Some of you will already have been circulated by Hamish Birchall as follows: -

"Licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe has promised a public consultation on a small gigs exemption:

'The Department [DCMS] will consult in the new year on whether de minimis licensing activities, which could include certain live music performances, should be exempt from the scope of the Act.' [de minimis is a Latin tag meaning trivial or unworthy of the law's attention]

Sutcliffe's offer came during last week's Select Committee debate (Thu 29 Nov). The minister's promise went further than the vague commitments offered by the government during the Lords' debate on 15 October.

For the Hansard transcript of the Select Committee debate see: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmgeneral/deleg5/071129/71129s01.htm

The government also announced another public licensing consultation last week, this time on whether 'minor variations' should be easier, such as a variation to allow an acoustic music night, for example:
http://www.culture.gov.uk/Reference_library/Press_notices/archive_2007/dcms146_07.htm

So things appear to be moving in a sensible direction, if rather slowly. Now might be a good time to write to your MP, reminding them that the Live Music Forum - the government's own live music think tank - recommended a small gigs exemption back in July 'as a matter of some urgency': http://www.writetothem.com/"



While to my mind small electric gigs are perhaps harshly treated, the most absurd provision of the legislation is that unamplified music is treated as regulated entertainment. In my view if premises already hold an type of licence under the Act, that licence should automatically permit musical performances without electrical amplification.

If anyone is to press their MPs, that, I think, might be the point to press them on.