Drinking culture crackdown call

The candidates to become the new Welsh Labour leader - and First Minister - have called for tough action on the drinking culture in Wales.

Edwina Hart, Carwyn Jones and Huw Lewis were appearing together in a BBC TV debate, to be shown on Thursday night.

Mr Jones said alcohol was being sold for as little as 11p a litre.

Ms Hart called for more focus on anti-social effects of drinking while Mr Lewis said some town centres had become no-go areas after dark.

The candidates were asked on BBC Wales's Dragon's Eye Debatesabout measures to combat anti-social behaviour.

Ms Hart, health minister, and counsel general Mr Jones said the way alcohol was sold needed to be examined.

'Strong lines'

Ms Hart, who is Gower AM, said young people in general should not be blamed for anti social behaviour and there should be more family support.

"We also have to look at licensing laws - where we sell it (alcohol) how obtainable it is, how we sell alcohol and how cheap it is and we need to take some strong lines on this if we are going to stamp out some of the anti-social behaviour problems," she said.

Mr Jones, Bridgend AM, said anti-social behaviour was often fuelled by alcohol, with certain types available for 11p a litre.

"We have to get to grips with licensing, we have to ensure that people who sell alcohol to children under age are dealt with far more severely than they are now," he said.

Merthyr and Rhymney AM Mr Lewis said the life of town centres after dark should be looked at.

He said there had to be investment in young people, and also we had lost track of what town centres should be for.

"I think we need to make our town centres places were you can take your family of a night time as well as happily go out for a drink.

"Police, politicians and the community have to work together to combat the very small minority who are out to create mayhem and we have to send out that signal very strongly this is not acceptable," he said.

Voting by Welsh Labour members, local parties, affiliated groups, MPs, AMs and its MEP ends on 26 November.

The victor is due to be declared at around 1600 GMT on Tuesday, 1 December.

But the winner will have to wait around a week after that before he or she is confirmed as head of the Welsh Assembly Government.

Dragon's Eye Debates, chaired by Political Editor Betsan Powys, is broadcast at 2245 BST on Thursday BBC One Wales.