Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation Ministers undertook with hospitality businesses prior to announcing temporary licensing changes linked to major sporting tournaments.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the Secretary of State to make a Licensing Hours Order to extend operating hours on a national basis for occasions of “exceptional international, national or local significance” in England and Wales. National licensing hours extensions provide many benefits including enabling local communities to come together to collectively celebrate important events, providing efficiencies to both businesses and local authorities, and saving businesses the cost of the temporary events fee in those cases. The national licensing extensions we have put in place for the men’s football World Cup have been welcomed by fans and hospitality businesses alike.
Licensing hours orders do not override locally applied licence conditions which ensure the licensing objectives are effectively upheld. Nor do they override planning rules and regulations which operate separately from the licensing regime as they cover different, albeit related, matters. While this means a small number of licensed premises may not be in scope of a licensing hours order, the Government is clear that these orders still provide significant benefits to many licensed premises. Any premises which is not in scope can apply for a Temporary Event Notice for a small fee of £21 if they wish to do so.
Decisions to extend licensing hours on a national basis are preceded by a consultation with respondents usually including representatives from the hospitality sector. Extensive discussions with the hospitality sector about the licensing regime also took place as part of the DBT-led Licensing Taskforce which published their report last autumn. This was followed by a Government call for evidence on the licensing regime which attracted over 2,000 responses.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Category C1 driving licence requirements on the operating costs of small and medium-sized enterprises that use 7.5-tonne vehicles.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department considered evidence on Category C1 licensing requirements through its 2022 driving licensing review call for evidence, including whether Category B car licence holders should be granted C1 entitlement for vehicles up to 7.5 tonnes. Responses indicated potential economic benefits, such as reduced training, testing and recruitment costs for operators, but also highlighted concerns about additional costs, including insurance premiums, and road safety implications linked to driver training and experience.
Training costs are set commercially, and drivers operating commercially must also meet Driver Certificate of Professional Competence requirements, with test costs aligned across lorry and bus categories. The Department keeps the driver licensing framework under review to ensure it remains safe, proportionate and consistent with the UK’s international commitments.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has undertaken an assessment of labour availability for businesses that rely on drivers with Category C1 entitlement.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department has not undertaken a specific assessment of labour availability for businesses that rely on drivers with Category C1 entitlement.
The Department considered evidence on Category C1 driving licence entitlement as part of the 2022 driving licensing call for evidence, which included whether changes could widen the recruitment pool for medium-sized goods vehicle drivers. The Department keeps the driver licensing framework under review to ensure it remains safe, proportionate and consistent with the UK’s international obligations.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of adopted and kinship children whose therapeutic needs will no longer be fully met following changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides important therapeutic support for adopted and kinship children. The changes to the ASGSF in the 2025/26 financial year were made to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF. After the change in the fair access limit, the average cost per approved therapy in 2025/26 was below the maximum permissible amount, at £2,844. In the 2026/27 financial year, the overall budget for the ASGSF has been increased by 10% to £55 million, further ensuring support can be provided for those who require it. The level of funding available should enable eligible children to access support at similar levels to the average package received from previous years. As always, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may use their own funding, where appropriate, to supplement support.
The department is currently undertaking analysis from the public consultation regarding wider adoption support, including the ASGSF, which has been recently completed. This included seeking information from relevant stakeholders on what support is effective, as well as providing value for money.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential long-term cost to public services arising from changes to the levels of therapeutic support for adopted children.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides important therapeutic support for adopted and kinship children. The changes to the ASGSF in the 2025/26 financial year were made to ensure support for all those applying for ASGSF. After the change in the fair access limit, the average cost per approved therapy in 2025/26 was below the maximum permissible amount, at £2,844. In the 2026/27 financial year, the overall budget for the ASGSF has been increased by 10% to £55 million, further ensuring support can be provided for those who require it. The level of funding available should enable eligible children to access support at similar levels to the average package received from previous years. As always, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may use their own funding, where appropriate, to supplement support.
The department is currently undertaking analysis from the public consultation regarding wider adoption support, including the ASGSF, which has been recently completed. This included seeking information from relevant stakeholders on what support is effective, as well as providing value for money.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has had discussions with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council regarding the potential impact of planning restrictions on pubs and hospitality venues in Stockton-on-Tees during periods of temporary licensing relaxations for major sporting events.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of specific planning applications or proposals.
It is for individual local planning authorities to take enforcement action depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the relationship between planning and other regulatory regimes, including licencing.
The draft Framework sets out that planning decisions should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes, but matters which are controlled by separate regulatory regimes may, in the context of a particular development proposal, be a material consideration where they have land-use implications. It also encourages the parallel processing of planning and other regulatory consents where this can help to align and expedite the consenting of development.
We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information he holds on the impact of planning restrictions on the ability of hospitality venues that have been granted extended licensing hours for major sporting events to utilise those extensions in Stockton-on-Tees.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of specific planning applications or proposals.
It is for individual local planning authorities to take enforcement action depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the relationship between planning and other regulatory regimes, including licencing.
The draft Framework sets out that planning decisions should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes, but matters which are controlled by separate regulatory regimes may, in the context of a particular development proposal, be a material consideration where they have land-use implications. It also encourages the parallel processing of planning and other regulatory consents where this can help to align and expedite the consenting of development.
We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the impact of current planning enforcement arrangements on hospitality businesses where extended licensing hours have been approved by local licensing authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of specific planning applications or proposals.
It is for individual local planning authorities to take enforcement action depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the relationship between planning and other regulatory regimes, including licencing.
The draft Framework sets out that planning decisions should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes, but matters which are controlled by separate regulatory regimes may, in the context of a particular development proposal, be a material consideration where they have land-use implications. It also encourages the parallel processing of planning and other regulatory consents where this can help to align and expedite the consenting of development.
We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is taking steps to help ensure that hospitality businesses are not subject to conflicting decisions between licensing and planning authorities.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of specific planning applications or proposals.
It is for individual local planning authorities to take enforcement action depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the relationship between planning and other regulatory regimes, including licencing.
The draft Framework sets out that planning decisions should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes, but matters which are controlled by separate regulatory regimes may, in the context of a particular development proposal, be a material consideration where they have land-use implications. It also encourages the parallel processing of planning and other regulatory consents where this can help to align and expedite the consenting of development.
We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Minister has had discussions with representatives of the hospitality sector to discuss the potential impact of conflicting licensing and planning regulations on pubs and hospitality venues during nationally significant sporting events.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Due to the quasi-judicial role of MHCLG Ministers in the planning system, I am unable to comment on the details of specific planning applications or proposals.
It is for individual local planning authorities to take enforcement action depending on the particular circumstances of each case.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the relationship between planning and other regulatory regimes, including licencing.
The draft Framework sets out that planning decisions should not seek to duplicate or extend controls imposed by separate regulatory regimes, but matters which are controlled by separate regulatory regimes may, in the context of a particular development proposal, be a material consideration where they have land-use implications. It also encourages the parallel processing of planning and other regulatory consents where this can help to align and expedite the consenting of development.
We are currently analysing the feedback received to the consultation and will publish our response in due course.