3) Correct. However, there is no mention of small events in the Act. The relaxation is with regard to events in small premises, i.e. those with a total capacity of fewer than 200 people. Essentially, licencing by its very nature occurs before the event (if it occurred after the event it would be essentially taxation). Hence, it is impossible to know what the attendance will be beyond the reasonable assumption that it wil be no greater than the premises capacity.

For all practical purposes it is probably as well for us to ignore this red herring or 'catch 22'. The relaxation (if it can be referred to as this) is only to the conditions that can be place on the entertainment permission. This permission first has to be applied for, and granted. The so-called relaxation (to the conditions) only applies where the maximum permitted capacity is 200 people and the only way to obtain an official set safe maximum capacity figure, is to apply for the entertainment permission.

Premises (usually) now only have this safe capacity set (by the LA) when they apply for entertainment permission in the form of a PEL, and the-powers-that-be, wished this to continue. Premises not applying for the additional entertainment permission, will not automatically get a safe capacity set as part of their basic Premises Licence but the price will be the same as if they had applied for this.

I fear that they will have to pay again if they later wish to chamge the terms of their Premises Licence and apply for emtertainment permission.