Member

On Amendment 133, we feel the current maximum length of three years for a provisional operating licence is the correct one and does not need extending to four. A three-year maximum strikes the correct balance between giving clubs time to raise standards to achieve a full licence, if needed, while not creating inertia within the process. A transition period is important, but so too is creating the right incentives for clubs to comply with the regime. The regulator will, of course, work with all clubs looking to obtain a full operating licence. I reassure the noble Lord, Lord Markham, that there is already some flexibility. If any club is struggling with the deadline of three years, the regulator already has the power to extend the provisional licence period.