Licensing hours extended to mark Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

On Monday 25 April, Parliament passed an order to extend licensing hours in pubs, clubs and bars across England and Wales from 11pm to 1am to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The extension will cover Thursday 2 June to Saturday 4 June, providing the opportunity for people to continue their celebrations of this historic milestone over the bank holiday,

The Home Secretary, under Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003, can make an order relaxing licensing hours to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”. The Platinum Jubilee is an historic national occasion, and the licensing hours extension will coincide with the extended bank holiday.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said:

For 70 years Her Majesty The Queen has served the UK and the Commonwealth with the utmost dignity, steadfastness and resolve.

The Platinum Jubilee is a truly historic national occasion, which will see families, friends and communities across the country come together to celebrate this unprecedented landmark in a remarkable reign.

Over the extended bank holiday weekend, we will be able to raise a glass to toast Her Majesty’s incredible service to our country, while also providing a boost to the hospitality industry after a challenging couple of years.

Following a public consultation, the government agreed with the majority of respondents that the order should not extend to premises which sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, such as off-licences and supermarkets.

The consultation also received support from the National Police Chiefs’ Council and National Association of Licensing and Enforcement Officers.