Last week, Shabana hosted a conference call with Manchester City Councillors to discuss her long-standing campaign to regulate Shisha bars.

Shabana has led the campaign to regulate Shisha premises across the country for many years.

In February, Shabana met officers from Birmingham City Council and received guidance on supporting regulatory change through the Local Government Act 2003, subsequently writing to the Ministry of Communities, Housing and Local Government. A response is still outstanding.

In the conference call, Shabana heard that Manchester experienced the same issues linked to some Shisha premises: antisocial behaviour, a rise in crime, and complaints from residents.

Speaking after the call, Shabana said:

“Proposals for Shisha regulation are not about targeting those running Shisha businesses iresponsibly, but ensuring that communities aren’t affected by poorly-run Shisha premises and the problems they attract.

“I was grateful to hear about the different approaches proposed by Councillors in Manchester.

“It’s clear that we are looking to tackle the same problem, and going forward we will be cooperating more closely on our next steps.

“I will continue to chase up the outstanding response from the MCHLG regarding legislative approaches to Shisha regulation.”