DIARY dropped briefly into the magistrates’ court this week to hear the case for residents having a say in licensing appeal hearings.
It occurred that one of the abiding features of this government is how poorly many Bills have been drafted.
One of the arguments against allowing residents to appear before appeals into drinking hours was that one of the Act’s draftsman was concerned that further comments would cause an intolerable workload.
District Judge Quentin Purdy was suitably dismissive.
He told the court: “It is very flattering to think that civil servants in Whitehall are worried about our workload.”
And no better example of poor drafting could be found than the government’s ludicrous compromise over the banning of smoking in pubs. Surely it should be either banned or not.
What we are left with are half-hearted proposals that will be totally impractical.
For example, smoking will be banned from the bar to protect the health of staff.
Do ministers ever go to pubs? In places like the Coach and Horses, in Greek Street, The French House, in Dean Street, and The Toucan in Carlisle Street, the whole pubs are next to the bar such is their diminutive size.
Apparently, the concept of smoking rooms has not been abandoned altogether but how anyone imagines that a sealed chamber can simply be inserted into pubs and bars is beyond Diary’s imagination.