§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what recent representations she has received concerning the licensing of premises for public entertainment; and if she will make a statement; [51752]
(2) what plans she has to change the law on the licensing of premises for public entertainment, with regard to the number of performers allowed to perform at unlicensed premises. [51753]
§ Dr. HowellsI have received a number of representations recently from hon. Members on behalf of their constituents and from performers of live music calling for the abolition of the exemption which provides for up to two musicians to perform live in public houses without a public entertainment licence. These include a number of similar letters sent to me as part of a campaign. I have also received representations arguing that all live music should be exempt from licensing, that some licence154W fees are excessive, that some conditions attached by local authorities are disproportionate and that the current licensing regime deters spontaneous singing in public houses.
Our plans for the modernisation of the licensing regimes were set out clearly in the White Paper "Time for Reform" (Cm. 4696) published on 10 April 2000. We proposed that the current exemption from public entertainment licensing that allows two musicians to perform live in premises licensed for the sale of alcohol should end. This is because one or two live musicians using powerful microphones and amplifiers can make more noise and so generate more nuisance for local residents than three without. Alcohol and public entertainment licensing will be integrated into a single scheme. This would remove at a stroke a considerable amount of existing red tape and reduce the licensing costs which currently deter many venues from providing live music and dancing. The reforms will be implemented by means of primary legislation to be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time permits.