Licensing Act 2003 (UEFA Women’s European Football Championship Licensing Hours) Order 2025

Debate between Lord Addington and Lord Hanson of Flint

Tuesday 1st July 2025 Grand Committee

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I appreciate that, but I hope that both noble Lords will recognise that that was not an item that I expected to debate today. It seems eminently sensible to examine that, but I cannot give the noble Lord final chapter and verse on that proposal based on the helpful discussion that we have had. The case has been made very ably and strongly for the encouragement and recognition of that World Cup being held in the United Kingdom, for the reasons that both noble Lords have mentioned. So, if they will let me, I will take away that proposal.

Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003—which the noble Lord remembers vividly, even 22 years on, and the discussions that he had—empowers the Secretary of State to make an order. The criteria mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Addington, are the relaxation of licensing hours to mark occasions of

“exceptional international, national, or local significance”.

A Women’s World Cup held in the United Kingdom potentially has the merit of being included under those criteria, but this is not an issue on which I can give the noble Lord a definitive answer today. I will reflect on that outside the Committee and hopefully be able to write to him and the noble Lord, Lord Hayward, in due course.

[Lord Addington (LD)]

The noble Lord is being very helpful. We are asking to get into thinking that this is a normal, sensible thing to do. The noble Lord has said, “Yes, we’ll have a look at it. That is a good idea”, but making sure that that becomes normalised is what we might take as a bonus from this sensible order.

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

Essentially—this goes back to the point that the noble Lord, Lord Hayward, made—the power in the Licensing Act for the Secretary of State was never designed to be a blanket power; it was designed to cover, as has been mentioned,

“exceptional international, national, or local significance”.

The Secretary of State has to consider that the celebration period in relation to the order—which would be given either by executive power or by formal order—marks an occasion of exceptional national significance. Both noble Lords have mentioned the Women’s World Cup as a whole. If they reflect on today’s order, they will see that it is not about the UEFA Women’s Championship in Switzerland as a whole; it is specifically targeted at the semi-finals on 23 and 24 July and the final on 27 July.

I need to take away from today whether or not the Home Secretary, in this case, will reflect on the semi-final and final of the competition that both noble Lords have referred to, or the whole competition. This order, which is tangential to the issues that have been raised, features only the semi-final and final, and therefore that was the proposal that the Government brought forward.

I very much welcome the support for the order by the noble Lord, Lord Davies of Gower, and the points he made. There is an opportunity here to celebrate both England and Wales, should they make the semi-finals and final, and to help boost businesses in the hospitality sector and provide much-needed income and refreshment to those businesses. That is why I fervently hope that England and Wales make the semi-finals and final, and fight it out in an appropriate way in whichever Swiss football stadium they are playing in on 27 July.

This has been a useful debate and, if noble Lords will allow, I will reflect on those two matters and respond in writing. But, for the reasons that I have mentioned, this is for a specific event on a specific date, not for blanket Secretary of State coverage. But noble Lords have made a very strong case. If I may return to football —the round rather than the oval ball—for women, I commend this order to the Committee.