Agenda item - Chair's Communications

Government Consultation on Locally-set Fees

23.1    The Chair explained that as part of the Government’s Alcohol Strategy the Home Office had launched a public consultation on the move from centrally-set to locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003. Under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 the Home Secretary could prescribe by regulations that fee levels should be set by individual licensing authorities on a cost recovery basis.

23.2    The Home Office's Consultation sought views, primarily from licensing authorities and fee paying licensees, on the maximum amounts that can be charged, whether and under what circumstances different amounts should be charged to different types of premises, and the mechanisms that would reassure fee-payers that the fees were being set transparently and at cost. It also asked whether there should be a single national payment date for annual fees. The closing date for responses was 10 April 2014 and the consultation documentation can be found at www.gov.uk/government/consultations/locally-set-licensing-fees

23.3    RESOLVED – That the content of the Chair’s Communications be noted and received.