The number of liquor licences in Scotland has remained stable

The Scottish Executive figures show 88% had applied successfully.

They also reveal police recorded almost 1,400 liquor licensing offences, more than half of which related to the sale of alcohol to underage drinkers.

The news comes the day after the justice secretary announced proposals to charge licensees fees for being allowed to open outwith normal hours.

On Wednesday Kenny MacAskill suggested the additional charges on late-opening bars and clubs, intended to help pay for additional policing in areas where late drinking causes anti-social behaviour.

The figures, from the Scottish Executive's office of national statistics, show the number of liquor licenses in force in Scotland has remained virtually unchanged over the last five years.

Licensing offences

There were 10,001 premises with one or more regular extensions to permitted hours in 2006.

For both public houses and hotels, the percentage of licensed premises with regular extensions was 88 in 2006.

A total of 1,380 liquor licensing offences were recorded by the police in 2005-06.

Over half of these offences related to the sale of drink to persons under 18 or the purchasing of excisable liquor for consumption by a person under 18.

The percentage of all licences granted for public houses and off-sale premises have remained stable over the last five years.

There were 710 new applications for liquor licences in Scotland in 2006, a figure which has not increased from the figure in 2002.

A huge majority - 94% - of applications in 2006 were granted. When applications were not granted, the most frequently cited reason was over-provision.

Statistics on liquor licences are collected from local authority licensing boards.