Draft Licensing Act 2003 (Coronation Licensing Hours) Order 2023

Debate between Wendy Morton and Sarah Dines

Monday 27th March 2023 General Committees

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Miss Sarah Dines)]

I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the draft Licensing Act 2003 (Coronation Licensing Hours) Order 2023.

It is an honour to appear before you, Mr Stringer, even if a little untimely, and a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship.

The draft order will have the effect of extending licensing hours to mark the coronation of His Majesty the King. It is a great privilege to stand in Committee today in my capacity as a Home Office Minister to discuss a piece of legislation that is designed to facilitate a period of joy and celebration for our country. The coronation is an occasion of profound significance. A great many people will, I am sure, want to gather together and to raise a glass to His Majesty the King.

Under section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, the Secretary of State can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of exceptional national significance. I am sure that Members across the Committee will agree that the coronation is just such an occasion.

The Home Office conducted a public consultation to seek the views of the public. The majority of responses were in favour of the licensing extension. The responses also agreed with the proposed duration and location, and that the extension should apply only to sales of alcohol for consumption on the premises. The draft order is therefore to extend licensing hours in England and Wales on Friday 5 May, Saturday 6 May and Sunday 7 May until 1 am the following morning.

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

I have no desire to slow down proceedings and, as I am sure the Committees appreciates, I wholeheartedly support this piece of delegated legislation—in fact, like most Members present, I am sure I will be out celebrating as well—but I have a specific question to ask the Minister. Where a licence has been revoked or suspended, will that suspension remain in place?

[Miss Dines]

That is a technical point to which I shall revert a little later.

The extension will apply to premises, licences and club premises certificates in England and Wales that license the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises only, as mentioned. Such premises will be allowed to remain open without having to notify the licensing authority via a temporary event notice. The draft order covers only sales for consumption on the premises after 11 pm; it does not cover premises that sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, such as off-licences and supermarkets.

Premises that are licensed to provide regulated entertainment will be able to do so until 1 am on the nights covered by the draft order, even where those premises are not licensed to sell alcohol. That includes, for example, venues holding music events or dances, as well as theatres and cinemas.

Premises that supply late-night refreshment—the supply of hot food or drinks to the public between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am—but which do not sell alcohol for consumption on the premises, will not be covered by the draft order. Such premises will only be able to provide late-night refreshment until 1 am if their existing licence already permits it.

To revert to the matter raised by my right hon. Friend the Member for Aldridge-Brownhills, yes, revocations will remain in place and are unaffected by the draft order. I hope that that gives her some comfort for her constituent.

His Majesty the King’s coronation promises to be a joyous and uplifting occasion. A mood of celebration will descend across the country, and it is in that spirit that we seek this extension of licensing hours. I therefore commend the draft order to the Committee.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Wendy Morton and Sarah Dines

Tuesday 30th June 2020 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. We served together on the International Development Committee several years ago, but to be absolutely clear, when it comes to the FCO and DFID merger, as the Prime Minister set out on 16 June we retain our commitment to spending 0.7 % of our gross national income on official development assistance, but it is through closer integration that we will maximise the impact of our aid budget. At the recent Gavi event—the global vaccine summit on 4 June—we mobilised the collective influence of diplomacy and development; it is an excellent example of what the two Departments working together can we achieve.

[Miss Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales) (Con)]

What assessment he has made of the effect on the Sino-British joint declaration of recent actions by the Chinese Government in Hong Kong.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Wendy Morton and Sarah Dines

Tuesday 14th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Miss Sarah Dines (Derbyshire Dales) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to ensure that legal aid is accessible to people who need it.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Wendy Morton)]

It is a pleasure to be in the Chamber, Mr Speaker, with you in the Chair.

Access to justice is a fundamental right and the Government are committed to ensuring that everyone can get the timely support that they need to access the justice system. However, legal aid is only part of the picture. We are also enhancing the support and offer to litigants in person by providing a further £3 million of funding over the next two years to ensure that those representing themselves in court understand the process and are better supported through it. We are additionally investing up to £5 million in a legal support innovation fund alongside many other initiatives.

[Miss Dines]

I should declare my interest as a former legal aid barrister. One of the first emails that I received following my successful election as Member of Parliament for Derbyshire Dales was from a constituent about legal aid issues. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that we do not waste legal aid on those who do not need it or on poor administration and excessive charges, and focus legal aid on provision for truly vulnerable people who really need it?

[Wendy Morton]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for her question. She brings a huge amount of experience in family law to this place. She has made an important point. The Government have always made it clear that it is important that legal aid should be targeted on those who need it most. Applicants for legal aid funding are subject to a stringent merits test. We have begun a review of the legal aid means test to ensure that those who need legal aid, particularly the vulnerable, can continue to access it in future.