Western Morning News 09:00 - 19 February 2003
By Paul Andrews

The Government attempted to head off criticism of proposed changes to
licensing laws yesterday by inviting musicians to a "summit" to help draw up guidelines which will govern their operation. The move coincides with the WMN campaign to challenge the Licensing Bill, widely seen as a direct threat to live music in pubs.

Minister for Culture Kim Howells said: "I want to ensure the Bill is enforced with a heavy dose of common sense on the ground. I hope the music world, local authorities and the industry will take the opportunity to help shape the guidance and make sure this happens."

But despite yesterday's announcement, musicians and licensees have said they are still "extremely wary".

Hamish Burchill, spokesman for the Musicians' Union South West, said: "This is a step in the right direction but does not go far enough. The fundamental problem remains that small-scale informal events do not need licensing."

The Bill, which could be law by next year, will abolish the "two-in-a-bar rule", which allows a landlord to have one or two musicians play in their pub without needing a full entertainments licence.

Landlords would need to apply to their local authority for a new premises licence to stage any musical event, however small.

Because of the expensive conditions which may be imposed by the fire, police and health and safety, there are fears landlords will simply abandon live music.

Yesterday, Mr Howells tried to allay these fears by stating that local authorities will not be able to impose "unreasonable conditions" on licence applications.

But publicans' representatives remain unconvinced.

Mike Priest, a spokesman for the West of England Licensed Victuallers' Association, said: "This is merely recognition by the Government of how deeply this Bill has concerned people. We are still extremely wary.

"When the Bill was introduced it was done so based on the their idea of creating less red tape. But what it has been replaced with is a set of procedures which merely add to the bureaucracy.

"Regardless of what may be said in public this proposed legislation is still simply a way of creating a new revenue source."

Mr Howells said he would host a music industry summit on February 26 and hold talks with Musicians' Union leader John Smith on March 4 to listen to performers' concerns.

Musicians' representatives will be included in a working group alongside councils and the pub industry to draw up guidelines on how licensing authorities should operate the new regulations.

Mr Howells said: "A host of rumours have been circulated about this Bill.

"The truth is it will make it more affordable for venues to put on live performance in the vast majority of cases. This will in turn increase opportunities for musicians and other artists to perform. Musicians have nothing to fear from this Bill, but much to gain from it."

Nick Harvey, Lib-Dem spokesman for Culture and MP for North Devon, said: "The Government are obviously feeling the heat of the campaign against this Bill. Because they failed to publish guidelines when the Bill was first published it is very much a mess of their own making. They should have invited these people to contribute to the process long ago. Now at least they will face the front line."

More than 2,546 readers have now sent in protest forms to the Western
Morning News campaign to challenge the Bill. Along with the petition forms, which will be printed every Tuesday, these will be handed to Dr Howells, demanding that live pub music is protected.

This newspapers fine month-long campaign articles can be seen on the following site http://tinyurl.com/5qsh

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