Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 allows the Secretary of State to issue statutory guidance to licensing authorities. In simple terms, it is official guidance that councils must consider when carrying out their licensing functions. It does not replace the Licensing Act 2003, but it helps explain how the Act should be applied in practice.

The Government has confirmed a relaxation of licensing hours for England and Wales for certain 2026 World Cup matches involving qualifying home nations during the knockout stages. However, this is not a blanket permission for all licensed premises to trade late throughout the whole tournament.