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Statistical Bulletin CrJ/2002/2 Liquor Licensing in Scotland, 1997-2001
3. Liquor Licences, by Type of Premises (Tables 1 and 2) and Council Area (Tables 3 and 4)
3.1 There were 17,162 liquor licences in force in Scotland at 31 December 2001 ( Table 1). Thirty-seven per cent of these licences were for off-sale premises, 30 per cent for public houses, and 17 per cent for hotels. The remaining 16 per cent were made up of restaurant, entertainment and refreshment licences.
3.2 The number of liquor licences in force at the end of 2001 was 82 (0.5 per cent) lower than in 2000 but 3,270 (24 per cent) higher than the figure for 1980.
3.3 The proportion of licences of different types has gradually changed over the past two decades; a comparison between 1980 and 2001 is illustrated in Chart 1. There has been a general decline in the number of hotel licences from 2,959 (21 per cent of all licences) in 1980, to 2,455 (14 per cent of all licences) in 2001. In contrast, the proportion of restaurant, refreshment and entertainment licences has increased from 8 per cent to 16 per cent of all licences over the period. As illustrated in Chart 2, there were 499 refreshment licences in force in Scotland in 2001, more than double the 234 in 1991. The number of off-sale licences has also increased since 1980 (by around 30 per cent), though the figure has remained fairly steady at just under 6,400 for the past five years.
3.4 The distribution of licences by type of premises also varied across the council areas ( Table 3). The more rural areas tended to have a higher proportion of hotel licences and a lower proportion of public house licences than average, while in the more densely populated areas the reverse tended to be the case. For example, at 31 December 2001, in the Highland council area 31 per cent of licences were hotel licences and 14 per cent public house licences; whereas in Glasgow City 41 per cent of licences were for public houses and only 3 per cent were for hotels. The higher prevalence of hotel licences in rural areas is likely to reflect their pattern of tourist trade.
3.5 At 31 December 2001, there were 43 licences in force for every 10,000 persons aged 18 and over in Scotland; this figure has changed very little over the past five years ( Table 2). However, there was considerable variation in this rate between the council areas. The areas with the highest number of licences in force per 10,000 population aged 18 and over tended to be those in the more rural areas such as Argyll & Bute (88), Shetland Islands (85) Highland (84), and the Orkney Islands (74). The more urban council areas outside of the cities tended to have the lowest number of licences per 10,000 population aged 18 and over, for example East Dunbartonshire (18), East Renfrewshire (20), South Lanarkshire (26), and North Lanarkshire (28). Of the cities, Edinburgh had most licences for it's population aged 18 and over (55 per 10,000) and Glasgow had least (37), ( Table 3 and Chart 3).
3.6 The number of off-sale licences per 10,000 population aged 18 and over averaged 16 in Scotland at 31 December 2001. This rate varied from 10 in East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire up to 31 in Orkney. The proportion of all licences which were off-sale was highest in Clackmannanshire (56 per cent) and lowest in Highland (30 per cent). (Tables 2 and 3).
Liquor licences in force per 10,000 population, by council area, 2001 Chart 3
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