Licensing Act 2003
Licensing Act 2003
2003 Chapter 17
An Act to make provision about the regulation of the sale and supply of alcohol, the provision of entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment, about offences relating to alcohol and for connected purposes.
[10th July 2003]
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—
Part 1
Licensable activities
1 Licensable activities and qualifying club activities
(1) For the purposes of this Act the following are licensable activities—
(a) the sale by retail of alcohol,
(b) the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of the club,
(c) the provision of regulated entertainment, and
(d) the provision of late night refreshment.
(2) For those purposes the following licensable activities are also qualifying club activities—
(a) the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of the club,
(b) the sale by retail of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to a guest of a member of the club for consumption on the premises where the sale takes place, and
(c) the provision of regulated entertainment where that provision is by or on behalf of a club for members of the club or members of the club and their guests.
(3) In this Act references to the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of the club do not include a reference to any supply which is a sale by retail of alcohol.
(4) Schedule 1 makes provision about what constitutes the provision of regulated entertainment for the purposes of this Act.
(5) Schedule 2 makes provision about what constitutes the provision of late night refreshment for those purposes (including provision that certain activities carried on in relation to certain clubs or hotels etc, or certain employees, do not constitute provision of late night refreshment and are, accordingly, not licensable activities).
(6) For the purposes of this Act premises are ‘used’ for a licensable activity if that activity is carried on on or from the premises.
(7) This section is subject to sections 173 to 175 (which exclude activities from the definition of licensable activity in certain circumstances).
2 Authorisation for licensable activities and qualifying club activities
2 Authorisation for licensable activities and qualifying club activities
(1) A licensable activity may be carried on—
(a) under and in accordance with a premises licence (see Part 3), or
(b) in circumstances where the activity is a permitted temporary activity by virtue of Part 5.
(2) A qualifying club activity may be carried on under and in accordance with a club premises certificate (see Part 4).
(3) Nothing in this Act prevents two or more authorisations having effect concurrently in respect of the whole or a part of the same premises or in respect of the same person.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) ‘authorisation’ means—
(a) a premises licence;
(b) a club premises certificate;
(c) a temporary event notice.
Part 2
Licensing authorities
The authorities
3 Licensing authorities
(1) In this Act ‘licensing authority’ means—
(a) the council of a district in England,
(b) the council of a county in England in which there are no district councils,
(c) the council of a county or county borough in Wales,
(d) the council of a London borough,
(e) the Common Council of the City of London,
(f) the Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple,
(g) the Under-Treasurer of the Middle Temple, or
(h) the Council of the Isles of Scilly.
(2) For the purposes of this Act, a licensing authority's area is the area for which the authority acts.
Functions of licensing authorities etc.
4 General duties of licensing authorities
(1) A licensing authority must carry out its functions under this Act (‘licensing functions’) with a view to promoting the licensing objectives.
(2) The licensing objectives are—
(a) the prevention of crime and disorder;
(b) public safety;
(c) the prevention of public nuisance; and
(d) the protection of children from harm.
(3) In carrying out its licensing functions, a licensing authority must also have regard to—
(a) its licensing statement published under section 5, and
(b) any guidance issued by the Secretary of State under section 182.
5 Statement of licensing policy
(1) Each licensing authority must in respect of each three year period—
(a) determine its policy with respect to the exercise of its licensing functions, and
(b) publish a statement of that policy (a ‘licensing statement’) before the beginning of the period.
(2) In this section ‘three year period’ means—
(a) the period of three years beginning with such day as the Secretary of State may by order appoint, and
(b) each subsequent period of three years.
(3) Before determining its policy for a three year period, a licensing authority must consult—
(a) the chief officer of police for the licensing authority's area,
(b) the fire authority for that area,
(c) such persons as the licensing authority considers to be representative of holders of premises licences issued by that authority,
(d) such persons as the licensing authority considers to be representative of holders of club premises certificates issued by that authority,
(e) such persons as the licensing authority considers to be representative of holders of personal licences issued by that authority, and
(f) such other persons as the licensing authority considers to be representative of businesses and residents in its area.
(4) During each three year period, a licensing authority must keep its policy under review and make such revisions to it, at such times, as it considers appropriate.
(5) Subsection (3) applies in relation to any revision of an authority's policy as it applies in relation to the original determination of that policy.
(6) Where revisions are made, the licensing authority must publish a statement of the revisions or the revised licensing statement.
(7) Regulations may make provision about the determination and revision of policies, and the preparation and publication of licensing statements, under this section.
6 Licensing committees
(1) Each licensing authority must establish a licensing committee consisting of at least ten, but not more than fifteen, members of the authority.
(2) This section does not apply in relation to the Sub-Treasurer of the Inner Temple or the Under-Treasurer of the Middle Temple.
7 Exercise and delegation of functions
(1) All matters relating to the discharge by a licensing authority of its licensing functions are, by virtue of this subsection, referred to its licensing committee and, accordingly, that committee must discharge those functions on behalf of the authority.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to—
(a) any function conferred on the licensing authority by section 5 (statement of licensing policy), or
(b) any function discharged under subsection (5)(a) below by a committee (other than a licensing committee),
or any matter relating to the discharge of any such function.
(3) A licensing authority may arrange for the discharge by its licensing committee of any function of the authority which—
(a) relates to a matter referred to that committee by virtue of subsection (1), but
(b) is not a licensing function.
(4) Where the licensing authority does not make arrangements under subsection (3) in respect of any such function, it must (unless the matter is urgent) consider a report of its licensing committee with respect to the matter before discharging the function.
(5) Where a matter relates to a licensing function of a licensing authority and to a function of the authority which is not a licensing function (‘the other function’), the authority may—
(a) refer the matter to another of its committees and arrange for the discharge of the licensing function by that committee, or
(b) refer the matter to its licensing committee (to the extent it is not already so referred under subsection (1)) and arrange for the discharge of the other function by the licensing committee.
(6) In a case where an authority exercises its power under subsection (5)(a), the committee to which the matter is referred must (unless the matter is urgent) consider a report of the authority's licensing committee with respect to the matter before discharging the function concerned.
(7) Before exercising its power under subsection (5)(b), an authority must consult its licensing committee.
(8) In a case where an authority exercises its power under subsection (5)(b), its licensing committee must (unless the matter is urgent) consider any report of any of the authority's other...
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