25-Mar-2011 By John Harrington, M&C Report
Live music and other entertainment provisions could be taken out of the licensing regime, in a move that could make it easier for venues to host gigs. DCMS has already given partial backing to a Bill that wants licence exemptions for small gigs.
16-May-2008
Glasgow licensing bosses have conceded that personal licence holders won't have to be on site at all times alcohol is sold under Scotland's new...
25-Jan-2008 By John Harrington
The man who oversaw licensing reform is replaced as Culture Secretary by former DCMS advisor Andy Burnham
05-Jul-2007 By Peter Coulson
The revised statutory Guidance for local authorities issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 last week, appears to have been one of the last acts of the outgoing minister at the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Tessa Jowell.
28-Jun-2007 By The PMA Team
Former licensing minister James Purnell is the new Culture Secretary in charge of licensing, replacing Tessa Jowell. Purnell became Parliamentary...
The Gambling Act treadmill
10-May-2007
I hope the civil servants at the Department for Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) are keeping fit - they need to be if they are involved with the...
Wrong Choice?
07-Mar-2007 By Gareth Iacobucci
It may still claim to be the most popular seaside resort in Europe - but Blackpool and the Pepsi Max Big One rollercoaster at the pleasure beach are...
Thwaites urges rethink on casino licence
28-Feb-2007 By Gareth Iacobucci
Lancashire brewery Thwaites has urged culture secretary Tessa Jowell to reconsider Blackpool's credentials for a supercasino licence. Despite being...
28-Feb-2007
Daniel Thwaites director writes to Culture Secretary asking for review of decision not to award Blackpool the 'supercasino' licence.
Councils told to get tough on off-trade
08-Feb-2007 By John Harrington john.harrington@william-reed.co.u
Councils are to be urged to get tough on supermarkets and off-licences that sell alcohol cheaply in a second national strategy to combat...
08-Feb-2007 By John Harrington
Councils are to be urged to get tough on supermarkets and off-licences that sell alcohol cheaply in a second national strategy to combat...
Fees hike blow for pubs
01-Feb-2007 By Tony Halstead THals22851@aol.coml
Trade groups are "concerned" and "disappointed" that pubs face a 7% hike in annual licence fees over the next three years, following publication of...
Fees rise is not a bad result
01-Feb-2007
Licensees struggling with one cost rise after another will be angry to learn that licensing fees are set to rise by 7%. They've a right to feel even...
Government denies reports of U-turn over licensing
31-Jan-2007
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has branded reports it has performed a "U-turn" over the Licensing Act as "nonsense". Several...
Local authorities should pick up licensing regs tab
25-Jan-2007 By Hamish Champ
Local authorities should pick up more than half of the near-£100m in extra costs inccurred while implementing the licensing regulations, the...
Blunkett: media had a hand in licensing
23-Nov-2006
Former Home Secretary David Blunkett came close to admitting last week that the early stages of drawing up the Licensing Act had been influenced by...
South Yorkshire Police clarifies its position on licence-holders
29-Jun-2006
South Yorkshire Police has backtracked over its policy of forcing personal licence-holders to remain on the premises during holidays. Following the...
New guidance clarifies position on personal licence-holders
22-Jun-2006
Licensees have been given the green light to leave their pubs for holidays without facing prosecution after intervention by Culture Secretary Tessa...
New minister hails the Act a success
08-Jun-2006 By James Wilmore
The new licensing minister has hailed the Licensing Act as a success in helping tackle alcohol-related disorder. In an exclusive question and answer...
10-May-2006 By Iain O'Neil
Tessa Jowell launched the £2.5million Home Office campaign by warning there will be a crackdown on disorderly louts and rogue licensees. As revealed...
Jowell denies Old Monk profit claims
09-Mar-2006
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has denied claims that her husband made a £67,000 profit from buying shares in the Old Monk Company pub chain while...
09-Mar-2006 By Lucy Britner
Culture secretary cleared by watchdog over husband's pub shares
09-Feb-2006 By Peter Coulson
The closure of pubs reported in this paper last week is as a result of poor drafting of the new Licensing Act - a fact which will become all too...
Legal advice: Catalogue of disasters
30-Nov-2005
Extended hours brings out the binge-whingers.By David Clifton of thePublican.com's team of legal experts from London solicitors Joelson Wilson.As I...
Responsible initiatives impress Jowell
17-Nov-2005
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell visited the Laurel-owned RSVP bar in Bath to hear about its social responsibility initiatives. Hugh Brooker has...
New off-trade body to tackle under-age sales
03-Nov-2005
by John Harrington The off-trade has agreed to tighten up its policy towards under-age sales after a summit meeting with top ministers and police....
MPs fail in last-ditch bid to derail Licensing Act
27-Oct-2005
by John Harrington A bid to delay implementation of the Licensing Act has been defeated despite coming under fierce attack from opposition MPs this...
Smoking room is likely saviour amid total ban
13-Oct-2005
by Ewan Turney The Government is set to introduce a total smoking ban but may allow separate smoking rooms with no staff and no food and drink being...
Smoking ban likely as
06-Oct-2005
DCMS backs stub-out by John Harrington The Government is more likely than ever to push for a complete pub smoking ban after it emerged that the...
Your voice
21-Sep-2005
The Publican has always championed the trade's causes. Editor Caroline Nodder reviews our campaigns.There has been no such thing as a quiet news week...
Police fail to deliver on anti-drunk laws: BBPA
25-Aug-2005
by John Harrington The British Beer & Pub Asso-ciation (BBPA) has backed Government claims that police are failing to crack down on problem pubs....
BII slams DCMS over Licensing Act training 'disgrace'
21-Jul-2005
The BII has accused the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) of failing to act to ensure licensees are fully trained under the new...
Licensing application forms are a travesty'
03-Feb-2005
Next week sees the start of transition, when up to 177,000 pubs, clubs, restaurants and other licensed premises can begin making applications for the...
Drink Talking: John Madden
27-Jan-2005
The culture secretary has disregarded the advisory group over licensing fees says John Madden, executive officer, Guild of Master Victuallers.The...
Trade dealt £43m blow in licence fee U-turn
27-Jan-2005
by Ewan Turney The Government has caved in to local authority pressure and increased licensing fees by 54%, raising an additional £43m from...
Licensing fees: Off the scale
26-Jan-2005
The licensing fees are higher than expected, as Tom Sandham reports.After some all too familiar procrastinating, the government finally announced the...
Government goes for pay-for-policing
21-Jan-2005
The government is planning to introduce pay-for-policing on pubs in areas where there is alcohol-related trouble.Using the banner of 'alcohol...
Police tax still a real possibility
20-Jan-2005
The government has refused to rule out paid-for-policing as a measure to reduce alcohol-related violence in town and city centres.As the national...
Allowance for 24-hour casino licences 'unfair' on pubs
27-Oct-2004
The pub industry has come to blows with the government over its reform of the Gambling Bill that will pave the way for giant Las Vegas-style...
What the Sunday papers said
24-Oct-2004
Senior Cabinet ministers have joined forces to derail plans to open up to 250 super-casinos across Britain. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell is being...
Gambling reforms announced by government
19-Oct-2004
Reforms to the gambling bill have been announced today - paving the way for huge Las Vegas-style casinos to be built across the country.A relaxation...
Rolling changes
22-Sep-2004
Karen Jones, chief executive of Spirit Group, discusses how the five-year smoking plan could save pubs from an all-out national ban. By Daniel...
Legal advice: Licensing Act debate
30-Jun-2004
By David Clifton of thePublican.com's team of legal experts from London solicitors Joelson Wilson.I attended a debate on the Licensing Act 2003 on...
Let's bin the smoking ban
26-May-2004
We take a look at how the UK is tackling smoking in pubs and offer you the chance to have your say in our petition.Some may claim that a ban is now...
Government talks on smoking ban fail to allay trade fears
06-May-2004
Hopes of avoiding an outright ban on smoking were still hanging in the balance following an industry summit yesterday.The Charter Group and industry...
Tim Martin's challenge to the Government to ban smoking in a
08-Apr-2004
The majority of licensees will howl with rage at Martin's call. They will smart at what they see as the arrogance of the man: how dare he interfere...
Guidance reveals bid to target badly-run' pubs
25-Mar-2004
by John Harrington Local authorities are being encouraged to "proactively" target irresponsible pub operators under the terms of the guidance notes...
Industry frustration with Caborn's lack of action grows
22-Jan-2004
Licensees are growing increasingly impatient with licensing minister Richard Caborn's apparent reluctance to address the trade over the forthcoming...
TRADE scorn for BIG CONVERSATION
04-Dec-2003
by Claire Hu The Government has been accused of sending out conflicting messages on key issues affecting the trade, such as paid-for policing and...
Voters will have a say on pay-for-policing
04-Dec-2003
Tony Blair has pushed pay-for-policing back on to the political agenda in his newly launched "Big Conversation" initiative, which gives the public a...
