§ Mr. HeathTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment of the noise pollution caused by(a) amplified music and (b) television sets was made by her Department when considering licensing reform. [87408]
§ Dr. Howells[holding answer 16 December 2002]: We consulted local authorities and local residents groups, as well as representatives of the music industry, following the publication of our proposals for reform of the licensing laws, and considered views on public nuisance and the impact of various forms of entertainment on the community. The comments that were received during the initial review and in response to the publication of the White Paper led to our making the prevention of public nuisance one of the four primary licensing objectives of the Bill.
During the consultation, no organisation or individual commented on the issue of noise from television sets. Subsequently, we have considered 828W whether the live broadcast of television in public venues should be brought within the proposed licensing regime and concluded that this is not necessary.