SBPA calls for licence fee cuts

September 17, 2007: The Scottish Beer and Pub Association (SBPA) has called for a 40% cut across the board for all the proposed fees for licensed premises, and for private members clubs to pay their fees on the basis of the rateable value of their club premises rather than having their premises licences fees capped at £100 as is proposed by the Government.

The association was responding to the Scottish Government's Consultation on proposed fees that will be paid by licensees under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. The SBPA has also raised questions about the research on which the Scottish Government based its proposed fees, saying it dated from 2005 and that many of the legislative assumptions made at the time had been subsequently changed by ministers.

The association also rejected calls for the imposition of additional "levies" on premises selling alcohol in Scotland.

It highlighted that one consequence of the Scottish Government's policy would be that the exclusive members club, the New Club, on Edinburgh's Princes Street, which has a rateable value of £232,000, would pay just £100 for its premises licence during transition, while the smallest pub would pay £450.

Patrick Browne, chief executive of the SBPA, said: "It appears that the Scottish Government's proposed fee structure under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 was put together on the basis of some questionable research which cost the taxpayer £40,000 and which has largely been overtaken by events.

"It's totally unacceptable to have 55% of the total £10 million costs of licensing transition in Scotland based on an estimate of 'appeal costs' that runs to just a few paragraphs in a report with minimal justification.

"Having reviewed the figures we think the Scottish Government could cut the proposed fees in Scotland by 40%, which would reduce the fee for a premises licence for the smallest pubs in Scotland to just £240, rather then the £400 as currently planned, and that's what we've called on the Scottish Government to deliver."

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