Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick is set to extend the blanket provision which allows all pubs to serve takeaway food and booze until 2022.

Despite being forced to close down earlier this week, pubs, bars and restaurants in England are allowed to sell alcohol to takeaway.

An automatic takeaway permission was established in the first national lockdown, but this will now be extended for over a year.

It means businesses will not need to go through a planning application process to provide takeaway, with the exemption being extended until March 23 2022, reports Wales Online.

When announcing the extension, Mr Jenrick is expected to say: “We’ve taken decisive action since the beginning of the pandemic to support our pubs, restaurants, cafes and markets.

"Making it easier for them to provide takeaways has helped these businesses to adapt and helped sustain many through an unbelievably difficult year.

“That’s why I am extending these simple but effective reforms to support these businesses – helping give them and their employees more certainty over the coming year.

“It will also be a boost for their customers who can now look forward to continuing to enjoy meals at home from their favourite restaurants.

As these reforms have made such a difference I will be considering making them permanent.”

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “The ability to provide takeaway services was a valuable lifeline for many hospitality venues, not just during the lockdown but in the days of reduced and restricted trade, too.

“The extension will undoubtedly help many. For pubs, restaurants and cafes to operate as takeaways gives them a previously untapped revenue stream and a much better chance to survive what will be a tough winter.”