Hospitality Industry

In April, the Government launched a joint government and industry taskforce to bring together representatives from the hospitality industry, police, local and central government to explore a more enabling approach to licensing with a greater focus on growth. This included officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Treasury who have continued to work closely together to explore the recommendations made in the Taskforce report, which was published in July. We are committed to reducing the costs for hospitality businesses in the UK by restoring licensing to its founding ethos of flexibility and growth, while maintaining a focus on the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder. It is in this spirit that we have just published a first iteration of a National Licensing Policy Framework setting out a strategic vision for a modern licensing system.