Official venue licensing figures revealed

Less than three per cent of venues are licensed to sell alcohol for 24 hours a day, new figures reveal.

The report also showed that the majority of the premises that had been granted round-the-clock licensing were hotels.

Figures were based on returns from around 86 per cent of local councils to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport earlier this year, website Caterersearch.com reports.

There are 176,400 licensed premises in England and Wales, 65 per cent of which are hotel bars, 18 per cent are supermarkets and store and just 460 are pubs, bars and nightclubs.

Gerry Sutcliffe, licensing minister, said: "These are the first official licensing figures since the Act came into force two years ago and I'm pleased they put to bed the theory that this law is all about 24-hour drinking. It isn't.

"Only around one per cent of premises have 24-hour licenses to sell alcohol to the public - and many only open longer hours on special occasions."

• Asian weddings services
• Celebrity events
• Corporate events
• Event corporate news
  • Liberty opens Shoe Boutique for corporate events
  • Colorado corporate event partner programme launched
  • Events industry professionals urged to enter ISES awards
  • Corporate event magazine honoured
  • Leeds gears up for World Corporate Games
• Event services
• Events trends
• Weddings
• Weddings services
• What’s new in events?