Licensing Hours Extensions Bill

Lord Sandhurst Excerpts

Friday 24th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sandhurst (Con)]

My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak in this debate. I begin by thanking the noble Lord, Lord Watson of Wyre Forest, who has sponsored this Bill and dedicated much time to ensuring its smooth progress. I am also grateful to all noble Lords who have contributed today. The noble Lords, Lord Hayward and Lord Bailey of Paddington, brought their experience of our hospitality sector, of local communities and of the workings of our licensing regime.

This sector needs all the help it can get: the Government’s misguided changes to national insurance have caused it needless damage. My noble friend Lady Monckton of Dallington Forest, who spoke so eloquently on such a precious subject, is working to open a pub that will employ people with disabilities. This commendable endeavour is testament to her long-standing support for the disabled. I hope that the Government will give a clear commitment to supporting pubs that may be affected by this legislation, particularly those that play an important role in empowering people with disabilities.

This Bill seeks to amend the Licensing Act 2003 in a modest but meaningful way by moving the statutory instrument under Section 172 so that orders to relax licensing hours for significant occasions may be made under the negative resolution procedure rather than the affirmative procedure. Although there is no need to make this discussion political, I believe that, at its heart, this is a Conservative-minded proposal. It is about removing bureaucracy, supporting local businesses and empowering communities to celebrate together. The Bill should have everyone’s support.

As other noble Lords have said, our hospitality sector is a vital part of local economies. Pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises are community hubs and meeting places. They anchor our high streets. They contribute to the social fabric of our towns and villages. They provide important employment opportunities to people of all ages, from students to the retired. As one honourable Member in the other place put it:

“Constituents … would welcome this relatively minor change so that they can come together, support their local hospitality spots and mark those occasions”.—[Official Report, Commons, 17/1/25; col. 663.]


This Bill will give businesses the flexibility that they need to respond when our country comes together, whether that be for a major sporting occasion, a local occasion or a royal occasion.

By removing an unnecessary layer of parliamentary procedure, this Bill will free up parliamentary time. It will not alter the substantive provisions for when extensions may be granted: rather, it will streamline the mechanism. That will give this House time to discuss other matters of national importance, so it is a double win.

Finally, the Bill promotes community celebration and social cohesion. Many of our treasured national moments, such as royal celebrations and major finals, lead communities to gather together in pubs and other licensed premises. The current process sometimes delays suitable responses, for example when Parliament is in recess. Enabling licensing hours to be extended in a timely, practical manner for these events will mean that we can better support our citizens who want to gather together. It will help communities bond.

Although we on these Benches warmly support the Bill’s principle and intend to lend it our backing, we recognise the need for proportionate safeguards and oversight, which the Bill upholds and provides. The Bill does not change the core test of what is of “exceptional significance”. The Secretary of State must still judge whether an extension is justified. This Bill still ensures democratic oversight through the prayer mechanism. It allows Parliament to object where necessary, but the Government must still plan ahead and consult the police and local authorities. As Ministers here and in the other place have noted, the police have generally supported such extensions and there has been no disproportionate rise in crime or disorder.

Overall, this Bill strikes a good balance. It supports business and community and it protects the importance of democratic oversight. We on these Benches want to enable and encourage enterprise to back our hospitality sector and strengthen local communities—and to do so without unnecessary red tape. This Bill is a timely and sensible measure, so we on these Benches welcome it. We support its passage. I look forward to this important step being taken so that, when our nation comes together in celebration, local venues can also do so in a safe manner and with minimum delay. I lend the Bill my support.

I end my speech today on a high note with a quotation from a fine old song, “The Beer-Drinking Briton”, written to a tune by Thomas Arne, the author of “Rule, Britannia!” It goes:

“Let us sing our own treasures, old England’s good cheer. To the profits and pleasures of stout British beer”.