The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.

Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.

This includes engaging with experts, people with lived experience, and other stakeholders, and assessing emerging evidence on the impact that this may be having on health outcomes and on the effective promotion of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable in June on this issue, jointly with the then Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.

The Home Office publishes biennial statistics on alcohol licensing in England and Wales, based on data collected from local authorities under the Licensing Act 2003.

These statistics include information on the number of personal and premises licenses on issue, and the number of club premises certificates. They also include information on other licensing activity, such as cumulative impact areas, late night levies, premises licence reviews, 24-hour alcohol licenses, temporary event notices and licenses revoked in relation to spiking concerns.

The latest available data is for the year ending 31 March 2024 and can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/alcohol-and-late-night-refreshment-licensing-england-and-wales-statistics

Data for the year ending 31 March 2026 will be published between October and November 2026.

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. The regulatory regime provided by the Act is underpinned by four core licensing objectives, one of which is the protection of children from harm. License holders are expected to uphold the licensing objectives and Licensing Authorities have substantial powers available to them to address irresponsible or illegal alcohol sales. This includes reviewing a premises licence, imposing license conditions, suspending a licence or, in the most serious cases, revoking it.

It is also an offence under section 141 of the Act for a person to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is underage, or to allow alcohol to be sold to such a person. As such, the Government considers that the existing framework provides a robust set of tools to deal with irresponsible retailers.

The Government regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders to keep the Licensing Act 2003 under review and is confident that it continues to provide a clear and effective legislative framework for regulating licensable activities.

The Government published a new National Licensing Policy Framework in November to provide further guidance to applicants and local licensing authorities on striking the right balance between providing safeguards to prevent nuisance, crime and disorder while promoting growth and recognising the contribution licensed premises make to our hospitality sector and to thriving night-time economies.

We continue to work closely with licensing practitioners to ensure the regime remains fit for purpose and responds to emerging challenges. Using the powers already in place within the regime we will shortly be legislating for national licensing hours extensions to allow fans to celebrate England and Scotland team successes at the men’s football World Cup this summer.

The Home Office does not maintain a separate budget line for activity under the Licensing Act 2003. Relevant costs, including staff time in the policy team and contributions from legal and analytical colleagues are absorbed across wider departmental budgets.

Identifying the total annual expenditure for each year since 2019-20 would require a manual review of records across multiple teams and systems. The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

On 31 July, the Government published a report by a Licensing Taskforce which explored how we may deliver a more proportionate, consistent and transparent licensing regime with the aim of boosting growth.

The Government response, published alongside the Taskforce report, accepted the majority of the Taskforce’s priority recommendations, subject to further work and engagement, including consultation where required.

That work is now underway and will include consideration of any changes to the guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 that may be required.

The Licensing Act 2003 provides licensing authorities with significant powers of review where problems associated with the licensing objectives occur, including those relating to the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm.

Under Section 51 of the Act, a responsible authority, or any other person, may ask a licensing authority to review a licence because of a matter arising at the premises in connection with any of the four licensing objectives.

Where a licensing authority considers that action under its statutory powers is appropriate, it may take any of the following steps:

• modify the conditions of the premises licence (which includes adding new conditions or any alteration or omission of an existing condition);
• exclude a licensable activity from the scope of the licence:
• remove the designated premises supervisor;
• suspend the licence for a period not exceeding three months, or;
• revoke the licence.

In March this year a Licensing Taskforce was commissioned to undertake a rapid review of the Licensing Act 2003, to explore how we may ‘deliver a more proportionate, consistent and transparent licensing regime’. The report of that review will be published in due course. We keep the Licensing Act under careful review and will consider any relevant recommendations that arise from this review.

The Licensing Act 2003 provides licensing authorities with significant powers of review where problems associated with the licensing objectives occur, including those relating to the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm.

Under Section 51 of the Act, a responsible authority, or any other person, may ask a licensing authority to review a licence because of a matter arising at the premises in connection with any of the four licensing objectives.

Where a licensing authority considers that action under its statutory powers is appropriate, it may take any of the following steps:

• modify the conditions of the premises licence (which includes adding new conditions or any alteration or omission of an existing condition);
• exclude a licensable activity from the scope of the licence:
• remove the designated premises supervisor;
• suspend the licence for a period not exceeding three months, or;
• revoke the licence.

In March this year a Licensing Taskforce was commissioned to undertake a rapid review of the Licensing Act 2003, to explore how we may ‘deliver a more proportionate, consistent and transparent licensing regime’. The report of that review will be published in due course. We keep the Licensing Act under careful review and will consider any relevant recommendations that arise from this review.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that alcohol licensing fees, set under Section 55 of the Licensing Act 2003, are fair, proportionate and reflective of the costs incurred by local authorities in administering the licensing system.

A previous consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government explored whether local authorities should have more control over setting statutory fees. The Government is reviewing the consultation’s findings and will assess the wider fee landscape alongside this to inform any potential future changes.

On 4 April the Government established a Taskforce to consider how the licensing regime may be strengthened to help facilitate a business environment that supports the Government’s growth mission whilst continuing to deliver the current licensing objectives relating to public safety, crime and disorder.

The Taskforce met for the first time on 9 April and the Government will consider its recommendations

As explained in the written statement of 27 February 2025, those businesses with an on-sales only licence that have taken advantage of the Covid era easement and wish to continue off-sales after 31 March will need to obtain a licensing variation. According to recent statistics published on GOV.UK, as of October 2024, 2490 premises were taking advantage of the easement.

To minimise the impact on businesses, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for this variation. This guidance advises licensing authorities to initially treat applications for such amendments as a minor variation to the licence. This will minimise any transitional cost and bureaucracy for those affected by making the process quicker and much cheaper – costing £89 - than major licence variations.

As we made clear in the Written Statement, the Government will monitor the decisions made around the country by local authorities on these requests for licence variations, in liaison with the beer and pub industries, and will assess any evidence that pubs where the current easements have been working successfully are being denied the opportunity to continue making off-sales beyond April 2025 without reasonable cause. In those circumstances, and notwithstanding the results of last year’s consultation exercise, we will consider what further steps may need to be taken through the licensing regime to support our local pubs.

As explained in the written statement of 27 February 2025, those businesses with an on-sales only licence that have taken advantage of the Covid era easement and wish to continue off-sales after 31 March will need to obtain a licensing variation. According to recent statistics published on GOV.UK, as of October 2024, 2490 premises were taking advantage of the easement.

To minimise the impact on businesses, the Government has amended statutory licensing guidance to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to apply for this variation. This guidance advises licensing authorities to initially treat applications for such amendments as a minor variation to the licence. This will minimise any transitional cost and bureaucracy for those affected by making the process quicker and much cheaper – costing £89 - than major licence variations.

As we made clear in the Written Statement, the Government will monitor the decisions made around the country by local authorities on these requests for licence variations, in liaison with the beer and pub industries, and will assess any evidence that pubs where the current easements have been working successfully are being denied the opportunity to continue making off-sales beyond April 2025 without reasonable cause. In those circumstances, and notwithstanding the results of last year’s consultation exercise, we will consider what further steps may need to be taken through the licensing regime to support our local pubs.

The previous Government explored the feasibility of creating a unified consent regime that would grant businesses a pavement licence and the ability to sell alcohol for consumption there. Unifying the two regimes did not prove workable; the then Government launched a consultation on alternative options in May 2024.

This Government is carefully considering the results of the consultation and will publish the results imminently alongside next steps.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for pavement licences. We support the use of pavement licences to encourage better use of outdoor space on our high streets, supporting businesses and revitalising spaces communities use. We have no plans to change the existing streamlined application process.

The High Court has set out in case law (Neale v E 1984) that the word ‘drunk’ should be given its ‘ordinary and natural meaning’.

It is an offence under S.141 of the Licensing Act 2003 knowingly to serve alcohol to someone who is drunk. It is also an offence under S.142 of the Licensing Act 2002 to obtain alcohol for someone who is drunk. Those who commit either offence could be fined up to £1000.

Ultimately the decision to serve alcohol to a person is taken by an appropriate person within a licensed premises – for example a designated premises supervisor.

The Licensing Act 2003 provides a clear and effective legislative framework to regulate licensable activities, including the sale and supply of alcohol.

The Act strikes a balance between providing safeguards in the licensing system to promote public safety, prevent crime and disorder and ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol, while recognising the contribution licensed premises make to thriving night-time economies.

The Act already gives licensing authorities the power to make decisions regarding licensed opening hours as part of the implementation of their licensing policy statements. Licensing authorities are best placed to make such decisions based on their local knowledge and in consultation with other responsible authorities, including the police.

There are already mechanisms in place for police, as responsible authorities, to make representations to the licensing authority in relation to the application for the grant, variation or review of a licence should they have concerns relating to public safety.

We keep the Act under review and work closely with licensing practitioners to ensure the regime remains fit for purpose. We also regularly update the statutory guidance that is provided to licensing authorities to assist them in carrying out their functions under the Act.

The Government has no plans to introduce Health as a Licensing Objective at this time.

The Government has no current plans to create a national register of individuals who have been refused or had a licence revoked under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.

The Government believes the existing provisions to consider health matters in relation to licensing applications are sufficient at present.

Directors of Public Health in England and Local Health Boards in Wales have been responsible authorities under the Licensing Act 2003 since 2012. As responsible authorities, health bodies are automatically notified of new licence applications and can make representations based on the existing licensing objectives

The Government is committed to tackling and preventing all forms of sexual misconduct and assault.

Under the Licensing Act 2003, all licensed premises must comply with four statutory licensing objectives, one of which is the prevention of crime and disorder. Where there are concerns about an application for a licence arising from the way the premises propose to operate, the customers it will attract, or the incidence of sexual offences in its area, a licensing committee may decide to place conditions on its licence requiring measures to prevent sexual offending.

We continue to focus on establishing effective partnerships between the police, local authorities, local partnership schemes and businesses to take effective actions against alcohol-related crime in the night time economy and on licensed premises.

The Government believes that the best approach is to take action against all businesses that fail to operate in a COVID-secure way, not just those that are licensed.

A licensing authority must carry out its functions under the Licensing Act 2003 with a view to promoting four licensing objectives, which are the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, public safety and the protection of children. Public health is not one of the four objectives and the Government cannot encourage licensing authorities to take action on those grounds.