Bars' opening hours

British MPs voted for a total ban on smoking in all pubs and clubs, a move described by Gordon Caruana as historic (February 18).

This regulation brought England in line with Scotland, Northern Ireland and other European countries including, of course, Malta.

On November 24, 2005, Downing Street took another "historic" decision, the de-regularisation of opening hours for pubs, clubs and other venues in the hospitality industry. This means that entertainment venues in England now have flexible opening hours, with the potential for up to 24-hour opening. Licences are granted on condition that the outlet complies with licensing regulations.

Since Malta was one of the first European states to implement a total smoking ban, shouldn't we follow suit and apply more relaxed opening hours, avoiding the hounding out of mature punters from bars and clubs at 4 a.m. or earlier?

After all, according to the latest London police figures, violent crime fell at the end of last year following the introduction of new licensing laws. This was mirrored in other towns and cities in the UK.