Clause 63 - Determining whether a club is established
Licensing Bill [Lords]
3:15 pm
Dr Kim Howells (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Culture, Media & Sport; Pontypridd, Labour)
As we have just debated, whether a club is established and conducted in good faith is one of the general conditions that it must satisfy if it is to be a qualifying club in relation to any of the qualifying club activities. Clause 63 sets out the matters to be considered in determining that. Those matters include restrictions on a club's freedom to purchase alcohol, how money and property belonging to the club is used, giving members information about the club's finances, the accounts of the club and the nature of its premises. If a licensing authority determines that a club does not satisfy those conditions, it must notify the club accordingly to give the reasons for its decision.
Clause 63 replicates current licensing law in laying down rules and conditions for qualifying clubs. It is designed to prevent abuse of the special system that the Bill provides in recognition of the special status and contribution of the club movement, which we have been debating.
The annexes will set out the qualifying conditions in the Bill, but they cannot be completed until it completes its parliamentary procedures, which is why we have to use shorthand in the interim.
Question put and agreed to.
Clause 63 ordered to stand part of the Bill.