Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the continued operation of late-night venues in central London in relation to (a) business rates, (b) planning, (c) licensing; and what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of trends in the number of closures of (i) late-night venues and (ii) late-night venues for LGBT customers.

The night-time industry plays an important role in high streets and town centres across the country. To help high street businesses, as set out at Autumn Budget 2024, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.

We recognise planning and licensing decisions can impact the continued operation of late-night venues. The Licensing Act 2003 aims to strike the right balance between providing safeguards to prevent nuisance, crime and disorder, while recognising the contribution licensed premises make to thriving night-time economies. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established.

Research has indicated a decline in the number of night-time economy venues in the UK between 2018 and 2023. We are working with the Hospitality Sector Council to improve the resilience of hospitality businesses, including those operating in the night time economy.