Agenda item

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection

Members considered a late report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection in respect of a review of the Statement of Licensing Principles ‘policy’ required under the Gambling Act 2005. The Licensing Manager advised Members that the policy report had been updated/modernised and was currently a working draft document for consultation. He noted that Part D of the policy was completely new. Members were advised that feedback from the Committee was required prior to the document going out to consultation the final policy would come back to the Committee for final approval in April 2018.

Members’ attention was drawn to the Local Area Profile Table. The Licensing Manager advised that the characteristics shaded in dark show where there was evidence to support that these characteristics are associated with a higher risk of harm; the lighter grey shows that there is emerging evidence. The pale grey boxes demonstrated limited evidence and the blank boxes currently demonstrated no evidence of potential harm. It was queried how these characteristics had been identified and a Member noted that there was no box for men. The Licensing Manager advised that the categories had been cut down to at-risk groups based on demographics within the City, not the whole of London. Members felt that some of categories were vague and recommended including more detail in some of the boxes, e.g. a cut off between “youth” (under 25) and “older people” (over 65).  

Members felt that a document of this size and importance should have been made available much earlier to allow Members plenty of time to read it in detail. Members requested the opportunity to comment on the document once they had had adequate time to digest the contents and recommended that blackline report showing track changes from the original document be circulated to the Committee. The Chairman agreed the Committee should always be able to see what changes have been made and requested that a blackline report be circulated quickly in order for the Committee to input before the consultation period ended.

Post Committee Note: this was circulated the day after Committee with thanks to those Committee Members who identified the IT facility available to make this possible.

In response to a query regarding how the City’s Planning and Transportation Committee would be involved in implementing the Policy given the implications of change-of-use of premises, the Licensing Manager advised that the City’s Department of the Built Environment had been consulted throughout the development of the policy.

RESOLVED –

·         Members agreed for consultation the draft Statement of Licensing Principles (Appendix 1), the Gambling Local Area Profile (Appendix 2) and the Guidance on Undertaking Local Gambling Risk Assessments (Appendix 3);

Members agreed the time table and methodology to determine the final text and adoption of the Statement of Licensing Principles as stated in paragraphs 11 to 16.