Following a debate on the Live Music Bill, reintroduced into the House of Lords by Lord Clement-Jones, the Government has given its backing to the Bill, subject to certain amendments.

Lord Clement-Jones’ Live Music Bill is to receive its second reading on Friday 4 March.

The Government has begun a review of licensing laws that pertain to child performance.

The NCA has this week responded to the Home Office consultation, ‘Rebalancing the Licensing Act.’  

When Lord Clement-Jones introduced his Live Music Bill in the last Parliament, the NCA welcomed his response to the government’s frustrating and inhibiting red tape around live pub music.  This week the Lib-Dem peer reignited the debate, one day before the Live Music Forum prepared to deliver a 17,000 signature petition to Downing Street to address the need for small venues like schools and village halls to be exempt from the Licensing Act.

In early March, the NCA wrote to MPs urging them to support the Live Music Bill and find time to allow its full passage before the General Election.

DCMS is running another consultation on the Licensing Act, which proposes to “exempt small live music events for audiences of not more than 100 people from the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 relating to the licensing of live music as regulated entertainment under the Act. “ It is hoped that this exemption will benefit small venues that wish to hold live music events, but are deterred by the licensing requirements and costs, as well as musicians who may find more opportunities to perform. As well as presenting an increased opportunity for the wider public to hear live music, the exemption is expected to make a number of administrative savings. People and organisations that currently use Temporary Event Notices to put on live music on an occasional basis, and licensed venues that put on small live music events for no more than 100 people are subject to a burden that the proposal will lift. It is estimated that this administrative saving could be around £406K - £881k per year. It is also estimated that there will be fee savings of around £379K - £503K. The full consultation can be viewed here.

 

DCMS is currently running a consultation on the Licensing Act 2003, on a proposal to exclude the provision of musical instruments from the definition of entertainment facilities, and clarify that entertainment facilities are not separately licensable if they are used solely for the provision of incidental music. The NCA welcomes these proposals, which go some way to lighten the restrictions that the Licensing Act currently places on live music. The consultation can be viewed here.

DCMS is currently running a consultation on the Licensing Act 2003, on a proposal to exclude the provision of musical instruments from the definition of entertainment facilities, and clarify that entertainment facilities are not separately licensable if they are used solely for the provision of incidental music. The NCA welcomes these proposals, which go some way to lighten the restrictions that the Licensing Act currently places on live music. The consultation can be viewed here.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones’ Private Members Bill has received its second reading in the House of Lords. Clement-Jones outlined the history of the Licensing Act, which had been introduced to help live music flourish, but which actually had a diminishing effect. Clement-Jones referred to a British Market Research Bureau (BMRB) survey in 2007 which concluded that there had been a five per cent decrease in the provision of live music in secondary live music venues since 2004. In restaurants and cafes the figures showed a drop of 12 per cent, and in church halls and community centres a drop of 24 per cent. He continued to criticise the Government’s minor variations procedure, labelling it “extraordinarily bureaucratic “ as well as attacking the “absurdities and inconsistencies of the Licensing Act.”

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones’ private Live Music Bill receives its second reading at the House of Lords today. The bill aims to amend the Licensing Act to make it easier for musicians to perform in small venues. Measures include making schools, hospitals, colleges and venues up to a capacity of 200 exempt from the need to obtain a licence, and the re-instating of the “two-in-a-bar” rule, whereby venues presenting one or two musicians playing unamplified, or minimally amplified music would not require a licence. Furthermore, the Bill carries economic implications, since live music could act as an attraction to customers, combating the increasing closure of local pubs which CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) estimates at 52 per week.

Unusually so close after Christmas, Parliament is focussed on no fewer than four pieces of legislation which are of interest to the arts sector.

The Save our Sound UK campaign continues to generate interest and involvement, but the work is far from done.

Licensing Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has unveiled a range of proposals to amend the Licensing Act 2003. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have published a consultation, which

outlines three simplification measures, estimated in the Impact Assessment to save the organisations and businesses involved between £9.2m and £24.1m a year.