THE Scottish Government has been challenged to set a national licensing policy for alcohol, as part of efforts to cut the availability of drink.
Campaigners at Alcohol Focus Scotland said the potential of the licensing system – where boards grant permission for the sale of alcohol – to help tackle the drink problem has “yet to be fully realised”.
Figures for 2016-17 showed that across Scotland 16,678 licenses to sell alcohol were in force, up from 16,338 in 2011-2012.
Since then an average of 95 per cent of alcohol licensing applications a year have been granted by local boards.
Eight years on from the implementation of the last licensing reforms, Alcohol Focus Scotland reviewed the system.
The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 contained provisions aimed at protecting the public from the potentially harmful effects of alcohol, requiring local licensing boards to adopt a more policy-driven approach.
Boards were compelled to produce a statement of licensing policy, which could include measures to restrict alcohol if there is a problem with oversupply.
In addition to this they were given the ability to refuse to grant a licence if it could result in too many premises in an area selling drink.
But Alcohol Focus Scotland, in its Taking Stock report, said there were areas where “over-provision policies had not yet been developed” as well as complaints that licensing boards are failing to adhere to existing policies, or implementing them inconsistently.
Alison Douglas, the chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “Licensing is devolved to local boards so that decisions can better meet the needs of local communities.
“Unfortunately, too often the people and communities affected by licensing decisions are unable to voice their opinions because of the complexity of the system.”
The group called on the Scottish Government to introduce a national licensing policy, saying that this would “provide a national driver for the licensing system which is currently lacking”.
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