Licensing - DCMS statistics.
Roger Gall
rather than illumination.
The above from me.
The following from Hamish Birchall http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/
The UK Statistics Authority has agreed to look at DCMS use of the latest
alcohol and entertainment licensing statistics.
Only last Tuesday, 10 November, the minister said on BBC2 Daily Politics:
'...We've seen an 11% increase in licences since the Act came in... the
Licensing Act has improved things, not made things worse...'
See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8352682.stm
But a government written answer yesterday proves that this is a wholly
misleading claim, and that the latest DCMS data cannot be used to make any
meaningful comparison with the situation for live music before the Licensing
Act.
The data cannot even provide reliable information about the potential for
hosting live music (the statistics include no information about licence
conditions for live music which, unless implemented, mean that hosting live
music remains illegal).
See DCMS stats announcement of 22nd October:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6388.aspx
Lord Clement-Jones asked: ...what proportion of the 5 per cent increase in
venues with a live music permission, reported in the 2008-09 alcohol,
entertainment and late-night refreshment licensing statistics published by
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 22 October, (a) is accounted
for by applications from schools and councils licensing their own premises,
including parks and streets, and (b) are premises that would not have needed
such a permission before the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect. [HL6174]
Lord Davies of Oldham replied: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
does not hold data on types of premises as, in general, the Licensing Act
2003 does not define these. No analysis of the kind described in part (b) of
the question has been conducted.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/text/91110w0004.htm#09111072000648
The government has not collected any live music statistics that might allow
meaningful comparisons with the old and new licensing regimes since the
DCMS/British Market Research Board Survey of 2007. This found 5% fall in
gigs in smaller venues since the Act came into force in November 2005:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/research/researchbriefsurveyoflivemusicdec2007.pdf
ENDS