The Licensing Act 2003 (Coronation Licensing Hours) Order 2023 passes the last hurdle under the draft affirmative procedure.

Instruments subject to the draft affirmative procedure are laid in draft and require approval in Parliament before being signed into law. Instruments concerning taxation are not laid in the Lords and only require the approval of the Commons. The Commons debates the instrument in a Delegated Legislation Committee or in the Commons Chamber, where a decision on approval is made. The Lords debates the instrument in Grand Committee or in the Lords Chamber, where a decision on approval is made.

The final steps in the process was a House of Lord's Grand Committee on 19th April where the committee passes a motion to support the Order.

The Government considers His Majesty the King’s Coronation to be an occasion of exceptional national significance for the purposes of section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003 (see paragraph 6.3) and wishes to mark this occasion by extending licensing hours over the Bank Holiday weekend, Friday 5 May to Sunday 7 May 2023. This Order will permit licensed premises in England and Wales, subject to their existing licence conditions, to remain open over those dates from 11pm until 1am the following morning, for the sale of alcohol for consumption on the premises and for the provision of regulated entertainment and late-night refreshment. We will not be applying this extension to off-sales due to responses received in the consultation which expressed concerns of a potential increase in crime and disorder.

The Business and Planning Act provisions which automatically allow off-sales where a premises licence permits on-sales will not apply, because such off-sales have to stop at 11pm.

The final Order is expected to be published shortly on the legislation website.