MA legal expert Peter Coulson looks at the new Licensing Minister

Now that we have a new Licensing Minister (again), I should like to offer Shaun Woodward a few words of ad-vice and encouragement. I understand he has personal links with the Sainsbury family. He should follow in the success of the supermarket chain and adopt a few basic principles to ensure that the new Licensing Act works properly while he is in charge.

1. Taste the difference — First of all, recognise that this is a very different piece of legislation from the previous one, and that you cannot just dump it on the licensed trade and then claim it has been a great success, like your predecessor. It hasn't, and it needs some serious

work from the Department

for Culture Media & Sport to bring it back on track - see below.

2. Explain your products —

One of the major criticisms you have inherited is that you have not properly explained how

the Act works, particularly the Guidance on your packaging. You need to revise all of this, so that both the trade and the local authorities know what they are putting in their trolleys. This summer, you must seriously consider better information for everyone.

3. Compare prices — you have not done very well so far on this in the Department, and have even had to set up a new committee to look at all your fees. Their first report suggests that you got other things wrong as well, even though they were only meant to look at fees. That was embarrassing. You had better make sure that when you come to do a proper review later in the year, the fees you charge are fair and reasonable for everyone, including the very small operators. There could be some exemptions, as well. All of this will help the small shopkeeper, which I am sure you support.

4. Get your suppliers working properly — A key factor in your success on the High Street is going to be your relationship with those who are delivering your products — the local authorities and the police. Neither of them think very much of you at the moment, whatever they say in public. They think you have left them

in the lurch, which you have. Your predecessor said as much last month. You could do a lot more to ensure that they deliver what the customer wants, but you have got to talk to them properly.

5. Change your marketing style There are a lot of disillusioned shoppers out there who do not have a good word to say for your brand. They think you are cheesy and shabby and distinctly unprofessional as a Department. You are also considered aloof and very resistant to criticism. It is always someone else's fault and the product is entirely fine. This is not true and you will have a big job persuading customers that you mean what

you say.

6. Listen to your customers — which brings me to my last point, and the major criticism of your Department's performance so far. At no stage in the licensing process did your Department listen to those who were most closely involved. It completely lost touch with reality in putting together the product, so that when it emerged it was theoretical rather than practical and there were a lot of holes in the packaging. Also, it was very late being delivered, which meant the shelves were empty right until the last moment, so there was a lot of panic buying, which has not been resolved even now. Some people still haven't got the

products they wanted.

So, Mr Woodward MP, get your apron on and do the groundwork that you need. Then the brand will prosper and you will be lauded in the aisles. To borrow from a competitor - every little helps!