Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled Government calls last orders on red tape choking pubs, clubs, and restaurants in major boost to the British night out, published on 4 April 2025, whether her Department plans to give all combined authority mayors the power to call-in Licensing Act 2003 applications and premises reviews.

The government will work with the Greater London Authority to review strategic licensing powers and explore a pilot scheme, providing the Mayor of London with new powers over strategic licensing. Following any pilot, the government will consider the case for rolling this out to other mayors across England.