Government officials have told trade leaders they are planning to have a mandatory drinks industry code of practice approved by Parliament by July.
During a meeting on Thursday representatives from the major pub trade groups were told the plan was to get it through the parliamentary process by the summer recess on July 21.
However trade chiefs remain unconvinced the code will have been approved by this time.
Another new draft version of the controversial code - part of the Policing and Crime Bill - was also given to trade bodies.
However, the new version is still very much on-trade focussed - with a crackdown on various drink-related promotions and plans to make pubs offer smaller wine and sprit measures still included.
Other measures that could affect licensees include rules on making sure "abandoned" glasses and bottles are cleared every 15 minutes and a ban on alcohol being served in glass at weekends.
The proposals on training appear slightly watered down. But it now suggests that a licensee should run a written scheme for training staff, which must be approved by the local licensing and "each responsible authority".
On supermarket promotions, the document says: "We want to be sure that any action is sufficiently targeted at binge-drinking and will not adversely affect the majority of adults who drink responsibly."
However later it says the sale of "very low price alcohol" should be "prohibited or limited" in both the on-trade and off-trade.
The document does stress though that it is a draft for discussion and has not been approved by ministers.
At last week's meeting the trade leaders were told it was a "pre-consultation consultation".
A formal 12-week consultation on the proposals is expected to start in late March or early April, before the code is debated in Parliament.
Representatives from the British Beer & Pub Association, Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations, Noctis, Guild of Master Victuallers and Wetherspoons all attended the meeting.