One year after Casey review, Government minister sets out progress on taxi licensing reforms
- Perry Richardson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
One year after the publication of Baroness Casey’s landmark review into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, the Government has provided an update on progress against its recommendations, highlighting taxi and private hire vehicle licensing reform as a key area of ongoing work.
In a written ministerial statement to Parliament, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood marked the first anniversary of the report, which examined institutional failings in responding to child sexual exploitation and made 12 recommendations for change.
Among them was Recommendation 11, which called for reforms to taxi and private hire vehicle licensing to improve safeguarding standards and address concerns around inconsistent regulation across different licensing authorities.
Updating Parliament on progress, Mahmood said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 now “includes provisions to set national standards for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing, to ensure there are high safeguarding standards applied across the country”.
The Home Secretary pointed to the fact that the Department for Transport will consult on those standards later this year, a move that could lead to greater consistency in how drivers, vehicles and operators are licensed across England.
The Government also said it has secured powers allowing licensing authorities to intervene where public safety concerns arise, regardless of where a vehicle is licensed. Mahmood said: “Through the Act, the Government also has powers to allow all licensing authorities to take immediate action where there is an urgent risk to public safety, wherever a taxi or private hire vehicle is licensed or operating.”
The update comes as ministers continue work on wider taxi and private hire legislation first announced in the King’s Speech. Mahmood told Parliament: “The King’s Speech announced the development of a draft Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny during this Parliamentary session, which will go further still.”
According to the statement, the proposed legislation will include “reforming regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles, stronger enforcement powers for regulators, mandating a national database of all licensees and taking action so that operators and drivers are licensed where they intend to work”.
The commitment to tackle licensing arrangements that allow drivers and operators to be licensed in one area while working predominantly in another is likely to attract particular attention within the taxi and private hire sector. The issue has been debated for years by councils and trade representatives, who have argued that current arrangements can make enforcement and safeguarding oversight more difficult.
The Government’s latest update forms part of a broader review of progress made since accepting all 12 recommendations from Baroness Casey’s audit in June 2025. While ministers say significant work remains, the developments outlined under Recommendation 11 indicate that taxi and private hire licensing reform remains firmly on the policy agenda as part of wider efforts to strengthen safeguarding protections.
