Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of calls to ban the sale and delivery of alcohol through online delivery apps; and what steps are being taken to strengthen age verification requirements and protect vulnerable people, including those with alcohol dependency, from unrestricted access to alcohol through such platforms.

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence, under section 141 of the Act, for a person to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage, or to allow alcohol to be sold to such a person.

The Government recognises that consumer purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in alcohol sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective. This includes seeking the views of experts, those with lived experience and other stakeholders and evaluating emerging evidence on the impact this may be having on people’s health and the upholding of the licensing objectives.