by John Harrington
A national standards document for the drinks industry which will outline best practice for pubs, drinks producers and the off-trade is set to be released within a couple of months.
The document will require pubs and clubs to carry out stringent ID checks, include a point-of-sale message that promotes responsible drinking, and abide by the Bar Entertainment & Dance Association's (BEDA's) policy on dispersal, which recommends ways to reduce the disorder at the end of an evening.
British Beer & Pub Associa-tion (BBPA) director of communications Mark Hastings said the BBPA's code on happy hours and drinks promotions will be "referenced" in the document.
Plans for a national standards document, originally called a Code of Good Practice, were outlined by the Government in its National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (NAHRS), released 15 months ago. The NAHRS said adherence to the code "could be taken into account when there is an official complaint against a premises and licence removal is being considered".
The document has been discussed in meetings between trade bodies such as the BBPA, BEDA and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, as well as national and local government.
The Wine & Spirit Associa-tion and off-trade bodies such as the British Retail Consortium have also been involved in the discussions.
BEDA chief executive Jon Collins said the release date for the document was "probably going to be July at the earliest", because it needed to be ap-proved by such a large number of organisations.
"I think there's still a lot of discussion to be had," he added. "The content probably won't change much, but to get it signed off takes time. We are just waiting to hear the Home Office's comments."
However, Hastings said: "It's too early to say when it will be released. Those discussions are being developed within the industry and with Government, and it's an ongoing process.
"There are a huge number of areas that are actually in the document itself, both for producers and retailers. Largely it's setting out what are already encompassed within the [BBPA's] code of practice and regulatory systems within the industry."
A Home Office spokesman said: "It's an industry-led document, which means that we wouldn't be able to speak on their behalf and say what's in it."