Department for Culture Media and Sport

monitoring and evaluation

The Licensing Act 2003 saw the biggest reform in licensing law for 40 years.  It has impacted on around 190,000 businesses; non-profit making clubs; charity, community and voluntary groups, and almost the entire population of England and Wales who live in the vicinity of, or visit licensed premises.

The new streamlined system has introduced a more proportionate regulation for businesses, and over time should deliver financial and administrative savings for the retail, hospitality, entertainment and leisure industries.

A programme of projects was put in place to evaluate the impact of the new regime. That programme of evaluation is now complete and DCMS has issued a report outlining the main conclusions from that work:

The "Evaluation of the Impact of the Licensing Act 2003" and its appendices can be found in the publications section of this site.

The programme of evaluation included:

  • a High Level Ministers and Senior Officials Group to monitor implementation and review the impact of the Act
  • an Independent Fees Review Panel to ensure the fees are set at the right level for local government and licensees
  • a review of the Guidance to licensing authorities and police on the discharge of their functions under the Act
  • a sample group of 10 scrutiny councils to monitor how the new licensing regime is being delivered and whether it is meeting its aims
  • independent research to establish live music activity in England and Wales prior to and following the implementation of the Act