Reform of liquor licensing in England and Wales looks like turning into a game of parliamentary ping-pong. To add extra excitement there's a time limit too.
The Licensing Bill completes its Commons committee stage this week, with the Government overturning all the amendments made to the draft legislation by the House of Lords.
Their lordships now have the chance to reinstate any number of those amendments. However, the Government is thought to want to complete the Bill's parliamentary passage by the end of June, so that it can avoid having to hold a referendum on pub opening times in Wales.
So the pressure's on, and the scene set for some compromises. The Government is expected to concede some, though not all, of the Lords' changes to get the Bill through.
One area where major leisure operators, particularly those in the tenanted pub sector, want a rethink is over the proposed register of business interests on the new premises licence.
The Lords' had proposed that all parties with an interest in a licensed site should have that interest registered, allowing them to be informed of any changes to that licence. That would include both the licensee running the business and the site's ultimate owner or landlord. Tenanted pub groups, and other property owners, have backed the amendment, as it would allow them to be kept informed of changes affecting their investment.
The Government has objected to the amendment on the grounds that it would only help 'big business'. Trade groups, like the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), are lobbying for a change of heart, arguing that the move would actually help smaller tenanted pubcos too, and that tenants and lessees might actually be disadvantaged without the measure if companies decided to put their name rather than the tenant on the licence.
Another area where the industry wants the Government to move is over provisional licence grants. This was not taken up as a Lords amendment, but could still be used as a bargaining chip in the Commons.
The proposal as it stands would see a significant shift in favour of community objectors being able to block the granting of a full licence after a development has been completed.
The Government again believes the current system favours big, speculative developers too much. The industry is arguing that most new sites with provisional grants are actually developed by operators themselves, often small businesses, and the current Government stance would deter legitimate business investment.
The clock is ticking, but concessions can still be won. Again the business case has to be made to this Government, which continues to misunderstand the way business really works. But there is still hope.
The Licensing Bill completes its Commons committee stage this week, with the Government overturning all the amendments made to the draft legislation by the House of Lords.
Their lordships now have the chance to reinstate any number of those amendments. However, the Government is thought to want to complete the Bill's parliamentary passage by the end of June, so that it can avoid having to hold a referendum on pub opening times in Wales.
So the pressure's on, and the scene set for some compromises. The Government is expected to concede some, though not all, of the Lords' changes to get the Bill through.
One area where major leisure operators, particularly those in the tenanted pub sector, want a rethink is over the proposed register of business interests on the new premises licence.
The Lords' had proposed that all parties with an interest in a licensed site should have that interest registered, allowing them to be informed of any changes to that licence. That would include both the licensee running the business and the site's ultimate owner or landlord. Tenanted pub groups, and other property owners, have backed the amendment, as it would allow them to be kept informed of changes affecting their investment.
The Government has objected to the amendment on the grounds that it would only help 'big business'. Trade groups, like the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), are lobbying for a change of heart, arguing that the move would actually help smaller tenanted pubcos too, and that tenants and lessees might actually be disadvantaged without the measure if companies decided to put their name rather than the tenant on the licence.
Another area where the industry wants the Government to move is over provisional licence grants. This was not taken up as a Lords amendment, but could still be used as a bargaining chip in the Commons.
The proposal as it stands would see a significant shift in favour of community objectors being able to block the granting of a full licence after a development has been completed.
The Government again believes the current system favours big, speculative developers too much. The industry is arguing that most new sites with provisional grants are actually developed by operators themselves, often small businesses, and the current Government stance would deter legitimate business investment.
The clock is ticking, but concessions can still be won. Again the business case has to be made to this Government, which continues to misunderstand the way business really works. But there is still hope.
