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http://news.scotsman.com/aberdeen.cfm?id=1213192004

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Council faces legal challenge to its alcohol pricing policy

FRANK URQUHART

ABERDEEN City Council was forced yesterday to place on hold plans to impose a minimum price on alcohol sold in the city’s bars and clubs.

The new pricing regime - aimed at combating drinks promotions and helping to curb drink-fuelled violence - was due to be implemented today after a meeting of the authority’s licensing board. The authority aimed to grant regular licensing-hours extensions only to those bars and clubs which agreed to accept the new policy.

But a council spokesman said the plans would be put on hold because of the decision by two pub operators based in England - the Spirit Group and Mitchells & Butlers - to take the council’s licensing authority to the Court of Session in an attempt to halt the scheme.

The companies, with eight bars in the city, claim licensing boards in Scotland have no powers to impose controls on prices for the sale of alcoholic drinks, and that the pricing policy is illegal.

The council spokesman said: "In view of the legal challenge to the licensing board’s new policy, the board will not be imposing the policy tomorrow as originally planned.

"Consideration of all applications for renewal of on-sale licences and regular extensions of permitted hours will be deferred to the adjourned board meeting on 9 November, by which time we hope to have a decision by the Court of Session."

oh yessssssssssssssssssssssss!

so omonday night madness of one quid a pint still stands, for the time being i presume, yeah?