Home Office

Security staff shortages 'accident waiting to happen'

16-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

A shortage of door staff runs the risk of endangering revellers on their first night out in over a year when clubs reopen, according to night-time economy bosses.

Eyebrows raised as £900 pub bill listed among 'strange' Home Office expenses

30-Mar-2021 By Stuart Stone

The Home Office has moved to explain a series of expenses accrued in 2020, including a £900 outlay at an Oxford gastropub.

Baroness McIntosh takes hot seat at PASS

01-Mar-2018 By Stuart Stone

Baroness Anne McIntosh of Pickering has taken up the chair of the board position of the recently revamped PASSCo community interest company, which operates the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS).

My shout

BBPA: What's the impact of a Tory majority on pubs?

15-Jun-2015 By Brigid Simmonds

As the election dust settles, here at the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), we’ve been looking closely to see what impact the election of a majority Conservative Government will have on our industry.

Mike Berry: Personal licences renewal process has been a mess

05-Dec-2014 By Mike Berry

We first flagged up potential problems with personal licence renewals back in the summer.

Trade demands further clarity on personal licence renewal guidance

03-Dec-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Senior industry figures have raised concerns about the lack of detail in the long-awaited Government guidance outlining how publicans can renew personal licences.

Existing licensing powers of entry to remain unchanged, says Home Office

27-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The Home Office has decided to maintain the existing powers of entry under the Licensing Act, following a review into the measures.

Publicans still awaiting clarity from Home Office over personal licence renewals

19-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

The pub trade is still awaiting clarification from the Home Office regarding the application forms that need to be completed to renew personal licences.

Home Office updates trade on personal licence renewals

13-Nov-2014 By Ellie Bothwell

Publicans with personal licences that expire early next year will need to complete an application form to renew their licence, the Home Office has confirmed.

Mandatory Licensing Conditions: what the new rules mean

01-Oct-2014 By Poppleston Allen

The new Mandatory Licensing Conditions that came into effect today (1 October) will tighten up existing conditions that have been in force on all “on-trade” premises licences and club premises certificates since 2010.

Home Office advises councils to use hospital data in licence reviews

18-Sep-2014 By James Wallin

The Government is set to advise councils to include data such as A&E admissions and complaints about sleep deprivation or light pollution as evidence in licence reviews, the Publican’s Morning Advertiser understands.

Welsh pub company makes its own World Cup plans after Home Office snub

07-Apr-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

Brains has announced plans to show England's World Cup opener in its pubs despite the country being excluded from the Government's licensing u-turn.

Could your licence fees increase dramatically?

31-Mar-2014 By Michael Kheng

The Home Office is consulting on licence fees which see a cap for local authorities to charge coming into effect. Michael Kheng of licensing consultants Kurnia attended a consultation event on the proposed changes in London last week. In this article,...

Licence fee hike threat as Home Office begins consultation

13-Feb-2014 By Noli Dinkovski

The Home Office has opened a public consultation on a move from centrally-set to locally-set licence fees.

Government will not relax licensing hours for World Cup, says Home Office minister

20-Dec-2013 By Lewis Brown

The Minister for Crime and Prevention at the Home Office has said the Government will not be relaxing licensing hours for next year’s World Cup.

Licensing professionals attack plan to scrap personal licences

06-Nov-2013 By John Harrington

An influential association that represents c2,500 professionals working in licensing has added its weight to calls to shelve plans to abolish personal licences.

Legal guide: applying for a personal licence

07-Mar-2013 By Poppleston Allen

Licensing law firm Poppleston Allen offers a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a personal licence to sell alcohol from a licensed premises.

Alcohol Strategy plans for Cumulative Impact Zones will cost £18.9m

05-Dec-2012 By John Harrington

Plans to add a health-related licence objective for venues in cumulative impact areas (CIAs) will cost the industry £18.9m per year, according to Government estimates.

Association of Chief Police Officers calls on pubs to accept PASS cards

04-Sep-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has called on police to encourage licensees to accept the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologrammed card.

Minimum pricing 'set for introduction in October 2014'

21-Jun-2012 By John Harrington, M&C Report

The Home Office has set a target of implementing a minimum unit price for alcohol by October 2014, a timetable described as “ambitious” by one trade expert.

Pubs to be treated like ‘crack houses’ in Government's new antisocial behaviour proposals

07-Jun-2012

Pubs are to be treated in the same manner as ‘crack houses’ under the Government’s proposals to tackle antisocial behaviour. 

Lumping pubs in with crack dens is an insult to hard-working licensees

07-Jun-2012 By Rob Willock

So it comes to this. In its efforts to curb antisocial behaviour the Government has lumped pubs together with crack dens.

Victory in long fight for justice

03-Apr-2012 By Peter Coulson

The story on the front page of last week's issue of the Publican’s Morning Advertiser (PMA), that after a long battle Michael Kheng has gained damages for his clients for the unlawful ‘instant’ closure notices issue by West Yorkshire Police, was...

Undeserving drinkers: moralism and the alcohol strategy

30-Mar-2012

It was a premature birth and the mother was unexpected. Instead of health minister Andrew Lansley delivering the Government Alcohol Strategy this week, home secretary Theresa May suddenly appeared as his surrogate last Friday.

Home Office and police pay for closure notice error

29-Mar-2012 By Gurjit Degun

The Government has admitted it was wrong to advise police that they could close premises immediately for minor breaches of conditions and threaten licensees with arrest if they did not comply.

Underage sales overkill concern

21-Mar-2012 By Peter Coulson

Other controversial changes due to come into force next month, according to the Home Office, concern sales to children. First of all the maximum fine (not the actual fine) has been doubled to £20,000 for underage sales, if they are prosecuted in the magistrates’...

Licensing act changes: Shifting responsibility

19-Mar-2012 By Peter Coulson

It came as rather a surprise to hear the Home Office confirm an April start for some of its radical changes to the Licensing Act. Many of us thought it would not be ready for this, and I still have considerable doubts.

Tangled web of licensing law

01-Feb-2012 By Peter Coulson

The tangled web of modern licensing law has reached a new level recently, if the consultation document on early morning restriction orders and the late-night levy is anything to go by.

Late-night levy ‘could cost £25m’

26-Jan-2012 By Michelle Perrett

The introduction of the late-night levy (LNL) could cost the industry as much as £25m a year, according to a Home Office consultation launched last week.

Trade confronts tough times

13-Jan-2012 By Peter Coulson

The mature readers among you will remember the Frankie Howerd comedy vehicle Up Pompeii, in which a diminutive lady would come on crying: “Woe, woe and thrice woe!”

Cheap booze ban: work continues

20-Oct-2011

Government officials are still considering plans to factor in production costs for the definition of “below cost” for the upcoming ban on cheap supermarket alcohol deals.

Officials eye tougher action on off-trade alcohol

17-Oct-2011 By John Harrington

Government officials are still considering plans to factor in production costs for the definition of “below cost” for the upcoming ban on cheap supermarket alcohol deals, the Publican's Morning Advertiser's sister publication M&C Report...

Strong-arm tactics hit trade

15-Jul-2011 By Peter Coulson

Over the past year there has been increasing concern about the advice given to police forces from the Home Office in relation to licensed premises....

Home Office withdraws Section 19 guidance

08-Jul-2011 By Gurjit Degun

The Home Office has withdrawn guidance to police and licensing officers on how to operate Section 19 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act, the...

Police in late night levy storm

21-Apr-2011 By Ewan Turney

Police will be under no obligation to spend money raised from the late-night levy on policing the late-night economy in that area, the Publican's...

New guidance for pub ID checks

24-Feb-2011 By John Harrington

The Home Office has released guidance to help pubs and doorstaff spot and deal with ID that's used fraudulently to buy alcohol. The 44-page...

Home Office unveils new guidance on spotting fake IDs

24-Feb-2011 By James Wilmore

New guidance to help licensees and doorstaff spot fake IDs and end confusion over how to deal with confiscated cards has been published by the Home...

Pubs will have power to seize illegal IDs

11-Feb-2011 By John Harrington

The Home Office is to issue guidance on how pub and door staff can legally seize ID by the end of February. Deirdre Dent, head of alcohol policy...

'SNP refuses Britain-wide alcohol minimum price'

19-Jan-2011

SNP ministers have refused an invitation from the coalition government to agree a Britain-wide minimum price for alcohol despite initially...

Ban below duty plus VAT will stop worst deals, claims minister

18-Jan-2011 By James Wilmore

Government plans to ban the sale of alcohol below the rate of duty plus VAT have been confirmed today. As The Publican reported last week, the...

Royal wedding: consultation on later pub hours

12-Jan-2011 By John Harrington

The Government has launched a two-week public consultation on plans to let pubs open later on the royal wedding weekend. As the Morning Advertiser...

Law Enforcement: Training to get tough

06-Jan-2011

Alcohol-related crime and disorder has a major impact on the quality of life for many people. alcohol is linked to a wide range of offences, from...

£1m per week for licensing reforms

09-Dec-2010 By John Harrington

The Government's overhaul of licensing could cost the industry up to £1m — per week. The startling costs are outlined in a report from the Home Office this week — as trade chiefs savage the proposals that they say will add massive burdens to pu

News Analysis: The coming revolution

09-Dec-2010 By James Wilmore

The government has revealed its final plans for what has been touted as an "overhaul" of the licensing regime. The Police Reform and Social...

Authorities urged to tackle problem pubs

08-Dec-2010 By John Harrington

Police and councils in 26 areas are to receive "intensive" support visits to get them up to speed on their powers to tackle 'problem pubs'. The Home Office cited a "lack of confidence" among enforcement officers.

Government fails to address below cost ban

01-Dec-2010 By Ewan Turney

The below cost ban on alcohol has been excluded from the Social Responsibility and Policing Bill. The promised ban on below cost sales of alcohol...

James Wilmore: Will the government ever stand up to the supermarkets?

22-Nov-2010 By James Wilmore

I'm getting a strong sense of déjà-vu around the government's promise to ban below-cost sales. It seems like the off-trade could be let off the...

Below-cost ban delayed until May 2012

08-Nov-2010 By James Wilmore

A ban on below-cost sales of alcohol has been delayed until May 2012 - and will now only be introduced "if necessary". The Home Office has today...

Vince Cable offers hope on licensing reform

04-Nov-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

Business secretary Vince Cable has given the industry hope the government could water down its controversial plans to overhaul the licensing regime....

Top cop gives PASS approval

11-Oct-2010 By Matt Eley Matt

A leading police officer has given his backing to the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS). Jon Stoddart, the Association of Chief Police Officers...