Agenda item

Mick Sims, Licensing Manager, informed the Committee of the proposed new licensing powers following the amendments to the Immigration Bill 2015.

Members were informed that the Immigration Bill placed additional responsibilities on licensing authorities to take action where licence holders were found not to be entitled to work in the United Kingdom.

The taxi and private hire provisions in the Immigration Bill were considered by the House of Commons’ Bill Committee on 10th November 2015. The Bill was currently before the House of Lords for review.

Chapter 2 of the Bill required immigration checks and continuing compliance with immigration laws as part of the existing licensing regimes for taxis and private hire vehicles. It did so by adapting existing provisions for private hire vehicles in London in the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 and taxis and private hire vehicles in the rest of England and Wales in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Licenses could only be granted to UK residents or those with leave to remain in the UK.

The new bill would empower Licensing Authorities to only grant a licence for the length of a person’s permission to live and work in the UK. Immigration offenses and penalties would be grounds for a licensing authority to revoke a licence, including Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licences, Premises licences and Personal licences. The Officer confirmed that the bill would likely be approved in late Spring 2016, upon which time a further report would be brought to the Committee in June.

Resolved- That the amendments to the Immigration Bill 2015 relating to new licensing powers and additional responsibilities be noted.