FOLK MUSIC IN PUBLIC HOUSES AND PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT LICENCES

Thank you for your letter of 2 March to Richard Carbon concerning the recent adjournment debate, folk music and the current public entertainment licensing system. I have been asked to reply on his behalf.

Mr Carbon appreciates your concern with regard to his comments on folk music and regrets any offence they may have caused. They were intended merely as lighthearted banter during typically boisterous exchanges in the House of Commons on the issue of public entertainment licences. Richard Carbon was standing in for Dr Kim Howells, the Minister for Tourism, who unfortunately had to be in America to promote Britain's hospitality, leisure and tourist industries in this Golden Jubilee year.

Dr Howells has a personal commitment to all forms of music, including folk traditions from around the United Kingdom and beyond. His department's support for folk is delivered primarily through the Arts Council of England, which has been happy to engage with the development of the English folk music scene over recent years.

The folk music constituency is making increased use of the Regional Arts Lottery Programme and the National Touring Programme to support its work. The Arts Council directly funds two development agencies for the sector - the Folk Arts Network and the Association of Festival Organisers - both of which provide information and resources to the sector.

One of the most influential agencies in the folk music sector, Folkworks, is a key partner in the emerging and innovative development at the Arts Council lottery funded Music Centre Gateshead (over £40 million). This dynamic development incorporates the first Folk Music Degree course in the United Kingdom and symbolises the folk music sector's ability to renew, refresh and strengthen its position within the cultural life of the country.

Dr Howells shares your views on the current restrictions relating to the provision of entertainment in places such as public houses. I can assure you that the White Paper proposals for reforming the licensing system, which can be read or downloaded from our web-site, (www.culture.gov.uk/new~responsibilities/liquor index.html). offer a more flexible and simplified system of licensing for alcohol and public entertainment and will promote greater opportunities for musicians and other performers.

Under the reform proposals, the current requirement for separate licences for the sale of alcohol, public entertainment and late night refreshment will be replaced by a single integrated system whereby venues will be required to obtain one premises Licence to cover all such activities from the local council. When considering whether to introduce conditions on the premises licence, the local council would be required to obtain any views from the police, local residents and other interested bodies before coming to a decision. This procedure would allow musicians and other performers to submit comments to the council in support of any plans by venues to provide live entertainment. The new system would allow the operator to put forward plans for entertainment activities which local councils would be obliged to consider favourably, and would only be able to impose conditions based on disorder, safety or nuisance factors.

I must point out that the sole purpose of having licence conditions is to ensure safety, minimise nuisance and prevent crime and disorder, and we would expect local authorities to take these factors into consideration when considering any applications for public entertainment licences, particularly during the Golden Jubilee. However, we are aware that local councils have considerable discretion under the existing system for public entertainment licensing with regard to conditions and fees and acknowledge that there are inconsistencies which must be addressed. The councils have been formally advised that their conditions should be relevant to venues and that the replication of regulations which may contribute towards higher fees being charged should be avoided. This department is continuing to liaise with the councils on this important matter and is looking into the possibility of offering further guidance on public entertainment licences in the near future.

In order to ensure consistency and fairness across the country, close controls will be placed on the powers of local councils who will administer the proposed new streamlined licensing system. Dr Howells is committed to bringing forward a licensing reform Bill as soon as Parliamentary time is available.

You may be interested to learn that this department is marking the Golden Jubilee by placing before Parliament a proposal to relax the alcohol licensing hours, which will allow public houses, nightclubs, restaurants, registered members' clubs and bars to open for an additional two hours on the evening of 3 June until lam. We are confident that this proposal will be enthusiastically welcomed by industry and the general public, allowing a greater freedom to choose when and where to celebrate.

The major licensing reforms, also, will provide a major boost to tourism by sweeping away considerable red tape and making our cities and towns more attractive to visitors from the British Isles and abroad. I hope that my letter allays many of your concerns.

Yours sincerely

Ronnie Brldgett

Alcohol and Entertainment Ucensing Branch, Tourism DMslon

The major licensing reforms, also, will provide a major boost to tourism by sweeping away considerable red tape and making our cities and towns more attractive to visitors from the British Isles and abroad. I hope that my letter allays many of your concerns

It does not allay any of mine, how about you? I fail to see how this can be sweeping away any red tape either.