The UK's Wine and Spirit Trade Association has said that new licensing restrictions recommended by a new report by the House of Lords would 'result in a significant additional cost to retailers and make the licensing system even more complex'.
The WSTA was responding to a report by the House of Lords Select Committee that called for a roll-out of minimum pricing across the UK (should it prove successful in Scotland), an overhaul of local licensing panels, and further work in regulating late-night openings.
“There are some recommendations in the committee’s report that the WSTA can welcome, for example, around the simplification of the licensing process, scrapping the late-night levy, and rejecting calls for further licensing objectives," said Miles Beale, WSTA chief executive.
"However, the recommendation of a major overhaul including a series of new licensing regulations, which would add significant burdens and costs to retailers, is not sensible. This is particularly the case after so many incremental changes to the Act, and at a time when businesses are already dealing with inflation-busting rises in wine and spirits duty, the costly revaluation of business rates, and the uncertainty of Brexit."
Drink Responsibly
Beale also noted that recent trends indicate that the UK is drinking "ever more responsibly" over the past decade, with consumption dropping by a fifth.
"Underage drinking continues to decline and is now at its lowest recorded level," he said. "That is not by accident, and is instead the result of the combination of robust voluntary schemes, education, and a collaborative industry working in partnership with government.”
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
