Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling local authorities to suspend the collection of business licence fees during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Licencing Act provides no legal framework for suspending or waiving premises licence fees. The Act requires that a premises licence be suspended in cases of non-payment or late payment of annual premises licence fees. However, the Minister of State for Crime and Policing has written to chairs of licensing committees to advise that where businesses experience difficulties in paying premises licence fees as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, licensing authorities should exercise their discretion and consider delaying any suspension of a licence.