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Public Houses and Restaurants: Licensing

Asked by Kevin HollinrakeConservativeDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 27 March 2025UIN 38613

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment with local authorities of the potential merits of introducing a unified regime for the (a) licences, (b) permits and (c) certificates needed to operate (i) restaurants and (ii) pubs.

Answered by Gareth Thomas

Pubs and hospitality businesses are at the heart of our communities and play a vital role in supporting economic growth across the UK.

We are constantly testing our planning, regulatory and licensing regimes to ensure they remain proportionate and don’t unnecessarily burden hospitality businesses.

Our forthcoming Small Business Strategy will set out our plan for further supporting small businesses on the high street and beyond.

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