Overview

• The four-week call for evidence begins today and centers on nine recommendations from the Government’s Licensing Taskforce.
• Measures under consideration include removing hard‑copy local newspaper ads for licence applications or changes, lifting temporary event notice limits, and streamlining rules for outdoor trading.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle say the goal is to boost footfall and ease costs while keeping communities safe.
• The initiative sits within the Government’s Plan for Change and follows the Small Business Plan, which set out wider support for high streets and access to finance.
• Industry figures, including taskforce co‑chair Nick Mackenzie of Greene King, support rapid reform, while public health advocates have voiced concerns about potential alcohol‑related harms if rules are relaxed.