Northern Ireland Minister faces questions on progress of liquor licensing reform

Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons, has been questioned in the Assembly about the progress of alcohol licensing reform, as members sought updates on the Executive’s response to recommendations arising from the independent review of the province’s liquor licensing system.

During questions on liquor licensing on 29 September, MLAs pressed the Minister on the future direction of licensing policy and the implementation of recommendations from the review commissioned under the Licensing and Registration of Clubs (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021. The review, led by the University of Stirling, examined the operation of Northern Ireland’s licensing regime and made 26 recommendations covering public health, economic impacts and the regulation of licensed premises.

The discussion comes against the backdrop of the Department for Communities’ previously published response to the review, in which the Minister confirmed that a number of recommendations had been accepted or partially accepted, while others had been rejected. Notably, the Department declined to pursue reform of the long-standing “surrender principle”, which requires an existing licence to be surrendered before a new licence can be granted.

In defending that position, Mr Lyons has argued that alcohol licensing must balance economic interests with public health and public safety considerations. He has also highlighted the importance of licensed premises to Northern Ireland’s economy, tourism sector and local communities.

While ruling out immediate changes to the surrender principle, the Minister has indicated that work will continue on other aspects of licensing policy. The Department has said it will consider measures to improve and modernise the licensing system, including examining the role of licensing in supporting market diversity and innovation and reviewing arrangements affecting local producers.