Fourth Delegated Legislation Committee
Wednesday 11th November 2026
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16:30
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
I call the minister to move the motion. I beg to move that. The Committee has considered the Draft Licensing Act 2003 Permitted Temporary Activities Amendment Order 2026. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the chair, Christine Jardine. The purpose of this instrument, which was laid before the House on 10th of September, is simple. It will increase the number of temporary event notices that may be given in respect to the single premises from 15 to 20 in each calendar year. It will also increase the maximum number of days in which temporary events may take place at these premises, from 21 to 26 days, subject to Parliament's approval, the new limits will come into force on the 1st of January 2027, when the annual entitlements are reset.
Temporary event notices or tans are a means of authorising licensable activities on a temporary basis without the need to obtain or permanently vary a premises licence. Those activities may include the sale or supply of alcohol regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment. Tens can also be used by premises that already hold a licence, but wish to temporarily to undertake an activity or operate at a time that is not covered by their existing licence. The system is used by a wide variety of businesses, individuals and community organisations. A ten might allow a pub or a restaurant to hold an additional event, but equally it could support an event at a school, a community centre, a church hall, a wedding venue, venue, a market or a small festival.
Under the changes before the committee today, responsible organisers will be given additional flexibility to respond to local demand and hold more well run events. The order will support local economic activity, provide new opportunities for communities to come together and and remove an unnecessary constraint on business. I am sure all of us here can recognise that contribution, the contribution made by the hospitality sector, not only to our economy but to our high streets and to our communities. I do not suggest that this targeted measure will address every pressure facing the sector. It is, though, a sensible and proportionate step that will give businesses greater flexibility without requiring a fundamental change to the licensing system.
I should also make the point that the limits proposed in this instrument are not untested. There are higher thresholds of 2010 and 26 days applied temporarily during 2022 and 2023, as part of the response to the economic effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. Information available to the Home Office did not identify a significant increase in adverse impacts linked to those higher limits. The government has also carefully considered the differing views expressed in a call for evidence on licensing reform. Hospitality businesses and trade bodies generally supported greater flexibility. Some local authorities, public health organisations, residents and community groups raised concerns about public nuisance, crime and disorder, public health and additional pressure on local services.
We have taken those concerns most seriously. The instrument makes a modest adjustment to the annual limits, while keeping safeguards at the heart of the Licensing Act 2003 firmly in place. The four licensing objectives objectives will continue to apply. These are the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. The police and environmental health authorities will continue to receive temporary event notices and may object where they consider that a proposed event would undermine one or more of those objectives. Where objections cannot be resolved, the licensing authority may, where appropriate, impose conditions on the Tam or issue a counter-notice preventing the event from proceeding.
Licensing authorities will still be required to issue a counter-notice where the statutory limits are exceeded. We should be clear about the limited nature of this change. The instrument does not alter the limits that apply to an individual premises premises user. Whether or not that person holds a personal licence, nor does it change how individual notices or event days are counted. It simply increases the annual premises level limits by five notices and five days. The instrument applies in England and Wales and makes the necessary consequential amendments to to the prescribed ten forms. The statutory guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act, will also be updated to reflect the new limits when the order comes into force.
In designing these changes, we have been acutely aware of the need to balance support for businesses with protection of residents and local communities. The order we are debating today strikes that balance, and I commend it to the committee.
Temporary event notices or tans are a means of authorising licensable activities on a temporary basis without the need to obtain or permanently vary a premises licence. Those activities may include the sale or supply of alcohol regulated entertainment and the provision of late night refreshment. Tens can also be used by premises that already hold a licence, but wish to temporarily to undertake an activity or operate at a time that is not covered by their existing licence. The system is used by a wide variety of businesses, individuals and community organisations. A ten might allow a pub or a restaurant to hold an additional event, but equally it could support an event at a school, a community centre, a church hall, a wedding venue, venue, a market or a small festival.
Under the changes before the committee today, responsible organisers will be given additional flexibility to respond to local demand and hold more well run events. The order will support local economic activity, provide new opportunities for communities to come together and and remove an unnecessary constraint on business. I am sure all of us here can recognise that contribution, the contribution made by the hospitality sector, not only to our economy but to our high streets and to our communities. I do not suggest that this targeted measure will address every pressure facing the sector. It is, though, a sensible and proportionate step that will give businesses greater flexibility without requiring a fundamental change to the licensing system.
I should also make the point that the limits proposed in this instrument are not untested. There are higher thresholds of 2010 and 26 days applied temporarily during 2022 and 2023, as part of the response to the economic effects of the Covid 19 pandemic. Information available to the Home Office did not identify a significant increase in adverse impacts linked to those higher limits. The government has also carefully considered the differing views expressed in a call for evidence on licensing reform. Hospitality businesses and trade bodies generally supported greater flexibility. Some local authorities, public health organisations, residents and community groups raised concerns about public nuisance, crime and disorder, public health and additional pressure on local services.
We have taken those concerns most seriously. The instrument makes a modest adjustment to the annual limits, while keeping safeguards at the heart of the Licensing Act 2003 firmly in place. The four licensing objectives objectives will continue to apply. These are the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm. The police and environmental health authorities will continue to receive temporary event notices and may object where they consider that a proposed event would undermine one or more of those objectives. Where objections cannot be resolved, the licensing authority may, where appropriate, impose conditions on the Tam or issue a counter-notice preventing the event from proceeding.
Licensing authorities will still be required to issue a counter-notice where the statutory limits are exceeded. We should be clear about the limited nature of this change. The instrument does not alter the limits that apply to an individual premises premises user. Whether or not that person holds a personal licence, nor does it change how individual notices or event days are counted. It simply increases the annual premises level limits by five notices and five days. The instrument applies in England and Wales and makes the necessary consequential amendments to to the prescribed ten forms. The statutory guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act, will also be updated to reflect the new limits when the order comes into force.
In designing these changes, we have been acutely aware of the need to balance support for businesses with protection of residents and local communities. The order we are debating today strikes that balance, and I commend it to the committee.
16:35
16:35
Speaker 4
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Speaker 4
Thank you. It's a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr. Jardine. On Armistice Day, may I begin by remembering all those who served. Many of the community events. This order helps in Royal British Legion branches. Social clubs and village halls are where our communities come together to remember. At the outset, I should declare an interest as a regular patron of Scotland West pubs. We have some of the best, in fact, the best pubs in the country and they will welcome anything that lets them put on another event and get more customers through the door. So let me be clear the opposition support this order giving licensed venues and particularly our pubs greater flexibility is exactly what the last conservative government did when we raised these limits in 22 and 23 to help the sector recover from the pandemic.
It worked then, and I am glad the government have recognised that. It's no surprise that a significant majority of hospitality and leisure venues backed the increase in the call for evidence. For a publican planning a beer festival, a charity quiz night or a Christmas market, five more notices and five more days a year really matter. Of course, there must be safeguards. The shadow policing Minister. I know how important it is that the police and Environmental Health can scrutinise notices and step in where an event risks crime, antisocial behaviour or serious nuisance for neighbours. But that has to be balanced against the evidence.
When these higher limits applied before, there was no significant increase in adverse impacts and police forces overall did not oppose this change in the call for evidence. It's right that we back it. But this order cannot be seen in isolation from what our pubs and hospitality businesses have been through. In Stockton West. Our pubs are part of the fabric of the community. From a night out in Yarm to the locals serving Eaglescliffe, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, Thornaby in our villages, like a number of members, I host my own pub awards and places like the Stonehouse Farm and Ingleby Barwick show what a pub can mean to a community.
They provide local jobs. Often a young person's very first job. They support local charities and other local businesses. They bring people together. When a pub struggles, the impact goes well beyond the landlord and they are struggling. Every week I hear from businesses that are being absolutely battered. They pay more to employ people. After the rise in employer National Insurance, they're paying the price for more red tape introduced by the Employment Rights bill, and they're paying more in business rates because the government cut the relief for retail, hospitality and leisure in 2023. I led a campaign backed by more than 40 colleagues, calling on the then chancellor to extend the 75% relief.
He did. This government cut it. Another minister may point to last month's budget. I welcome the 20% cut to pubs business rates, but it goes nowhere near far enough to undo the damage already done. The government's own figures suggest that around well, only around 10% of pubs would pay no business rates, and what the Chancellor gave with one hand he took back, with the other, adding £0.02 to the price of every single pint. The industry's own trade body, UK hospitality, says the sector has lost more than 100,000 jobs in the past two years.
That's almost half of all the jobs lost across the entire economy. These are not just statistics, they're bar staff, chefs and young people losing their first rung on the ladder in a sector that provides almost a third of first time jobs for 16 to 24 year olds. The economic note for this order, although based on older data, estimates that each additional temporary event notice generates an average profit of £119, with a range of 105 to £143. When margins are this tight, that is welcome. But it does not take an experienced publican to recognise that a few extra events will not pay the additional bills landing on the doormat.
So I have two brief questions for the Minister. First, will the Minister publish the evidence from 22 and 23, showing that the higher limits did not lead to more crime or nuisance, so that residents and licensing authorities can have confidence in the change? Second, can the Minister confirm that the police and environmental health keep every one of their existing powers to make reasoned objections? We support this increased flexibility, but our pubs need more support than five extra events a year. I hope the Minister will keep looking for practical ways licensing policy can help them, and will make the case across government for tackling the costs that are putting their futures at risk.
It worked then, and I am glad the government have recognised that. It's no surprise that a significant majority of hospitality and leisure venues backed the increase in the call for evidence. For a publican planning a beer festival, a charity quiz night or a Christmas market, five more notices and five more days a year really matter. Of course, there must be safeguards. The shadow policing Minister. I know how important it is that the police and Environmental Health can scrutinise notices and step in where an event risks crime, antisocial behaviour or serious nuisance for neighbours. But that has to be balanced against the evidence.
When these higher limits applied before, there was no significant increase in adverse impacts and police forces overall did not oppose this change in the call for evidence. It's right that we back it. But this order cannot be seen in isolation from what our pubs and hospitality businesses have been through. In Stockton West. Our pubs are part of the fabric of the community. From a night out in Yarm to the locals serving Eaglescliffe, Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, Thornaby in our villages, like a number of members, I host my own pub awards and places like the Stonehouse Farm and Ingleby Barwick show what a pub can mean to a community.
They provide local jobs. Often a young person's very first job. They support local charities and other local businesses. They bring people together. When a pub struggles, the impact goes well beyond the landlord and they are struggling. Every week I hear from businesses that are being absolutely battered. They pay more to employ people. After the rise in employer National Insurance, they're paying the price for more red tape introduced by the Employment Rights bill, and they're paying more in business rates because the government cut the relief for retail, hospitality and leisure in 2023. I led a campaign backed by more than 40 colleagues, calling on the then chancellor to extend the 75% relief.
He did. This government cut it. Another minister may point to last month's budget. I welcome the 20% cut to pubs business rates, but it goes nowhere near far enough to undo the damage already done. The government's own figures suggest that around well, only around 10% of pubs would pay no business rates, and what the Chancellor gave with one hand he took back, with the other, adding £0.02 to the price of every single pint. The industry's own trade body, UK hospitality, says the sector has lost more than 100,000 jobs in the past two years.
That's almost half of all the jobs lost across the entire economy. These are not just statistics, they're bar staff, chefs and young people losing their first rung on the ladder in a sector that provides almost a third of first time jobs for 16 to 24 year olds. The economic note for this order, although based on older data, estimates that each additional temporary event notice generates an average profit of £119, with a range of 105 to £143. When margins are this tight, that is welcome. But it does not take an experienced publican to recognise that a few extra events will not pay the additional bills landing on the doormat.
So I have two brief questions for the Minister. First, will the Minister publish the evidence from 22 and 23, showing that the higher limits did not lead to more crime or nuisance, so that residents and licensing authorities can have confidence in the change? Second, can the Minister confirm that the police and environmental health keep every one of their existing powers to make reasoned objections? We support this increased flexibility, but our pubs need more support than five extra events a year. I hope the Minister will keep looking for practical ways licensing policy can help them, and will make the case across government for tackling the costs that are putting their futures at risk.
16:40
16:40
Speaker 5
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Speaker 5
Thank you, Mr. Rowley. It's a pleasure to serve with you in the chair. It is right the government is making this change to support our hospitality sector, and we hope it will prevent the absurdity that happened this summer, when the England team was playing a game late at night and the government was required to make a one off order to allow venues to stay open late. Can the minister confirm that this order will give some extra flexibility so we don't have a repeat of the scenario we experienced before the Mexico game earlier this summer? There are, however, Miss Jardine general concerns about the application of tens.
They are often used, in fact, annually used in my constituency to circumvent licensing rules to allow pop up sexual entertainment venues. Particularly. This happens during Cheltenham race week. Now, if councillors on the local authority reject sexual entertainment venue applications, it is well known that the venues will open anyway, perhaps even in the same place under tens exemptions. These venues then operate to a lower standard of regulation and represent a risk to women, the performers, the tens regulations as they stand undermine CV licensing regulations. But ministers in this government and the last have repeatedly refused to engage.
So will the minister look at how she can amend legislation to close this loophole and address the gaping hole in licensing regulations, particularly given the ongoing debate around the need to tackle threats to women and girls and violence against women and girls in general. So would she meet with me and her officials to discuss this matter? At the very least, to prove that the government is as good as its word on Vawg.
They are often used, in fact, annually used in my constituency to circumvent licensing rules to allow pop up sexual entertainment venues. Particularly. This happens during Cheltenham race week. Now, if councillors on the local authority reject sexual entertainment venue applications, it is well known that the venues will open anyway, perhaps even in the same place under tens exemptions. These venues then operate to a lower standard of regulation and represent a risk to women, the performers, the tens regulations as they stand undermine CV licensing regulations. But ministers in this government and the last have repeatedly refused to engage.
So will the minister look at how she can amend legislation to close this loophole and address the gaping hole in licensing regulations, particularly given the ongoing debate around the need to tackle threats to women and girls and violence against women and girls in general. So would she meet with me and her officials to discuss this matter? At the very least, to prove that the government is as good as its word on Vawg.
16:42
16:42
Speaker 6
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Speaker 6
Thank you, Mr. Greene. I just wish to speak very briefly in support of of the of the measure, particularly with regard to rural communities like mine in North Cumbria, where it is not. The fact that the pub may have closed is the fact that a pub never existed in the first place. And actually the centre of that community is the village hall. And I would like to put on record my thanks to the committees of the Nickel Forest, Village Hall, Roadhead and Stapleton, who run an amazing number of community events throughout the year and who.
This will be a big boost for. I would also like to give credit to the Crossings and Black Lion pubs, who are more than pubs for their two villages that they serve. They are hubs when there are frequent. Sadly in storms, electricity, power cuts, but also they are hubs for the community as well. So I very much welcome this measure. I think it is absolutely crucial in areas like North Cumbria, which are sparsely populated, and the opportunity to meet with your neighbours comes from the ability to gather at a function at the village hall or in their local pub.
This will be a big boost for. I would also like to give credit to the Crossings and Black Lion pubs, who are more than pubs for their two villages that they serve. They are hubs when there are frequent. Sadly in storms, electricity, power cuts, but also they are hubs for the community as well. So I very much welcome this measure. I think it is absolutely crucial in areas like North Cumbria, which are sparsely populated, and the opportunity to meet with your neighbours comes from the ability to gather at a function at the village hall or in their local pub.
16:43
16:43
Speaker 2
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Speaker 2
So I am grateful for the contributions and comments honourable members have made, and I just respond to some of the points that have been made. I agree with the honourable member. This order will give our Armed Services personnel and those who want to participate in remembrance events, greater opportunities to meet together. Hospitality businesses play an important role in strengthening communities and creating places where people can come together, and that's why we've deliberately delivered permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, benefiting over 750,000 properties, and have provided targeted support for pubs, clubs and live music venues, and are reviewing pub and hotel valuations to ensure the system is fairer, more transparent and more predictable.
We've also invested £10 million to a new hospitality grant scheme to support growth, boost resilience and create jobs and strengthen local economies. And the hospitality businesses continue to face significant cost pressures, and the government wants to provide practical measures that support growth. High streets and local communities, and the increase of the number and availability of ten tens is a low burden change that provides additional flexibility without requiring businesses to go through the process of obtaining a full premises licence variation. On the issue regarding the member for the member for Cheltenham has raised strip clubs are regulated under different legislation under the Local Government Act of 2003, but I will take your point back to the Home Office and ensure that the Policing Minister will follow this up with you.
I will conclude by saying once again, thank you, honourable members, for your thoughtful contributions to this debate. As I have set out, this is a sensible and proportionate measure that will support our hospitality sector while maintaining the important checks and balances underpinning the licensing regime. And with that, I commend the order once more to the committee and I beg to move here.
We've also invested £10 million to a new hospitality grant scheme to support growth, boost resilience and create jobs and strengthen local economies. And the hospitality businesses continue to face significant cost pressures, and the government wants to provide practical measures that support growth. High streets and local communities, and the increase of the number and availability of ten tens is a low burden change that provides additional flexibility without requiring businesses to go through the process of obtaining a full premises licence variation. On the issue regarding the member for the member for Cheltenham has raised strip clubs are regulated under different legislation under the Local Government Act of 2003, but I will take your point back to the Home Office and ensure that the Policing Minister will follow this up with you.
I will conclude by saying once again, thank you, honourable members, for your thoughtful contributions to this debate. As I have set out, this is a sensible and proportionate measure that will support our hospitality sector while maintaining the important checks and balances underpinning the licensing regime. And with that, I commend the order once more to the committee and I beg to move here.