Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure delivery companies delivering alcohol comply with age and licensing requirements.

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 the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.

Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in 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 engaging with experts, people with lived experience, and other stakeholders, and assessing emerging evidence on the impact that this may be having on health outcomes and on the effective promotion of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable in June on this issue, jointly with the then Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.