Help to develop codes of practice for the alcoholic drinks industry

The Department for Communities (DfC) is inviting interested parties to submit a relevant code of practice relating to the display, sale, supply, promotion, or consumption of alcoholic drinks for approval.

What is a relevant code?

A relevant code of practice will provide guidance to licence holders and registered club officials on best practice and the basic standards expected in the industry regarding the display, sale, supply, and promotion of alcoholic drinks on their respective premises. Codes of practice are an important part of regulating the retail sale and supply of alcoholic drinks and in turn, reducing alcohol-related harms.

Who can produce a relevant code?

Relevant interested persons or groups could represent businesses involving the sale, supply, production, or wholesale dealing in alcoholic drinks, or they could be researching the effects of the consumption of alcoholic drinks on public health or public order.

A person or group has a relevant interest if, according to the relevant legislation, the person or group:

• is representative of persons whose business involves the sale of intoxicating liquor under a licence, or
• is representative of registered clubs, or
• is representative of persons whose business involves the production of intoxicating liquor, or
• is representative of persons whose business involves dealing wholesale in intoxicating liquor, or
• is engaged in research into, or otherwise has an interest in, the effects of the consumption of intoxicating liquor on personal or public health or on public order.

How to submit a code of practice

By email

Draft codes of practice can be submitted to DfC via email to: social.policy@communities-ni.gov.uk

The subject field of the email should include ‘Draft code of practice’.

By post

Alternatively, a draft code may be submitted by post to:

Department for Communities,
Social Policy Unit
Causeway Exchange,
1-7 Bedford Street
Belfast,
BT2 7EG

Deadline for submissions

Read full details on DfC's invitation to submit codes of practice relating to alcoholic drinks.

First published 4 July 2023