§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the date for the first appointed day, as specified in the Licensing Act 2003; and if she will make a statement. [171396]
§ Mr. CabornThe timetable for the first appointed day, when licensing authorities will be able to accept applications for the conversion of existing licences and club registration certificates, will be dependent on the date when, or if, Parliament approves the draft Guidance made under section 182 of the Act which has been laid before it.
Parliament will not be able to consider the draft Guidance until the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments have completed their scrutiny of it and reported to the Houses. We expect the first appointed day to be six months later than the date of Parliamentary approval. The timetable we hope for would see approval by Parliament at the end of this month which would therefore lead to a first appointed day in November.