Make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry
175,075 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 14 October 2021; it closed on 14 April 2022. The Government responded on 4 November 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 8 November 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Make it a legal requirement for nightclubs to thoroughly search guests on entry
I would like the UK Government to make it law that nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment. This could be a pat down search or metal detector, but must involve measures being put in place to ensure the safety of the public.
There are too many cases of weapons and 'date rape' drugs being used in clubs. It begs the question, why aren't nightclubs required to do more to prevent harmful items making it into their clubs?
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 4 November 2021. Its summary:
The law already allows licensing authorities to impose conditions such as searches. Decisions on this should be made locally, taking account of circumstances, and there are no plans to change the law.
The opening 381 words of the 559-word response:
The Government takes everyone’s freedoms to feel safe and secure seriously, whether in our communities or in the night-time economy. No person should fear for their safety when going out at night. The reports of the spiking of drinks with substances, and of other attacks on individuals in night-time venues, are very concerning. The use of weapons and ‘date-rape’ drugs is not limited to night clubs and as a Government we aim to keep people safe wherever they are.
The existing law already enables steps to be taken to prevent these awful crimes. The Act of Parliament that governs the sale of alcohol – the Licensing Act 2003 – allows local authorities to set conditions on any business that wants to sell alcohol, in order to reduce crime. These can include requiring there to be suitably trained and accredited door staff and CCTV. Furthermore, a local licensing authority can, when appropriate, require a licence-holder to enforce entry searches as a condition of a premises licence.
Local Authorities are best placed to decide what is needed according to local circumstances. It would not be appropriate to impose blanket conditions: for example, to require all licensed premises to have a metal arch on entry – this might be suitable for a large city club but would not be so for a rural pub or restaurant.
In addition, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) is running a long-term public safety campaign targeted at the private security industry, focussing on the prevention of violence against women and girls. The SIA has recently sent out a direct communication to all front-line licence holders (388,000) reminding them of the vital role they can play in preventing violence against women and girls. This includes identifying and preventing predatory behaviour. The note also reminds them of their training and the duty of care required of them and offers guidance on how to help and support individuals in vulnerable situations. Over the next few weeks, the SIA will be running a social media campaign reinforcing these messages and signposting licence holders to best practice and guidance. The SIA has received positive feedback from the industry on this initiative. It has also received early feedback from training providers who are looking at how they can support the SIA’s campaign in their training.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 3,406, came from Nottingham South.
174,661 of the signatures were from the UK and 414 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Nottingham South | 3,406 |
| Nottingham East | 2,253 |
| Rushcliffe | 1,335 |
| Liverpool, Riverside | 1,230 |
| Broxtowe | 1,105 |
| Loughborough | 1,052 |
| Leeds Central | 960 |
| Sheffield Central | 950 |
| York Central | 943 |
| Gedling | 936 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 27,177 |
| Scotland | 21,350 |
| South East | 21,229 |
| East of England | 16,285 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 15,209 |
| North West | 14,947 |
| London | 12,890 |
| South West | 12,154 |
| West Midlands | 12,129 |
| Wales | 6,561 |
| North East | 5,920 |
| Northern Ireland | 3,311 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 8 November 2021. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/598986.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
1f71f47dad1a1810… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.