Apologies, I think a mail slipped through my fingers. If reports are accurate the Gin epidemic in London in 1740 was the trigger for the Licensing Law. From that time, they appear to be much the same, though I dont know if Scotland has given the Landlord or tenant the option to open all day. Janet ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Hennessy" <ray@whatsinaname.net> > Thanks, John > > That seems to clear up our/my misapprehensions!! > > Ray > _____________________________________________ > > 2009/11/15 John Simpson <jasimpson123@yahoo.co.uk>: >> Re previous emails about the history of licensing law in Scotland, the > following extract might be of interest. It comes from a 2003 paper by Bruce > Ritson entitled "ALCOHOL LICENSING LAWS: PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES IN SCOTTISH > LAW" >> "In August 2003 the Nicholson Committee published a review of Licensing > Law in Scotland (Nicholson Committee,2003). Licensing legislation has a long > history in Scotland and its content has always differed significantly from > that of England. For a long period it was more restrictive, although not so > in recent years. The first licensing legislation, making it a requirement to > register to sell alcohol, was introduced in1756. In l887, the Hours of > Closing Act fixed closing time at10 p.m. in all but the largest cities. > There was a gradual evolution of licensing laws during the 19th > century,culminating in the Licensing Act (Scotland) in 1903. The regulations > imposed at that time persisted with some minor changes, until the 1962 Acts > that provided for standard permitted hours for the whole of Scotland and for > Sunday opening (largely restricted to hotels). In 1971, a committee under > the chairmanship of Dr Christopher Clayson was formed, with many of its > conclusions incorporated into the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976, which > formed the basis of licensing law to the present (Clayson Report, 1973). >> John Simpson