Part 3Public service reform
Alcohol licensing
I132Alcohol licensing: how hearings may be held
1
The Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is modified as follows.
2
After section 133 insert—
133AHow hearings may be held
1
A Licensing Board may determine that a hearing is to be held—
a
in person,
b
wholly through the use of remote facilities, or
c
partly in person and partly through the use of remote facilities.
2
When determining how a hearing is to be held, a Licensing Board must take account of any views given on that issue by any person who notifies the Board of an intention to participate in the hearing.
3
In subsection (1), “remote facilities” means any equipment or facility which—
a
enables persons who are not in the same place to participate in the hearing, and
b
enables those persons to speak to and be heard by each other (whether or not it enables those persons to see and be seen by each other).
3
In paragraph 12 of schedule 1 (proceedings)—
a
before sub-paragraph (1) insert—
A1
A Licensing Board may determine that a meeting is to be held—
a
in person,
b
wholly through the use of remote facilities, or
c
partly in person and partly through the use of remote facilities.
A2
When determining how a meeting is to be held, a Licensing Board must take account of any views given on that issue by any person who notifies the Board of an intention to participate in the meeting.
b
after sub-paragraph (2) insert—
2A
Where a meeting is held wholly or partly through the use of remote facilities, a Licensing Board complies with the requirement mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) by enabling the public to observe the meeting through the use of remote facilities (for example, by making a web link to the meeting publicly available).
c
after sub-paragraph (6) insert—
7
In this paragraph, “remote facilities” means any equipment or facility which—
a
enables persons who are not in the same place to participate in the meeting, and
b
enables those persons to speak to and be heard by each other (whether or not it enables those person to see and be seen by each other).