Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to extend the temporary off-sales regulatory easement in the Business and Planning Act 2020 beyond 31 March 2025.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office conducted a consultation on the future of the temporary off-sales regulatory easement earlier this year. A response will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many premises applied for a pavement licence under the Business and Planning Act 2020.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department does not collect data on the number of pavement licences applied for. It is up to local authorities to determine pavement licencing applications.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2024, to Question 4354, on Public Houses: Business Rates, whether (a) pavement licences under the Business and Planning Act 2020 and (b) outdoor licensing under the Licensing Act 2003 affect the assessment of a Fair Maintainable Trade for the purposes of the Rateable Value valuation or revaluation.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Fair Maintainable Trade (FMT), for the purposes of determining a property’s rateable value, is an assessment of the property’s potential turnover. The absence or presence of a pavement or outdoor license will be reflected in the overall FMT for each pub.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department issues on (a) smoking and non-smoking provisions in the model conditions and (b) other aspects of pavement licences.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Publicly available pavement licensing guidance provides details on the duration, application, determination, and enforcement of pavement licences granted under the Business and Planning Act 2020. It can be found on gov.uk here.

Section 4.2 of the said guidance sets out what is reasonable provision for seating where smoking is not permitted and suggests ways business can meet these conditions.

Found: 2024/1139. (3)S.I. 2017/1012, amended by S.I. 2019/579. (4)S.I. 2015/595, amended by the Business and Planning Act

Found: section 196(1) of the Planning Act 2008 (c. 29) and amended by section 21(1)(a) of the Business and Planning Act