Licensing Hours Extensions Bill

As previously reported, prior to last year’s election a private members bill was navigating its way through Parliament with the aim of streamlining national licensing extensions which are, from time to time, proposed by the Government.

At present such extensions are approved by means of an ‘affirmative’ procedure, which has meant that the industry has often only received confirmation of the extensions very close to the proposed date itself.

This earlier Bill was lost in the ‘wash-up’ when Parliament was dissolved prior to the election.

A new Bill, Licensing Hours Extensions Bill, has now been introduced by Labour MP for Wrexham, the Rt Hon Andrew Ranger.

The new Bill had its third reading in the House Commons on Friday (4^th July 2025).

The Bill has the same aims as the previous incarnation.  When proposing the Bill for its third reading fellow MP Matt Turmaine stated to the House:

“The Licensing Hours Extensions Bill, proposed by my hon. Friend Andrew Ranger, is about cutting red tape and unnecessary and time-consuming bureaucracy for the hospitality industry and local authorities when they simply want to open earlier or stay open later on occasions of special importance.

The Bill will amend the Licensing Act 2003 to allow licensing extensions to be made more quickly and simply. Furthermore, it will make it possible to extend licensing hours for noteworthy events at short notice, even when Parliament is not sitting.”

The Bill will now proceed to the House of Lords on its journey to becoming law.

We shall keep you updated.