Alcohol sales to be banned in House of Commons

The House of Commons is to stop serving alcohol in its bars and restaurants as stricter coronavirus restrictions come into force in London.

Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the measures would begin on Saturday and apply "whether food is served or not".

The move was to bring the House of Commons "into line with the national picture", Hoyle said.

It comes as London is set to move in to Tier 2 restrictions, which bans indoor mixing between households, this weekend.

Hoyle said in a statement: "As MPs represent different constituencies in different tiers – with the very highest level ordering the closure of pubs – I have decided to stop the sale of alcohol across the House of Commons estate from this Saturday.

"This means it will not be possible to buy an alcoholic drink from any of our catering outlets for the foreseeable future – whether food is served or not.

"The House of Commons Commission will be meeting on Monday to consider other measures needed to protect MPs, their staff and House staff, while maintaining our Covid-secure status."

All House of Commons bars are currently subject to the 10pm curfew, even though ‘workplace canteens' are exempt from the enforced closing time.