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Liquor licensing
30/08/2007
Figures released today show there were 17,234 liquor licences in force in Scotland at December 31, 2006, the equivalent of 42 licences for every 10,000 persons aged 18 and over in Scotland.
This figure has remained virtually unchanged over the last five years. Over a ten year period the number of licences has fallen very slightly from 17,321 to 17,234, a reduction of 0.5 per cent.
Other main findings include:
- Over a third (37 per cent) of the licences in force in 2006 were for off-sale premises and a further 30 per cent were for public houses. The remainder covered licences for hotels, restaurants, cafes, etc. The distribution of licences by type of premises varies across the country. For example, 38 per cent of licences in Glasgow were held by public houses, while in more rural areas the proportion held by public houses was less than half this
- Public houses have continued to account for 30 per cent of licences for each of the last five years. Similarly off-sale premises have continued to account for 37 per cent of the licences over this period. Refreshment licences have increased over this period and now account for 4 per cent of licences, while hotel licences have fallen from 17 per cent of licences in 2002 to 15 per cent of licences in 2006
- The balance between on-sale and off-sale licences has remained stable for each of the last five years. Between 2002 and 2006, on-sale licences increased by 92 and off-sale licences increased by 83. In 2006, there were 16 off-sale licences per 10,000 population aged 18 and over, the same as the figure 10 years ago. However, in 1980, the rate was lower at 13 off-sale licences per 10,000 population aged 18 and over. On-sale licences accounted for 63 per cent of licences in 2006
- There were 10,001 premises with one or more regular extensions to permitted hours in 2006. For both public houses and hotels, the percentage of licensed premises with regular extensions was 88 in 2006
- The number of new applications for liquor licences in Scotland in 2006 (710), although higher than in 2005, was the same as the number in 2002. Ninety four per cent of applications in 2006 were granted. When applications were not granted, the most frequently cited reason was over provision
- There were 2,285 registered clubs (golf, bowling, social etc.) at December 31, 2006, 53 fewer than at December 31, 2005
- A total of 1,380 liquor licensing offences were recorded by the police in 2005-06. Over half of these offences related to sale of drink to a person under 18 or purchasing excisable liquor for consumption by a person under 18
Statistics on liquor licences are collected from local authority licensing boards. Information on the number of registered clubs was obtained from the Sheriff Courts.