Trade voices licensing reform fears
Trade leaders have spoken out against changes by the government to the new Licensing Bill claiming that it could lead to greater interference, bureaucracy and costs.
Industry organisations are concerned that additional amendments and changes made to the bill could create an unworkable piece of legislation.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL) have all warned that some of the details in the bill currently being considered by the House of Lords could make the proposed new licensing system more complicated and increase red tape.
The new Licensing Bill will require both a personal and a premises licence, which will enable the industry to monitor and regulate licensees.
But the trade believes that proposals to name the personal licensee on the premises licence could lead to an increase in paperwork and bureaucracy as it would treat a change of licensee as a variation of the premises licence.
A spokesman from the BBPA said: "A bill of nearly 200 clauses and accompanying schedules hardly looks like streamlining.
"The government picked up the essentially simple and effective proposals put forward by the industry into a widely welcomed White Paper but risks jeopardising these through an over-elaborate and at times incomprehensible bill."
Amendments proposed by the trade:
Register of owner's interest - this would enable an owning company to be informed of any difficulties with a licensed premises and would give them powers to take over control in the event of death or insolvency.
End to interim arrangements. This suspends a premises licence after seven days in the event of death or incapacity. The trade is calling for a longer interim period.
Personal licences. The trade wants endorsements on a personal licence to be time limited.
Entertainment. The end to the 'two in a bar rule' will mean that licensed premises will have to reapply for their premises licence.
