Retailers are being encouraged by the Assocation of Convenience Stores (ACS) to submit their views on a consultation by the Home Office, which proposes the end of the personal alcohol licence.

The consultation is entitled Personal Alcohol Licences: Enabling Targeted, Local Alternatives. In the foreward Jeremy Browne, Minister of State for crime prevention, says the system of personal licenses may not always be the most efficient and effective way of tackling crime and disorder. "Its cost to businesses - in application fees, training and criminal records checks - is significant... We have already announced that we will reform the system by removing the requirement to renew them. However, we believe that there may be a way to further enable better and more targeted alternatives to the system as a whole."

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “This consultation builds on the welcome removal of the requirement on personal licence holders to renew their licences every ten years, which was announced in the Government’s Alcohol Strategy earlier this year. Removing administrative burdens on retailers selling alcohol is an important and welcome step, and we will be working closely with the Home Office and our members to fully evaluate the impact of these proposals on convenience retailers.”

Other measures proposed in the consultation include:

• Allowing the police to object under s.37 of the Licensing Act to a new DPS based on the crime prevention objective, rather than only in ‘exceptional circumstances’.

• Allowing those who are either named as the DPS on a premises licence or have accredited training to give up to 50 Temporary Event Notices in a year.

• Inspections to be satisfied by a certificate of training at a premise, as opposed to the personal licence application and the licence itself.

• Removal of the requirement of criminal records checks for those applying to be a DPS.

ACS will be making a full submission to the consultation in due course. The full consultation can be found at www.gov.uk.

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