University of Stirling

Academic Institute

Department for CommunitiesNI

Yes

E090

This Independent Review of the NI Liquor Licensing System is commissioned by the Department of Communities in fulfilment of a statutory requirement under Section 23 of the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act 2021. Alcohol licensing is the statutory mechanism through which the number, location and operating hours of alcohol retail outlets are regulated. Alcohol licensing serves two key purposes: to ensure retail conditions that are both fair to operators and meet the demands of consumers, and to mitigate the health and social risks associated with the oversupply of alcohol and / or irresponsible retail practices. This review will provide a comprehensive stock take of key stakeholder and community views of the current system, review UK and global examples of licensing system design and related evidence, and provide robust estimates of the likely impacts of viable options for reform. This part of the review will explore the relationship between hospitalisations and deaths (specific to alcohol and related to alcohol) and alcohol availability. We will explore three levels of alcohol availability – on sales premises, off sales premises and both off sales and on sales together. Under the legislation, the review is to be laid before the NI Assembly by August 2024 and the DfC is required to respond to its recommendations within six months.

This project will benefit the public by reviewing the current licensing system in Northern Ireland and providing actionable recommendations to the Department for Communities. In particular this data section will explore associations between licensing and health outcomes, which is critical to developing a comprehensive evidence base for future regulatory reforms.

06/11/2023

TRE