The public's safety (overcrowding) is such a pressing current concern for our Government that in the more than 2 years of these reforms being in the White Paper, no 'safe capacity' has been required for live TV showing of sports events in pubs!

What Dr Howells does not say is that the new premises licence - that all premises have to obtain, even if they are not providing music or dancing and applying for the optional 'entertainment element' - will incorporate operating conditions in the application's operating plan.

The White Paper states that this will cover, (e.g. hours, noise, fire exits, capacity) limited to crime and disorder/public safety/nuisance factors, and set locally on basis of the balance of operators requirements/residents views/police and fire authority assessments.

It would appear from this that all premises, whether or not they choose the entertainment option, will have a safe capacity set. A very good thing. There is no reason why premises providing entertainment could not have two, one for when entertainment is not taking place and one when it is not.

So why the continued pretence that continuing the blanket licensing of music making is the only means of providing a safe capacity?

So there really is no need for a separate and optional entertainment element, which without the exact nature of the entertainment being specified well in advance, no music making can take place. How many of the 95% of licensees who do not have the current PEL, will not choose the additional red tape of the optional entertainment element?