§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why, during an interview on the BBC's "Today" programme on 13 January, the Home Secretary advised licensing authorities to phase the time at which public houses and clubs close when the guidance on the Licensing Act 2003 indicates that licensing authorities should not "seek to engineer staggered closing times". [HL847]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)Under the Licensing Act 2003 a licensing authority can set a mixture of closing times through the granting and review of individual licenses, on which representations have been made. As this approach is based on responding to representations, such as those from the police and local residents, it does not contradict the guidance to licensing authorities about the artificial engineering of closing times through the setting of quotas.