Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has unveiled a range of proposals designed to cut licensing red tape, which the government believes could result in savings of up to £24m per year.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a 10 week consultation on the measures, which would make it easier for people to put on temporary events if they are rescheduled at short notice. The plans would also lighten the workload for councils and give relatives and business partners of licensees who have died more leeway in applying for an interim licence.

Under the plans, the police would be given a new power to accept a late Temporary Event Notice where there are no crime and disorder issues. This would particularly benefit village halls, schools and voluntary organisations who may have to cancel and rearrange events at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances or bad weather. A further measure would see relatives and business partners being given 28 days - as opposed to seven days as at present - to apply for a licence to be reinstated if the licensee dies, is incapable or becomes insolvent.

The DCMS also intends to remove the requirement for councils to revise and republish their Licensing Policy Statement every three years, replacing it with a requirement to keep the policy up to date. Councils would only have to consult groups and organisations affected by a revision, rather than the full list of required consultees.