Worth a response?

The Home Office Consultation on re-balancing the Licensing Act has entered its final week, with 8th September 2010 being the final date for responses.

It may be considered that there is little to be gained in responding to the Consultation, considering how much weight was given to the responses to the consultation on the Mandatory Code. However, the changes that are being proposed are extreme and will have very far-reaching implications if implemented. 

The Government Code of Practice suggests that these consultations should last a minimum of twelve weeks and longer in a period where consultees are less likely to respond (e.g. over the summer due to holidays) yet this consultation will only last six weeks. There is also a feeling, both in the consultation document and from the recent Home Office Consultation Meetings, that it is a matter of “when” these proposals will be introduced as opposed to “if”. 

Nevertheless, one thing that is certain is that if nobody objects to the proposals, then they will be introduced. Surely that has to be worth a response…?

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