PM hands responsibility for licensing over to Home Office

The Prime Minister has confirmed that responsibility for the Licensing Act 2003 – with the exception of regulated entertainment – is to transfer from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to the Home Office.

The move comes just days after the government announced a review of alcohol taxation and pricing, which will be jointly led by the Home Office and the Treasury.

In a written ministerial statement, David Cameron also said that the Food Standards Agency would continue to be responsible for food safety. The agency will remain a non-ministerial department reporting to Parliament through health ministers.

However, the Prime Minister added that responsibility for nutrition policy would be transferred to the Department of Health. Food labelling and food composition policy – where not related to food safety – will become a responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Cameron said that further details of the changes will be published “in due course”.