The Home Office have opened a consultation on new powers due to be brought in under Licensing Act reforms. The consultation is seeking specific responses on the late night levy and Early Morning Restriction Orders (EMROs) as measures to help curb late night drinking problems. See the press release here.
The consultation asks which types of premises should be covered by Early Morning Restriction Orders, a measure which will allow authorities to restrict the sale of alcohol to any time between midnight and 6am. It also ask which services a licensing authority may fund with the 30 per cent of levy revenue it will retain. The rest of the levy will go to funding police activity.
However BBPA Chief Executive Brigid Simmonds warned the Government against excessive action on the on-trade: “More and more alcohol is drunk at home, yet more and more red tape is heaped on pubs." Concern about the level of regulation being imposed on the pub trade were also raised during pubco debate in the House of Commons last week.
Health Minister Anne Milton however defended Government action at an event in Parliament where brewers showcased a range of 2.8% ABV beers. Milton said “As a government we do not want to be killjoys but we do have some health problems. We do have a problem with alcohol but it is complicated." Milton said “We are supportive of the pub industry, we are supportive of people having a good time", and expressed hope that the forthcoming alcohol strategy will strike the right balance.
A list of Home Office factsheets on the full licensing changes due are available.
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