§ Mr. ConnartyTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department will(a) control and (b) set the level of licence fee for licensed premises; and whether local licensing authorities will be allowed to vary those licence fees. [91392]
§ Dr. HowellsUnder the Licensing Bill the Secretary of State will make regulations prescribing that applications and notices made under the Bill must be accompanied by fees and that annual fees must be paid in respect of premises licences and club premises certificates. Regulations will also be made prescribing the amount of those fees.
Licence fees will be set at a level which will enable licensing authorities to recover the full costs of exercising the licensing functions of administration, inspection and enforcement. Local authorities, as licensing authorities, will not be permitted to vary those fees.