Overview

• The government opened a four-week consultation on 9 October led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Business Secretary Peter Kyle that proposes ending the legal requirement to publish alcohol licensing applications in printed local newspapers.
• Local editors and the News Media Association have launched coordinated letters and campaigns warning the move would keep residents uninformed about venue openings and licensing changes.
• Industry figures point to the sector’s Public Notice Portal for online access but argue print remains essential for offline audiences, citing a Lords report estimating about 10.2 million adults lack basic digital skills.
• Critics highlight that the Licensing Taskforce recommending the change was heavily weighted toward hospitality and night-time industry representatives, with no media representation.
• A parallel provision in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would also remove print requirements for notices on changes to local authority governance, deepening transparency concerns.