CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO THE LEGAL QUANTITIES FOR SALES OF INTOXICATING LIQUOR

Copies of the full consultation document can be obtained from the OFT website at https://www.gov.im/oft/consultations.gov or by contacting the OFT:-

email: iomfairtrading@gov.im

The previous consultation undertaken by the OFT regarding proposals for changes to the legal quantities for sales of intoxicating liquor was over four years ago. This latest consultation is driven by repeated concerns about the continued availability of approved (‘stamped’) measuring equipment, which is used to determine measures of gin, rum, vodka, whisky and brandy sold by retail for consumption on the premises at which it is sold, in addition to the need to promote sensible drinking and facilitate events such as wine tastings and beer festivals.

The opportunity has also been taken to consider the issue of ‘free pouring’, i.e. pouring into capacity measures that have not been ‘stamped’, which, in the OFT’s opinion, presents a risk of selling inaccurate measures.

It is a criminal offence to sell inaccurate measures and, in the OFT’s opinion, the risk of selling short measures or measures in excess through ‘free pouring’ would be significantly reduced by using approved measuring equipment. This would not only help to ensure that consumers get what they pay for but would also help to avoid instances of consumers having drunk more than they believed they had, for example, in the context of drink driving.

Comments should be submitted in writing by post, fax or email no later than 5 pm on Friday 31st March 2017 to:

email: iomfairtrading@gov.im or submitted via

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/intoxicating-liquor.

To ensure that the process is open and honest and in line with the Government’s Code of Conduct on Consultation, responses can only be accepted if you provide your name with your response.

Confidentiality

The information you send may be published in full or in a summary of responses.

All information in responses, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the access to information regimes (these are primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2015 and the Data Protection Act 2002). If you would like your response to remain confidential, you should explain why confidentiality is necessary and your request will be acceded to only if it is appropriate in the circumstances. An automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system will not, of itself, be regarded as binding.

Confidential responses will be included in any statistical summary and numbers of comments received.