The new licence will be a combined one. The present liquor licence, which costs £30 for 3 years, with the PEL which varies from £00 to £0000 for a year, depending on which council is making the charge.

In effect the new licence is providing an increase in liquor licence with the addition of the already much higher charge for PELs.

The financial burden is increased, the red tape is increased and liquor licensing (presently dealt with by magistrates court), is now to be the responsibility of the very same local authorities, whose enforcement and strict interpretation of current PELs has caused the present problems for folk clubs and sessions in particular.

And this is reform????