Scores on Doors to show licence info

The public could soon access details of a pub's licence alongside its food hygiene rating on the Scores on the Doors website.

Developers of the website www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk​ are in discussion with councils about adding details such as a venue's opening times and any licence conditions to the site.

It raises the prospect that pubs could be subject to further scrutiny — for example, local residents would have an easier way to check that licence conditions are being obeyed to the letter.

Currently 94 councils list hygiene details of all food businesses, including pubs, on the website, using a star rating system.

Paul Hiscoe, of Transparency Data, the IT service provider behind the site, said software is being developed to let councils include information on outlets' licences alongside the hygiene rating.

"We are talking to existing councils and new customers about this," he said.

"A lot of people look at the Scores on the Doors site and this means they could look at this extra information on the licence as well."

Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said: "I think the premises, not the council, should volunteer details to go on there, while Scores on the Doors is a voluntary activity. And this applies to information about licensing hours."

There are also plans to include information from trading standards on the website.

Hiscoe expected it would flag up where a business had achieved accreditation under any trading standards-backed scheme, rather than detailing breaches uncovered by trading standards.

Last month the Food Standards Agency said it expects the national roll-out of Scores on the Doors to be delayed until at least the middle of 2010.