Clause 6 - Statement of licensing policy
Licensing Bill [Lords]
2:30 pm
Dr Kim Howells (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Pontypridd, Labour)
We will keep coming back to the fact that the Bill is an attempt to balance the effectiveness of local government licensing authorities, which rightly seek freedom and flexibility, with the interests of the industry which wants a stable and transparent business environment within which to thrive and, above all, the interests of citizens and consumers, who have a right to live and spend their leisure time in a safe and pleasant environment.
As the hon. Member for North-East Cambridgeshire (Mr. Moss) told us, amendment No. 75 probes one of the key provisions of the Bill. The clause requires licensing authorities to determine and publish their policy with respect to the exercise of their licensing functions every three years. Before determining their policy or revising it, they must consult local bodies and those with an interest in, and who are affected by, licensing matters. The consultation is with the police, the fire authority, representatives of holders of premises licences, club premises certificates and personal licences, and representatives of local residents and businesses. It is important to keep that policy fully informed as a result of consultation and up to date. I understand that the industry wants as little change and upheaval as possible, but the requirement to determine the policy every three years will balance the industry's need for stability against the flexibility and room for manoeuvre that licensing authorities will require to tackle local issues effectively.
The hon. Gentleman asked why there will be a three-year basis and why, if things are going pretty well, authorities should have to do this at all. The three-year basis reflects the requirement on local authorities to set out their crime prevention strategies every three years under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It makes good sense to match up and integrate those documents rather than to follow a somewhat vague idea of a licensing policy period or have no regular review of the policy.