To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she is taking on the decision to allow the sale and consumption of alcohol in a motorway service area.

The Licensing Act 2003 bans the sale of alcohol at certain motorway service areas but this ban does not extend to all of them. At motorway service areas which are not covered by the Act, the grant of premise licences for the sale of alcohol in any particular case is at present a matter for the local licensing authority.

The Government included motorway service areas as part of the public consultation on the Alcohol Strategy in 2012-13. The Government's response to this consultation was published in July 2013 and stated that this issue would be considered further, and it is under active consideration.