The latest Government figures for alcohol and late night refreshment licences are out.
Two points stand out for me.
First, the ongoing climb in the number of premises licences suggests a general resilience in the sector, which is encouraging. Challenges obviously remain, broad figures should be approached with caution, and there are still pockets of decline. But there is nevertheless a steady upward trend.
Second, contrary to the popular perception, the number of pubs, bars and nightclubs with 24 hour licences is very small (some 0.33% of all licences), and diminishing. That decline is something that can be seen in late licences generally, not just 24 hour licences.
The latest Government figures for alcohol and late night refreshment licences are out.
"211,500 premises licences in England and Wales as at 31 March 2017, a 1% increase of 1,100 compared with 31 March 2016. This is in line with the broadly increasing trend since 31 March 2008 (195,800)"
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