Abolishing personal licence renewals - will it be done in time? No, now 'confirmed'!

We have previously reported on the suggestion that personal licence renewals in England and Wales may still be required after all in 2015, as proposals to remove the requirement to renew are stalled in Parliament.  See our article 'Abolishing personal licence renewals - will it be done in time?'.

This has now apparently been confirmed. 

In a letter recently written to all Local Authorities, the Minister for Crime Prevention, Norman Baker, states:

"There are a number of alcohol licensing provisions progressing through Parliament as part of the Deregulation Bill. One such measure is the removal of the need to renew a personal licence. The timescales for the Bill means that there may be some who will need to renew their licence before the changes take effect.  This is beyond my control, although I do recognise that it is far from ideal. My officials will work with you to establish the best way of handling transitional arrangements and we will publish specific guidance later this year."

The letter also encourages the use of Late Night Levies and seeks feedback on the experiences of trying, but failing, to introduce Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Orders.

A copy of the letter can be found here: 'Norman Baker Letter to Licensing Authorities'