Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether each Mission Board was (a) represented, (b) involved in and (c) consulted as part of the Licensing Taskforce workstream; and what their level of involvement was.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Licensing Taskforce reported its findings in July and relevant Government departments were involved in determining the response to that report. That included the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office, HM Treasury, the Department for Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. A cross-government team has been established with the involvement of those departments to take forward a review of the proposals and subsequent implementation where appropriate. That further stage of activity has led to the Call for Evidence which will inform next steps.
The Call for Evidence is open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether members of the Licensing Taskforce were given (a) advanced sight of and (b) input into the wording of the licensing call for evidence questions.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
In the course of developing the Call for Evidence questions a number of stakeholders were consulted and saw drafts of the call for evidence before this was finalised. This included some members of the Licensing Taskforce.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential challenges of launching the current licensing call for evidence with a rapid 4-week window for responses.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A four week Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
A rapid evidence gathering exercise is appropriate at this stage in the development of policy relating to licensing reforms. Further consultation and engagement with stakeholders is anticipated at later stages of policy development and implementation, dependent on the specific proposals that are being taken forward. Any legislative changes will be subject to an impact assessment, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he received representations on his proposed changes to the Licensing Act 2003.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Changes to the Licensing Act 2003 were proposed as part of a Licensing Taskforce which concluded its work in the Summer. Consideration of those proposals and options for implementation, where appropriate, is currently underway. To inform that work, the Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
Representations are being received through the consultation and these will be reviewed fully.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the licensing taskforce recommendations on the workstreams of each of the five Mission Boards.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
While no assessment has yet been made of the impact of any reforms to be taken forward, that would form part of the further stages of this work.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to consider feedback provided during the public call for evidence on Reforming the licensing system, published on 7 October 2025; and what assessment he has made of the level of (a) opposition and (b) concern within responses that might prompt him to reconsider his proposals.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
Representations including any opposition or concern will be reviewed fully as part of this process and will be helpful in shaping the development of proposals.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps did the Licensing Taskforce take to consult (a) local authorities, (b) police forces, (c) Police and Crime Commissioners, (d) directors of public health and (d) local licensing committees on proposed reforms to alcohol licensing.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
In July this year, the Licensing Taskforce concluded a review of licensing and its report is available at:
The report lists the members of the Taskforce, including representatives from the Local Government Association, the Institute of Licensing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, and gives an indication of how they went about their review. The Government responded to that report welcoming its recommendations and setting out next steps. As part of the current Call for Evidence and subsequent policy development, the Government is committed to engaging with local authorities, police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners, directors of public health, local licensing committees and members of the public among others.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he had with experts on (a) alcohol licensing and (b) the Licensing Act 2003 on the proposals set out in the call for evidence entitled Reforming the licensing system, published on 7 October 2025.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Earlier this year the Government established a Licensing Taskforce which was co-chaired by the then Minister for Services, Small Business and Exports, Gareth Thomas MP. The Taskforce held discussions with experts on the licensing regime in reaching its conclusions.
The Government welcomed the Taskforce report and is inviting further views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Licensing Taskforce requested assessments of the potential impact of post-pandemic changes to drinking patterns on (a) crime, (b) violence and (c) anti-social behaviour; and whether those assessments were provided to the taskforce.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Licensing Taskforce did not request assessments of the potential impact of post-pandemic changes to drinking patterns on (a) crime, (b) violence and (c) anti-social behaviour; however its membership included the National Police Chiefs Council’s lead for Alcohol Harm. Since the Taskforce reported, a cross-government team has been established to review its findings and a Call for Evidence was launched. This is open until 6 November. We continue to seek a wide range of views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. Any legislative reforms will be subject to impact assessment, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.
The Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the licensing taskforce recommendations on progress towards meeting the targets of the Mission Boards for (a) safer streets, (b) tackling violence against women and girls and (c) reducing antisocial behaviour and building safer communities.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
No assessment has yet been made of the impact of any potential reforms on safer streets, tackling violence against women and girls, and reducing ASB and building safer communities. The Government is currently inviting views and evidence to inform the development of a modern, proportionate and enabling licensing system. As part of this we are reviewing a number of reform proposals recommended by the Licensing Taskforce in July. Any legislative changes subsequently taken forward will be subject to an impact assessment, consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.
A Call for Evidence is currently open until 6 November in order to gather views and evidence to inform proposals for reforms to licensing. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/reforming-the-licensing-system.