Pubs and bars that encourage excessive boozing through drink promotions will be targeted under the new licensing act.

At an industry conference last week, licensing minister James Purnell signalled he could use the act to punish those who offer promotions such as "all you can drink" or "women drink free".

"The police will be considering how to target those who refuse to abandon promotions that contribute to the problems we see too often in our towns and city centres," said Purnell.

A spokesman for the British Beer & Pub Association, which launched a voluntary code of conduct for members at the start of the year, said: "We, of course, support any decision to clamp down on pubs serving alcohol to underage drinkers."

• Official estimates suggest 98% of expected licence applications are now in, with about 40% of businesses having opted to vary their hours or conditions. The Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services said it believes up to 10% of total expected applications will miss the 24 November start date.

By Chris Druce