The full speech, before the spin...

MODAL 2002

Speech by Kim Howells MP

Introduction

Music does so much to add to the quality of life for so many people. Britain in particular enjoys an excellent international reputation for the diversity, vitality and quality of its music.

Music is an important part of British culture and it is right that there should be an element of support from the public purse whether through the Arts Council, local Government funding or the National Lottery.

It is a plural culture: a mixture of subsidy and the free market. The point of subsidy is that it acts as investment, provides continuity, allows artistic risks, sustains the best of tradition, develops new talent, and feeds the commercial entertainment economy.

We are here today to talk about and celebrate music and music makers who work 'outside of the mainstream' and I am delighted that ACE have increased their support for organisations like the African and Caribbean Music circuit, the Asian Music circuit and the Folk Arts Network.

Even more importantly they have made an extra commitment of £100,000 a year to go to contemporary music and they are now supporting a large number of organisations which you may know - like Continental Drifts, Gig Right UK and Generator.

This increase in funding for the 'non mainstream' music sector will continue this year with new support for the Association of Festival Organisers, Jazz Development Trust and Serious, one of the country's leading producers of new music, jazz and world music.

At the same time, your sector thrives in its own right - the number of private sector clubs, festivals, dedicated record labels and this weekend's conference testifies to this.

I know you are the last people I need to convince of music's importance, and that what you really would like to be convinced of is the Government's commitment to music and the music sector.

Well our aim is simple: we want to ensure that everyone, regardless of where they live, their cultural or ethnic background, gender or ability to pay, has the opportunity to experience music.

Public Entertainment Licensing

I know that one of the issues of concern to many of you is Public Entertainment Licensing I note that there is a panel on PEL's tomorrow morning.

Problems with the existing licensing regime

In calling for the reform of the public entertainment licensing system, your industry is of course pushing at an open door.

As a Government, we are firmly committed to the reform and modernisation of our archaic and at times, wholly stupid, licensing laws. It is a Manifesto commitment we have made and will keep.

You do not have to persuade us that the "two in a bar" rule is outdated and pointless. We intend to abolish it.

We published the White Paper "Time for Reform" in April 2000. It pulled no punches about what was wrong with the existing licensing arrangements. It identified the main problems with current public entertainment licensing regime as being:

 too much scope for inconsistencies in the approaches of different licensing authorities, which cannot be justified by real local differences;

 separate licensing systems for theatres, cinemas and music and dancing, producing unnecessary complexity when the main purposes of regulation are essentially the same;

 too much scope for local licensing authorities to impose disproportionate and burdensome requirements on venues;

 duplication of the requirements of fire safety and Health and Safety regulations; and

 fees set at the discretion of local authorities, with some evidence of excessive charging.

Licensing Reform

The White Paper presented a radical package of measures which we remain convinced strikes an important and necessary balance between the needs of business, including your industry, and the concerns of local residents.

Live performers - jazz, folk and others - have no reason to fear our proposals. We consulted very widely on them. The consultation was not limited to the powerful alcohol interests, but also included groups representing the interests of professional musicians.

Let me quote one response to the White Paper. It came from the Association of British Jazz Musicians. They said:

"Remarkably, these reforms could benefit everyone: the brewers and landlords, as well as the present and future employees in the industry; and of course there will be increased opportunities for entertainers, particularly musicians. The reduction in regulation, with consequent savings to brewers and individual licensees, should also mean that there will be more money in the system for the payment of entertainers at a proper level."

These reforms have to be introduced by means of primary legislation - there is no quick fix.

I am not permitted to anticipate a future Queen's Speech, but I can assure you that work on the preparation of the necessary Bill is on-going, and I am optimistic that it will be presented sooner rather than later.

Those of you who wish to campaign about the reforms need not therefore preach to the converted. I was converted long ago. But the more support that you can generate for our Bill among the wider public the better.

There are people out there who think the Bill is only about alcohol. It is much broader than that and will bring much greater flexibility for the music industry too. Keep spreading the message and we will deliver on our promises.

Broadcasting

I notice that the opening session today is looking at the changing face of broadcasting.

Together, the BBC and the commercial broadcasters provide an ever growing choice of music listening.

Starting with the BBC, the success of their programmes should be judged not just on ratings but also on quality, innovation, the ability to challenge and the desire to take risks. They must set the standards for other public service broadcasters to match.

Shows like Lucy Duran and Andy Kershaw's Radio 3 programme and Mike Harding's on Radio 2 are good examples of the BBC fulfilling this role, while the broadcasting of the recent World Music Awards on Radio 3, and their 'World On Your Street' project On the commercial side, there are now over 250 radio stations. Whilst many play mainly chart music, there are a significant number which feature less mainstream music. Take one of my favourites - Jazz FM for example. There is also Ritz, Xfm & the newly launched Soul FM plus many more. In addition, many of the ethnic stations such as Choice and Sunrise who target visible ethnic minorities, play music that you are unlikely to hear anywhere else on radio.

The increased choice provided by the digital age will provide even more opportunities for grass roots music on both radio and TV.

In September last year, the Secretary of State gave the BBC approval to launch three new digital television and five new digital radio services. The new digital radio services include two new music channels, both of which are 'non mainstream':-

6 Music was launched on 11 March and aims to reintroduce radio listeners to the music and artists that have helped shape popular music and culture over the last 30 years or so. The network is not dictated to by the charts but by "a passion for great music". The channel will make use of the BBC's extensive archive and is the BBC's first new national music radio station in 32 years.

A new black music channel, 1Xtra, playing hip hop, R&B and Garage will be launched in the summer. It will concentrate on new artists and again , will not follow trends in the mainstream Top 40.

But the digital future is not just about the BBC. Some of you may be surprised to hear that commercial digital radio already reaches almost 90% of the population in the UK. The Radio Authority have awarded licences for 1 national and 35 local digital multiplexes in the UK, which are already carrying over 200 commercial radio stations, with more to come on line every week. This number allows stations to concentrate on particular audiences, and stations such as The Groove and The Rhythm are examples of this.

The new channels demonstrate the increased variety of audio services that digital radio can offer. We, of course, also hope that this choice will persuade more people to buy digital radios , so that all digital radio channels will benefit from a wider audience.

The BBC's new digital television channel, BBC4, was launched in March. The BBC promises that it will be a place where more experimental music and dance performances can be showcased. It will provide a home for example for Jazz, roots and world music on the BBC and I hope will allow the BBC to show an increasing commitment to music on all its channels.

Conclusion

I would like to thank the organisers for inviting me to this year's event, and I would once again like to assure you of the Government's commitment to all types of music.

I would also like to congratulate you for helping this essential part of our music industry to continue to thrive. I hope the weekend is a success and that you enjoy all the great music on offer.