Licensing - Consultation delayed?
Roger Gall
On 7th May, in response to a written question by Liberal Democrat peer Tim
Clement Jones (HL3291), Lord Davies of Oldham suggested that the
government's public consultation on licensing exemptions for low risk gigs
would be carried out 'by the summer'.
The summer will be over in a few weeks, and there is no sign that this
consultation has even begun. It is now more than a year since the
Musicians' Union and the erstwhile Live Music Forum publicly concluded that
the Licensing Act 2003 had harmed small gigs, and called on the government
to create, as a matter of urgency, a new exemption for such events within
the Act.
On Monday 14th July Lord Clement Jones tabled a further written question
(HL4889), asking the government: '... what is their current timetable for
conducting a public consultation on licensing exemptions for low risk
musical performances; and whether this consultation will take place over the
summer.'
The government's answer is expected by 28 July.
Link (scroll down to Questions for Written Answer or search on page for
'Clement'):
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/minutes/080715/ldordpap.htm
Roger Gall
On Friday 1st August, a spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport (DCMS) confirmed that, to date, only Musicians' Union officials
have been involved in DCMS discussions about draft entertainment licensing
exemptions for performances of live music.
On 22nd July DCMS claimed it was '... discussing draft exemptions with
representatives of the music sector'.
[Lord Davies of Oldham, written answer to question by Lord Clement-Jones,
ref. HL4889
see:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200708/ldhansrd/text/80722w0010.htm
and scroll down]
But last week, representatives of arts organisations including Equity, the
Arts Council, the English Folk Dance and Song Society, the National Campaign
for the Arts, and the music industry, said that they had not been party to
such discussions.
It is now more than a year since the Musicians' Union and the Live Music
Forum concluded that the Licensing Act 2003 harmed small scale performances,
and recommended further exemptions within the Act as a matter of urgency.
[For LMF statement in July 2007 see:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/2288.aspx]
The latest DCMS revelation suggests that Musicians' Union officials may have
kept the exemption discussions close to their chest. On 24th July two
members of the union's executive committee independently confirmed they were
not aware of any such discussions with DCMS, and that, to the best of their
knowledge, the subject had not yet been raised formally with the committee
Peter Thomas
<roger...@btinternet.com> writes
and want to go on holiday. What does this word 'urgent' mean, they ask?
Should actually be able to consult and report in broad terms in
six-weeks flat, if not in six days. Another six months or more into next
spring is just a poor joke.
Any talked to Tory culture man - my local MP, Jeremy Hunt, I believe?
May have more chance getting such bureaucracy knocked on the head if he
turns out to be in the next government.
--
Peter Thomas