Draft Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026
House of Commons · General Committees · 7 Sep 2026 · 30 speeches · Official Report
The Committee consisted of the following Members:
Chair: Paula Barker
† Bool, Sarah (South Northamptonshire) (Con)
† Botterill, Jade (Lord Commissioner of His Majesty’ s Treasury)
† Buckley, Julia (Shrewsbury) (Lab)
† Foster, Mr Paul (South Ribble) (Lab)
† Fox, Sir Ashley (Bridgwater) (Con)
† Goldsborough, Ben (South Norfolk) (Lab)
† Lamont, John (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) (Con)
† Leadbeater, Kim (Spen Valley) (Lab)
† Murray, Katrina (Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch) (Lab)
† Newbury, Josh (Cannock Chase) (Lab)
† Pakes, Andrew (Peterborough) (Lab/Co-op)
† Perteghella, Manuela (Stratford-on-Avon) (LD)
† Snell, Gareth (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab/Co-op)
† Thompson, Adam (Erewash) (Lab)
† Vickers, Matt (Stockton West) (Con)
† White, Jo (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department)
Wilson, Munira (Twickenham) (LD)
George Stokes, Committee Clerk
† attended the Committee
First Delegated Legislation Committee
Monday 7 September 2026
[Paula Barker in the Chair ]
Draft Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026
I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Licensing Act 2003 (Mandatory Licensing Conditions) (Amendment) Order 2026. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairpersonship, Mrs Barker. The draft order, which was laid before the House on 30 June, makes an important change to the alcohol licensing framework in England and Wales. It will allow licensed premises and club premises with a certificate to accept digital proof of age for the sale and supply of alcohol where that proof is provided through a digital verification service that is independently assessed against the UK digital verification services trust framework and listed on the statutory DVS register, and where the relevant licensing conditions are met. The measure offers those fortunate enough still to be asked for ID-whether they regard that as flattering or frustrating-an additional way to prove their age. Where a licensed premises or club premises with a certificate chooses to accept it, a person will be able to use properly verified digital proof of age, rather than relying on a passport, driving licence or other physical documents. The mandatory licensing conditions currently require physical proof-of-age documents that bear a photograph, a date of birth and either a holographic mark or an ultraviolet feature. This remains a valid and important route for age verification. The draft order does not remove physical ID, does not require anyone to use digital proof of age and does not require a...
I thank you, Mrs Barker, for chairing the debate. I do not think that anybody on the Committee objects in principle to making it easier for someone to prove that they are over 18 without having to carry a passport or similar around with them. There are obvious conveniences for consumers, and potentially for businesses, but I would like the Minister to provide some reassurance about where the measure sits within the Government’s wider approach to digital verification. The order before us appears relatively narrow. It allows licensed premises to rely on a registered digital verification service when checking somebody’s age. We are told that its use will be voluntary, that businesses will not have to accept digital identification and, importantly, that customers will still be able to use physical identification. I welcome that assurance, but I would like the Minister to put it beyond any doubt that there is no intention for digital identification to become, in practice or in law, the only reasonable means by which somebody can prove their age when purchasing alcohol. As technology changes, it is right that the means by which the Government regulate should expand to incorporate and utilise that technology. This should not be about digitally excluding people, but about increasing people’s options and choices and allowing people to do business more easily. As has been acknowledged, the work on this matter is based heavily on efforts begun under the Conservative Government, which...
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Barker. The Liberal Democrats are supportive of the order. Individuals should be able to have the option to verify their age digitally, but we want to make it clear that doing so must not replace the use of physical ID. The option must always be retained, thereby giving young people the freedom to choose. It is important that the protections are robust and contain adequate safeguards to prevent misuse and ensure that digital identities are genuine. Will the Minister therefore set out whether she is satisfied that sufficient safeguards are in place to ensure that the system will be enforced in the prescribed manner? Furthermore, what discussions has she had with the sector about the implementation of the system? How will the change be communicated to the public? What future measures will the Government consider to ensure that age is verified effectively under the 2003 Act when alcohol sales take place remotely? What steps are they taking to monitor compliance and accountability, and where necessary to take enforcement action against companies certified under the DVS trust framework? I thank the Minister for clarifying that the order is not about going down the route of compulsory digital IDs. I reiterate that the Liberal Democrats are clear that a mandatory digital ID system would cross a red line. It would risk eroding long-held civil liberties. Digital tools should be about giving individuals more control over their...
I am grateful for both Members’ contributions. This legislation supports the objectives of strengthening age-verification safeguards and preventing under-age alcohol sales. It will allow licensed premises and club premises to use secure digital methods to verify age, thereby giving consumers greater choice and reducing the need for people to carry and present important physical documents, or to disclose unnecessary personal information, unless they choose to do so. It is reported that 57% of 18 to 25-year-olds have experienced forgetting their ID on a night out. It is also important to note that not everyone holds a passport or driving licence. Digital proof of age can be created using a wider range of evidence while still meeting the required standards, which may make trusted proof of age accessible to a broader range of people. The changes in the order are completely separate from the proposals for a national digital ID system, which are no longer being taken forward. Last year, the Government passed and commenced the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, establishing a legislative structure for the provision of trusted digital verification services and providing the statutory gateway for their use. Millions of people in Britain already use services that fall within that legal framework. The regulatory changes before us build on the existing regime. The purpose of this legislation is to remove an existing legal barrier that prevents secure digital proof of age from being used...
Committee rose.