To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will give local authorities more control in the licensing of lap dancing clubs by enabling them to be licensed as sex encounter establishments through the forthcoming Policing and Crime Reduction Bill. [HL155]

In a paper published on 2 December 2008, Fair Rules for Strong Communities, the Government announced that they would reclassify lap dancing clubs as sex establishments to allow local authorities to consider a wider range of community interests when determining whether to grant a licence.

We have announced our intention to include these measures in the forthcoming Policing and Crime Bill, which will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.