Clause 72 - Determination of application
Licensing Bill [Lords]
5:00 pm
Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight, Conservative)
I assure the Minister that it is my intention not that the two processes should be combined, but that they could be combined. We are in danger of legislating for the most difficult cases, while having inadequate regard for the circumstances of small clubs. The Minister emphasised the need for alcohol licences, and I understand that. In many cases, although club premises are used to sell alcohol to their members, it would not be in their interests to have a widespread and competing trade for the sale of alcohol to non-members. That would deter people from joining the club in the first place. What might be provided for is the occasional letting of rooms to, for instance, a dominoes club or other organisation of that kind. It would be reasonable, in those circumstances, to apply for an alcohol licence and, therefore, a premises licence. There would also be a requirement to appoint a designated premises supervisor, who could be the steward of the club, but there is no requirement for that to be the case. That would not be a major part of the club's activity, but it would mean that to have to make separate applications would be an additional bureaucratic effort, despite what the Minister says.
In our last sitting, I cited the example of the Freshwater Conservative club in my constituency,
which often holds discos for young people. A licence is required to hold a disco and it is not possible to do so on a club premises certificate if the patrons are not members of the club. The club therefore has to acquire a premises licence, although it does not need to provide a dedicated premises supervisor, as I understand it, because it is not proposing to sell alcohol to the young people. It is not unreasonable to suggest that the request for a licence could be tagged on to the club certificate in an application, rather than be the subject of a separate application. It would be a means of reducing the amount of bureaucracy. It would also be a means of reducing cost, because a small and not unduly wealthy club may wish to make a single application and pay a single fee. That may be a consideration.
I welcome the Minister's confirmation that there is no requirement for the local authority to consider the applications separately. They can, if they choose, consider them together. However, I am disappointed that the Minister does not feel that it is possible to permit a single application to embrace both sorts of licence. I see from his demeanour that that is the position that he holds. In the circumstances, I do not suppose that he will change that position for my benefit this afternoon.