NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF LICENSING AND ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

Why is NALEO only open to Regulators and not to the Licensed Trades?

NALEO was created in 1985 by 22 local authority licensing and enforcement officers from across the UK. Collectively identifying the need to promote a better understanding of taxi and private hire licensing matters - and the challenges of working in isolation - membership currently stands at over 600, providing a valuable and powerful voice with which to raise the profile of licensing from the position of the regulators and licensing professionals.

The association's interests have long since grown to embrace all aspects of licensing as undertaken by Local and Public authorities, from LA2003, street trading, pet shops and motor salvage operators to gambling, tattoo and ear-piercing, sex establishments and cinemas.

NALEO provides a valuable voice for its members through information and training and always promotes the role of the licensing professional across many aspects of our lives.

NALEO is recognised by the Home Office, DfT, ACPO (and many more) and is regularly asked by government, statutory, legal and advisory bodies to comment on all licensing issues and consultation documents.

NALEO beleives in consensus and often works or consults with many other organisations such as the National Private Hire Association [NPHA], Institute of Licensing [IOL] and National Taxi Association [NTA] to name just a few.

NALEO has regularly been approached with a view to formally merging with these complementary organisations, most recently, for example, with the Institute of Licensing [IOL]. NALEO's Committee did not consider it in the best interests of either organisation to merge.

The IOL as an institute must accept bona fide trades members and regulators alike. This means that their views can represent both regulator and regulated.

NALEO as a "regulator only" body aims to represent the views of those charged with enforcement and administration. NALEO strongly believes that if the views of two (or more) differently constituted organisations indicate to Central Government that a subject is important it is more likely to produce results than would be the case if one "all-embracing" body gave its' views.