Licensing Act 2003 (Victory in Europe Day Licensing Hours) Order 2025

Lord Shipley Excerpts

Tuesday 6th May 2025 Grand Committee

I grew up at a time when the shadow of the Second World War was still looming in our lives. I understood from a very young age how hard those years were for my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, and how much they had sacrificed in the fight to preserve the freedom, sovereignty and security that we still enjoy today. The numbers of those who served in the war are now sadly reducing, but there are many people still who lived through those tumultuous times. On Thursday, they will want to enjoy and respect the day completely. Our respect and reverence for them and the members of that great generation only grow. For all they did, we cherish and celebrate them and, for those so inclined on Thursday, the upcoming anniversary will be a chance to raise a glass to them. In that spirit, we have brought forward this order and I commend it to the Committee.

[Lord Shipley (LD)]

I thank the Minister for explaining the objectives of this statutory instrument. We are entirely supportive of what he said. It is appropriate that this SI is approved. I have very little to add, except to say that this is an event of major national significance. As a consequence of that, it is right to do what the Government are proposing.

[Lord Jones (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his helpful and instructive introduction and wish well the aims of this order. Saturday’s great London parade ending at the palace was a magnificent event, helping towards national unity, pride and patriotism. I recall my father’s return from Burma with his star in November 1945—there were difficulties in getting a great army back home from far away as speedily as possible.

Our service men and women displayed and paraded on Saturday brilliantly alongside the flag-flying Ukrainian guests. Surely, after the parade, many of the huge crowds and millions watching on television sought to sink a pint or two. As an Army veteran and president of our RBL branch, I am certain that many pints will be sunk on 8 and 9 May. We can generate quite a thirst in Wales when the occasion arises. This surely shall be one. I have marched in many remembrance parades— at least some 45. In several, I marched with a then constituent who wore his medals of two world wars. He was a lovely man and he invited me into his home.

Strangely, some 60 years ago, Wales organised a referendum for or against Sunday opening—for Sundays were supposedly to be dry in Wales, presumably to encourage attendance at church, chapel and other places of worship. The referendum delivered a resounding “No” to opening, so tired, red-faced, ageing men with large stomachs took the Sunday bus that ran across the Wales-England border to quench their thirst in the then attractively wet England. Our local bus ran to Chester. We in Wales still have a lingering gift for whitewash and hypocrisy—but only skin deep, of course.

I recollect the Minister’s superb tenure and many years as Member of Parliament for Delyn. He was much admired as a vigorous and successful constituency man and a friendly and approachable Member of Parliament, just as he now is as a Minister in your Lordships’ House. We have shared a pint or two together over the years.