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Olympic Extensions Disqualified at the Starting Line

In answer to a question raised by the Labour MP David Anderson, the Home Office Minister, James Brokenshire, yesterday stated in Parliament that the Home Secretary had no plans to generally extend hours for trading during the Olympics.

Under s.172 of the Licensing Act 2003 the Secretary of State may make a Licensing Order to relax hours generally for special occasions.  Most recently this power is proposed to be used to extend hours to mark the Queens Diamond Jubilee.  See our article 'Diamond Jubilee - Proposed Licensing Extension'.

Rejecting the idea of a general relaxation Mr. Brokenshire commented:

“…In consultation with the police and others, we decided it would not be appropriate to do so.”

This will be a disappointment to many in the industry including the BBPA who has been lobbying the Government for a relaxation surrounding the opening and closing ceremonies of the games.

The ability to use TENs remains; however signs are clearly beginning to appear that some Local Authorities, especially in London, will not be encouraging any general increase following concerns expressed by the Police.

If you are interested in seeking a TEN for the Olympics, you would be well advised to submit your ‘applications’ sooner rather than later to seek to ensure you secure the hours you require, particularly before the TEN procedure becomes more complicated when new changes are introduced during 2012.