Government red-faced over guidelines

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Government officials have been left red-faced after it emerged last week that the guidelines for new licence applications have yet to be finalised....

Government officials have been left red-faced after it emerged last week that the guidelines for new licence applications have yet to be finalised. Since the August 6 deadline passed licensees who have failed to convert their existing licence are having to apply for a new one.

But in an email leaked to The Publican, sent to trade leaders by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on August 10, it was revealed that guidelines for new applications are still not in place.

The trade leaders were asked to comment on the new procedures within 36 hours of receiving the message.

Stuart Roberts, the DCMS' head of licensing implementation and communications, asked in the email: "We want to get these guidelines on our site as soon as possible, so I'd appreciate any comments by Friday (August 12).

"Of course, if this is too tight a deadline and you do spot something not right or missing, we can always make amendments later."

Despite this licensees who missed the first deadline are being urged by the government to get their applications in immediately.

The British Beer & Pub Association estimated that almost 100 per cent of its members, which represent around half of all UK pubs, had applied to convert their existing licences by August 6.

But the DCMS revealed that 25 per cent of all licensed premises had yet to submit applications.

Licensees who have missed the deadline will also need to take a National Certificate for Personal Licence Holders qualification to continue trading, regardless of what qualifications they already have.

In London Camden Council has called for applications to be submitted by the end of September.

"We are advising licensees who missed the deadline not to panic," said Robert Scourfield, the council's assistant director for environment.

"They have missed the chance to transfer their existing rights, but their business is not at risk yet."

Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, said he believed freetraders had done quite well with getting their applications in.

But he warned licensees not to delay if they had missed the deadline. He said: "Hold your hand up, admit you made a mistake and get moving."