Scrapping The Personal Licence Is Insanity

If you have ever wondered how HMG views alcohol, and therefore pubs, well here is the government department in charge of all matters relating to alcohol: The Home Office. The Home Office amongst other things, deals with: Drugs, Crime, Counter Terrorism, Passports.

Alcohol and therefore pubs used to be under the control of The Department for Culture Media and Sport, they deal with; “Making Britain the most creative and exciting place to live in, VISIT and do business in”. Now all surveys dealing with why people visit Britain always have “visiting a British Pub“ high on the list, why then is our sector controlled by the department dealing with criminals, terrorists and drug dealers and not the department dealing with visitors and making Britain exciting?

Of course there are issues around alcohol, of course we need to sell and consume alcohol responsibly, of course we need to educate children on its adverse effects, of course we need to protect staff in A&E against abusive alcohol soaked idiots, of course we need to ensure bar staff do not sell to drunken people or underage children of course we need to reduce the cost to the country of alcohol abuse, of course we need to do something about days work lost though alcohol, of course we need to do something about domestic violence caused by alcohol, of course of course of course (the list goes on).

But hang on a minute, we do have an industry that employs around 900,000 people, generates billions in tax and satisfies all of those tourists, so now why is HMG proposing that we do a way with Personal Licences to sell alcohol? It is the one element of the 2003 Licensing Act that brought knowledge and professionalism to the trade and taught staff how to sell alcohol responsibly (my previous blogs offer a full description).

Here are some of HMGs (insane) proposals regarding Personal Licences:
• No-one need have one unless it is a condition impose by the Local Authority on the Premises Licence
• No-one need have Criminal Record check to sell alcohol unless stipulated as a condition on the Premises Licence
• Any training will be by way of a Training Certificate (not examination)

So currently we have a test of knowledge by way of examination which is the building block of getting young people onto a professional journey into the licensed trade; It works, it is respected, it is universal, it is inexpensive (around £150) it is held by around a quarter of a million bar staff.

Is it that as the numbers seeking a Personal Licence are dwindling (because so many have already obtained one) that HMG see a reduction in income for local authorities and so they want to devise something new for which they can charge? (Just one of the many conspiracy theories abounding).

If handed to local authorities, look out for the Politicisation of regulations around alcohol!

It is not broken do not mend it!!


Martin Read CMBII
Managing Director of Inn-Dispensable Personal Licence Courses