easy lunch...As the annual quota of polar bears had already been reached it was necessary for a police official to carry out the task, which Nielsen, a constable, was on hand to do....The meat has been divided out between the community’s public institutions...The town’s residents will have access to alcohol again on arrival of the next service ship at the beginning of August".

More on the town with no beer here, and a google earth satellite shot here.

Where I an Illoqqortoormiuter, I'd pace myself the next time I got my mitts on whatever they drink in those parts. Meanwhile, I would not trade two months of sauce for a couple of wagyu steaks, let alone polar bear.

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The Guardian performs a major public service for the nation's drinkers

Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It has, in its doubtful wisdom, hit upon what it considers to be the nation's 200 finest pubs. I'm not my stomach is up to calculating what these people look for in an 'ale' house.

And so, courtesy of the map, I can be confident that I can drink anywhere for miles North, South, East or West of Croydonian Towers, without the place being infested with its readership, as apparently there are no decent hosteries between Herne Hill and Richmond in the 'North' all the way down to Dorking and Crawley in the 'South'.

You too can ascertain whether your drinking pleasure will risk being interrupted by Guardianistas by having a damned good click on its map.

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Bathtub gin, Pyongyang-style

Thursday, May 07, 2009
They certainly know how to have a good time:

"A Pyongyang city contest of crude liquor and sweet drinks prepared with rice and malt was held on Tuesday.

The contest brought together more than 20 organizations and factories selected from various catering units and housewives in Pyongyang.

They presented more than 100 varieties of drinks they have prepared in the course of finding out the original methods of making crude liquor and sweet drinks with rice and malt and putting their processing on a scientific basis.

Crude liquor made with glutinous rice, polished rice, corn and wheat, etc... drew attention of experts and visitors as they retained fresh relish while preserving sour taste and hazy color with moderate alcoholic content. Highly appreciated there was the experience gained by restaurants and housewives in Pyongyang in preparing sweet drinks with scorched rice at the bottom of pot, washings of rice or noodle and other by-products of grains".

Think I'll stick to vintage Bordeaux, especially if somone else is paying.

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England, you appear to have a drink problem

Friday, May 01, 2009
From Hansard:

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alcohol-related hospital admissions of (a) men and (b) women aged (i) under 10 years, (ii) between 10 and 16 years, (iii) between 17 and 21 years, (iv) between 22 and 26 years and (v) over 26 years there were in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [271049]

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is given in the following table. Data are only available from 2002- 03 to 2007-08.

As the figures for the under 26s are low, I have knocked up two charts for the sake of clarity:


Firstly, hospital admissions by age cohort by gender:



So, admissions up around 50% for 17-21 year olds and 22-26 year olds of both sexes in five years. The war on sauce seems to be on the way to being won with the under 10s though.

I imagine these are largely casualty admissions.

And the over 26s, paired with the 17-26 group:


Admissions for men 26+ up 74% and for women by 67%. Presumably this is for the long term rather than the more immediate impact of overdoing it.

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Great surveys of our time - The French and rosé

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Yes, really.

Asked how they felt - not about whether they would be caught dead drinking the stuff, even if the cooking sherry, Galliano, retsina etc had run out - about producing it by mixing white and red rather than a brief maceration of the pulp and skin of red grapes, they answered 'Non, écrasez l'infâme' with quite some vigour - 87% were against, and 91% of the over 35s. This possibility has been raised by their friends and ours in Brussels, by the way.

As ever, there is a wealth of highly entertaining demographic detail to pick over too, with the retired the most anti - 94% and the unemployed and other economically inactive the most likely to shrug - 23% thinking it a good idea. There's no substantial gap between men and women. Northerners were the least vexed at 75%, while the good people of Normandy and the Centre are heading for the barricades at 92%. The people of Anjou, those most likely to feel the impact, are captured under Brittany, PdlL and Poitou Charentes and oppose it 90% to 10%. No 'don't knows' there, which is heartening.

Fans of Arlette Laguiller's Lutte Ouvrière (the old school trots) are the keenest at 25%, while Communists are the least enthused at 9%. Perhaps this could be a shibboleth when faced with assessing the precise politics of any members of the French extreme left one might encounter.

Getting away from matters of principle and onto enlightened self-interest the people of Rhones Alpes and, hilariously, the Auvergne (The French equivalent of the Scots for the stereotype of tight-fistedness) would be the most prepared to hasten to their wine merchant or supermarket if mutant rosé was cheaper at 17%. Their next door neighbours to the South in PACA and the Languedoc are the least likely to be swayed at 11%. Lutte Ouvrière and FN voters show themselves to have no exalted sentiments, with 29% and 24% swayable by price. Not Communists though, as only 7% can be bought.

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Men (and women) behaving badly.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009
C/O Hansard:

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been issued with penalty notice disorders for being drunk and disorderly in each of the last three years.

The table breaks down the figures by police authority and by gender, and Lancashire's Finest were the keenest on dishing out PNDs last year at just shy of 5900. They were better behaved on the other side of the country, or the plod were less trigger happy, with all of 77 issued in Lincolnshire.

What is perhaps more interesting is the ratio of male to female penalty notices, with the ladies policed by the Northumbria Constabulary (includes Newcastle) the least genteel at a ratio of 3.3:1, compared to 5.2:1 nationally and 11.8:1 in Lincolnshire. Surrey ladies defy the stereotype at 3.7:1. Also nicked at a rate of less than or equal to one for every five men were the ladies of Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and West Yorkshire. The Met's area lags the national average at 6.2:1

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A brief observation on minimum prices for alcohol

Monday, March 16, 2009
Doubtless there is much vituperation going on elsewhere, but for now note this:

"Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that he did not want to penalise "moderate" drinkers. Speaking at a press conference at 10 Downing Street on Monday he said: "We don't want the responsible, sensible majority of moderate drinkers to have to pay more or suffer as a result of the excesses of a minority."

And this:

Budget 2008: "Beer duty to increase by 4p per pint, wine up 14p a bottle, cider up 3p a bottle and spirits up 55p a bottle".

And this:

Budget 2007: "Beer up 1p per pint from midnight on Sunday, cider up 1p per litre. Wine up 5p a bottle and sparkling wine up 7p. No change for spirits".

Budget 2006: "Duties on beer and wine will increase in line with inflation, adding 1 penny to a pint of beer and 4 pence to a standard 75 centilitre bottle of wine; and duty on sparkling wine and cider will be frozen".

So, good news then - clearly there will be no changes to drinks duties in the next Budget. Will there?

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An early contender for man of the year.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Step forward David Amess, MP for Southend West, although historically associated with Basildon

"Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will freeze beer duty; and if he will make a statement". (From Hansard)

Alas the answer gives no succour:

"Angela Eagle: As with all tax policy decisions, we will be monitoring the impact of alcohol duty increases on a range of factors, including retail outlets.



Still, full marks for trying, and a round of applause for Mr Amess engaging in this good work. He's also sound on Israel.

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Blighter o' the day

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Readers may wish to substitute a stronger word...

From Lords Hansard, I bring you this exchange:

"Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions the Department of Health has had with HM Treasury and other departments on the impact on consumption of measures to ensure that alcohol duty increases are passed on to consumers in full".

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Darzi of Denham): Increases in alcohol duty are a matter for Her Majesty's Treasury".

Thanks a whole bunch Lord Avebury. His lordship is a hereditary (4th) and a Liberal Democrat, and ought to be ashamed of himself. His rechabite tendencies might be owed to his Buddhism, as apparently the Buddha enjoined his followers to abjure intoxicants.

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posted by Croydonian

Just what has been going on in the Foreign Office's cellar?

Friday, December 19, 2008
I ask, because of this:

"Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many bottles of (a) blue chip list wines, (b) fine wines, (c) reception or drinking wines and (d) spirits and liqueurs were held in the Government wine cellar managed by his Department in each of the last five years; what the estimated value of each type of drink and of the Government wine cellar in total was in each year; how much was spent on (i) blue chip list wines, (ii) fine wines, (iii) reception or drinking wines and (iv) spirits and liqueurs for the Government wine cellar in each of those years; what the expenditure on the Government wine cellar was in each of those years; what proportion of the cellar stock is currently English wine; and what the policy is in respect of the procurement of English wines for the cellar.

And here are the answers:

"Government Hospitality defines the cellar stock as either "fine" or "beverage" wines. Over the last five years the cellar stock has amounted to between 36, 500 and 40, 000 bottles. From this total, approximately 2 000 bottles are "reception" or "beverage" wines, and approximately 35, 000 are "fine" wines. The stock of spirits and liqueurs is approximately 200 bottles. The overall value of the cellar stock is approximately £790,000".

A back of an envelope guess on my part values the plonk at a fiver a bottle, and the spirits at £20 a bottle, suggesting that the good stuff is valued at circa £22 a bottle. Ought to be eminently drinkable....

Anyway, the cellar upkeep figures paint an intriguing picture:


Being of a deeply cynical bent, I wonder if spendiong was down in 2004-5 as they knew an election was coming and they wanted to get on with the serious business of drinking the stuff and planned to leave little bar the Blue Nun for the next administration. Alternatively, Straw took the Pledge (after a fashion) in 2004, while Beckett and Miliband have been caning it for the last two years.

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posted by Croydonian

Thieving Socialists

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Putting wealth redistribution into practice has caught on with members of the staff of the NZ Labour party:

"Labour leader Phil Goff is not happy with the activities of some of his party's younger staffers.

One person has been arrested and enquiries are continuing regarding several others, after they allegedly stole several boxes of wine from the press gallery's end of year Christmas party last night".

Wine boxes. Honestly.

Mind you, our own dear Prime Minister has counselled comparable action in the past: ""This book was edited by Gordon Brown when he was a student in the 1970s at Edinburgh University. It is entitled Alternative Edinburgh and was penned at the time when Brown was a socialist student leader - it is full of suggestions of how to live in Edinburgh for next to nothing!...my favourite one is how to turn up at a party without bringing a bottle with you - so what do you do... you bring a carrier bag of empty cans and put two half-bricks in the bottom of it to weight it down".

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posted by Croydonian