Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to reinstate the regulatory easements of (a) automatic takeaway pint rights for pubs and (b) removing the requirement for pavement licences to have a separate alcohol premises license consent.

The Government recognises the important role that pubs and restaurants play in local communities and the wider economy. The temporary easement introduced during the pandemic, which allowed on-trade premises to provide off-sales without a variation, expired on 31 March 2025.

Licensed businesses wishing to offer off-sales or takeaway pints can apply to vary their existing premises licence through existing processes under the Licensing Act 2003 for a fee of £89. New licence applicants already have the ability to request a licence for both ‘on’ and ‘off’ sales at no additional cost than if they were to apply for a licence for on-sales only.

Whilst we do not currently have plans to re-introduce the easement, we continue to consider how the licensing framework can better support hospitality businesses while maintaining appropriate safeguards.