Agendas, reports and minutes

A joint meeting of the Highland Licensing Board and the Highland Licensing Forum will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Tuesday, 7 October 2014 at 2.00 pm (or immediately following the Highland Licensing Board whichever is the later).  

You are invited to attend and a note of the business to be considered is attached.  

Yours faithfully  

Alaisdair H Mackenzie
Clerk to the Licensing Board

1.  Apologies for Absence

2.  Minutes of Last Meeting 

There is circulated minute of the joint meeting of the Highland Licensing Board and Highland Licensing Forum held on 6 August 2013.    

3.  Evaluation of Overprovision Policy – the Forum would be interested in hearing how the effectiveness of the Board’s policy statement on overprovision will be measured.     

4.  Early opening hours for distilleries – the Board’s Statement of Policy states that early opening from 0900 hours will be permitted for food-led operations provided the terminal hour is such that the continuous period of opening does not exceed 14 hours.  The Forum would ask whether the Board has considered amending its Statement of Policy so that visitor centres, including distilleries, be permitted to open at 9 am.

5.  Age Verification Policy Integrity Testing – Although premises show Challenge 25 posters, Forum members have noted that many licence holders do not seem to be aware of the requirement for an Age Verification Policy.  The Forum would like to discuss with the Board the possibility of introducing a programme of Age Verification Policy Integrity Testing in licensed premises including on sales premises, off sales premises and those premises covered by occasional licences. 

6.  Guidance for Occasional Licences – The Forum would like to ensure that the Guidance is consolidated (Forum Clerk has raised this with the Depute Board Clerk and understands this is being taken forward).

7.  Renewal of personal licences in five years’ time - in view of the differing practices in different Boards for noting the refresher training, the Forum has concerns about how the renewal process will work in 2019.  It has been noted that the process is likely to be discussed by SOLAR before the joint meeting.  If possible, the Forum would welcome a briefing following the SOLAR meeting. 

8.  Alcohol Focus Scotland review of licensing policy statements 2013 to 2016.