This consultation paper has been drafted to invite public opinion on current liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland, and to seek views on whether changes could be made in the future to ensure Northern Ireland has a more flexible and modern licensing framework to respond to changing expectations and lifestyles. Key points from IPH response 

IPH welcomes the development of this new legislation as a means to standardise certain aspects of alcohol licensing policy and practice in Northern Ireland. Alcohol licensing laws are important from a public health perspective as they can directly influence alcohol availability, levels of consumption and patterns of alcohol-related harm. 

Alcohol licensing laws are also important in terms of their indirect influence they can have on cultural norms around alcohol consumption. In respect of liquor licensing legislation in Northern Ireland, IPH submitted oral and written evidence on the Licensing and Registration of Clubs Amendment Bill on 27 Oct 2016. We would refer all parties to the written and oral evidence from that time. Evidence presented in this consultation largely reiterates our position from 2016.