Structure and Summary of the Act
5.The Act is in four parts:
	Part 1 Air weapons sets out a new licensing system for air weapons administered by the Police Service of Scotland. Specific provisions include:A definition of the air weapons that will be subject to licensing;A requirement for air weapon certificates and the process for applications, grants (including conditions and duration), variations, renewal and revocation of these;A system of police permits, visitor permits and event permits;Restrictions on the commercial sale, sale for delivery outwith Scotland, manufacture, repair and testing of air weapons and the operation of recreational shooting facilities;Enforcement powers and offences;Power to set fees and provide guidance;Air gun clubs;Exemptions from the licensing regime.
	Part 2 Alcohol licensing amends the existing licensing regime for alcohol licensing included within the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 (“the 2005 Act.”) Specific provisions include:Amendment of the licensing objective in relation to children to also include young persons;Amendment of the duration of a licensing policy statement to align with the term of Local Government elections;Inserting a fit and proper person test in relation to the issue or continued holding of a premises or a personal licence;Amendment of the transfer provisions for a premises licence;Providing Licensing Standards Officers with a new power to report conduct of a personal licence holder;Removal of the automatic requirement for a hearing to be held where a Licensing Board is notified of a relevant or foreign offence in relation to a premises or personal licence;Amendment of the definition of relevant offences and foreign offences to no longer disregard a matter that is spent for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974;Creation of new offences of giving, or making available, alcohol to a child or young person for consumption in a public place;Inclusion of the flavouring angostura bitters in the definition of alcohol for the purposes of the Act;Clarification that for an overprovision assessment, the whole Board area may be considered as an area of overprovision;In respect of an overprovision assessment, making it clear that Boards may take account of, among other things, the licensed hours of licensed premises;A duty on Boards to prepare and publish an annual report on the exercise of their functions, summary of decisions made and licences held;A duty on Boards to prepare and publish an annual financial report in respect of their licensing activities;Removal of the requirement for a premises licence holder to notify a change in interested parties and amendment of the definition of an “interested party” to remove premises managers;Changes to the personal licence holder requirements including removal of the five year restriction on re-applying for a licence revoked on grounds of failing to undertake refresher training or notifying the board of such, and other changes to the personal licence holder requirements;A requirement for a Licensing Board to issue an acknowledgement of complete applications, unless the Board does not consider that it would be appropriate to do so;Providing for the automatic grant of a licence where a Licensing Board has failed to determine an application within the required period or the extended period as granted by a sheriff. This clarifies compliance with the EU Services Directive.
	Part 3 Civic Licensing amends the existing licensing regimes included within the 1982 Act:Taxis and private hire carsAmendments to the taxis and private hire cars regime. Specific provisions include:The power to refuse to grant private hire car licences on grounds of overprovision;The extension of driver testing to include private hire car drivers;Removal of the contract exemptions to the licensing and regulation of taxis and private hire cars, bringing hire cars used on contracts into the regime.Metal dealersAmendments to the metal dealer regime. Specific provisions include:Removal of the exemption warrants system that allowed a metal dealer with a larger turnover to be exempted;Limiting payment for metal by metal dealers or itinerant metal dealers to prescribed methods i.e. bank transfer or cheque;Amendment of the standards for identification of customers;Amendment of the standards of record keeping;Removal of mandatory requirement that metal dealers should not process metal for 48 hours after receiving it;Conferring power on the Scottish Ministers to establish a register of metal dealers and itinerant metal dealers;Amendment of the definitions of metal dealer and itinerant metal dealer.Public entertainment venuesAmendments to the public entertainment regime. Specific provisions include:Abolishing ‘theatre licences’ as currently required under the Theatres Act 1968 and instead regulate theatres through the existing public entertainment licencing regime provided for in the 1982 Act;Restricting the exemption concerning premises licensed under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.Sexual entertainment venuesSets out a new licensing system for sexual entertainment venues administered by local authorities. Specific provisions include:The definition of sexual entertainment venues;The power for local authorities to license sexual entertainment venues according to the existing structure set out in Schedule 2 of the 1982 Act;The power for local authorities to determine the number of sexual entertainment venues in their area.Miscellaneous and generalAmendments to the operation of civic government licensing regimes more generally. Specific provisions include:Power for Scottish Ministers to make provision for the procedure to be followed at or in connection with hearings;Introduction of a new role: Civic Licensing Standards Officer;Enabling a Local Authority to revoke a licence under Part 2 of the 1982 ActWhere it has not already been provided for, providing for the deemed grant of a licence where the Local Authority has failed to determine an application within the required period or the extended period granted by a sheriff.
	Part 4 General sets out general provisions, such as for the making of ancillary provision by regulations. It also contains definitions, the short title and provisions for commencement of the Act by Order.