Key Points
- After concerns were raised we have formed a working group on rapid deliveries of alcohol. We have a key meeting next Wednesday, 29 July, please attend in person.
- Legislation for DPOA has been laid, let’s try to influence now before it comes into force. Join my working group.
- 10 Year Health Plan and proposals for low/no sales restrictions. Join my working group.
I can’t remember a time when RASG has had so many plates in the air at the same time. I realise that I’m asking a lot of members at the moment.
Rapid Deliveries
After concerns were raised from various sources – Home Office and MP’s – we have established a working group of members that offer rapid deliveries of alcohol. The main concern is around the speed at which vulnerable people can access alcohol.
We also know that the Department of Health and the Minister of State for Policing and Crime held a roundtable with health related experts a few weeks ago. A few suggestions have been put to RASG about what retailers could do to slow down the speed at which some people are becoming dependent on alcohol. These include:
- Self-exclusion: allowing consumers could voluntarily restrict their ability to purchase alcohol through rapid delivery services.
- Delays between ordering and delivery: introducing a delay between placing an alcohol order and receiving, to reduce immediate access to alcohol.
- Limits on purchases or deliveries : setting limits on the number or frequency of alcohol orders an individual can place within a specified timeframe.
We know that RASG needs to do something and so we’ve started exploring various options, not only looking at potential legal restrictions but practical ones too.
To further our work we are holding a meeting on 29 July at the WSTA Offices. We have confirmation that the Department of Health and Social Care, the ICO, Home Office, Alcohol Change and the caseworker of MP Alison McGovern will be attending. I am waiting for confirmation from competition lawyers.
The purpose of the meeting is to have an open conversation (under Chatham House rules) so that various parties can voice their concerns over rapid deliveries and potential solutions can be thoroughly assessed.
The meeting will start start at 10am and run until 3. The morning session will be devoted to discussions with external speakers, the afternoon to RASG discussion. Lunch will be provided.
If you offer or are thinking of offering rapid delivery of alcohol this is a crucial meeting for you to attend. We will have key players in the room to have open and frank discussions.
Digital Proof of Age
Further to my mailshot of 7 July on DPOA.
The draft SI for DPOA is here: The Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026 . It is now in the Parliamentary ‘queue’ for consideration.
We believe that the timeline for this SI (by October) is challenging. It has been signed off by the Joint Committee on SIs (which simply confirms an SI is legally robust to be considered by Parliament) and will now need to be debated by Parliamentarians in Sub-Committees in the House of Commons and House of Lords. There is just over a week of sitting days when Parliament returns in September before conference recess (Parliament then won’t return until Mid-October).
Sam will keep a close eye on its progress, but we think that the Home Office may miss its own deadline.
Members might also not be aware that DSIT, who played a key role in the whole DPOA area, has been abolished by the new Govt. DSITs functions will be absorbed into an expanded Business Department. We’ll also keep an eye on this to see what impact this may have on DPOA, if any.
The draft legislation is not perfect and has raised questions from numerous sources but I am hopeful that the settings in which DPOA will be used means that this is workable and flexible. However, now is the time to get together to really look at the wording of the legislation and decide what amends, if any, need to be made. We’re not too late to influence the final Order.
If you are interested in having a deep dive into the suitability of the draft Order, please let me know and I will set up a small working group. This does not have to be the representative that normally attends RASG meetings – please extend this ask to any teams within the business that might have an interest in this.
10 Year Health Plan and proposals for low/no sales restrictions
As you know the DHSC suggested a prohibition on the sale of low/no beverages to under 18’s within the Governments 10-Year Health Plan published last year. Several roundtables were hosted by the DHSC seeking input from different sectors, with no actions or decisions being announced as yet.
We collectively agreed that this was an area that RASG should lead in, encouraging all retailers to include low and no alcohol beverages within their age restriction policy. Before he left, Neil from ASDA wrote a blog arguing why retailers should be subjecting low/no beverages to age checks now. See Neil’s blog here.
Another, hopefully relatively easy, request for volunteers to start working on best practice guidance and/or a voluntary commitment stating that RASG members do, or will start age checking low/no alcohol beverages. I know that not all RASG members currently do this so please reach out of you have issues with this piece of work.
