Pubs facing licence-fee lottery
Licensees will face a postcode lottery over when to pay their annual premises licence fees for at least another eight months.
The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) wants all councils to adopt a single payment date.
But the DCMS warned this week that it is "unlikely" a single date will be set before the 2007/08 financial
year.
With a public consultation required before changes can be implemented, it is unlikely that the date will be before the 2007/08 financial yearDCMS spokeswoman.
Until this time, councils will remain divided about when to demand payments.
A new survey released this week supports previous reports in the MA that councils are undecided on the best approach to take.
It found that an incredible 10 different approaches regarding payment dates are being adopted.
Less than one-third of the 368 councils surveyed by solicitors Kuit Steinart Levy are following the regulations, which say fees must be paid on the anniversary of the licence being granted.
Twenty-four councils (6.5%) said they were undecided on when to demand fee payments - and six authorities are "waiting for the Government to decide".
A DCMS spokeswoman told the MA: "With a public consultation required before changes can be implemented, it is unlikely that the date will be before the 2007/08 financial year."
National Parliamentary Committee of Licensed Victuallers Associations chairman Bernard Brindley said the failure to set a single date in time for the first round of annual fees means licensees that applied early will continue to be penalised.
He added: "They can be paying for six months' worth of money before the licence comes into effect. That could cost hundreds of pounds."
