Have a guilty feeling that I ought not to be wittering on about this on the eve of Dubya's firework night but it did seem to me that as soon as we take our eyes off them, the b***ers stop making soothing noises and start tightening the damn bill up again. Apologies to Jim Lawton for stealing his post off the uk.music.folk newsgroup.

"Jim Lawton" wrote in message
news:3e771546.7930433@text.news.ntlworld.com...
> Well, it hardly sems important given what else our beloved government are up to, but here's a letter received via my MP
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dominic.Tambling@Culture.gsi.gov.uk
> [mailto:Dominic.Tambling@Culture.gsi.gov.uk]
> Sent: 10 March 2003 16:33
> To: gareth.maybury@culture.gsi.gov.uk
> Subject: Paul Truswell MP - questions from Jim Lawton
>
>
> Thank you for your message of 27 January following one you have received from Mr Jim Lawton. I apologise for the delay in replying.
Mr Lawton asked about temporary event notices and whether the limits set out in the Bill apply to individuals as well as premises. The Bill provides that only five temporary event notices may be given in respect of a premises within a year. It also provides that a non-personal licence holder may give up to five notices in a year and a personal licence holder up to 50.
>
It will not, of course, be necessary to give a temporary event notice every time an entertainment is organised. Many of the places at which events take place will be licensed for the provision of regulated entertainment and no additional permission will be required.
>
The Department will also be encouraging local authorities to licence public open spaces, such as village greens, on which many events take place.
>
[ I'm sorry, I think I just went mad, where *is* that white rabbit .... Jim ]
>
> No additional licence would need to be obtained by anyone carrying out licensable activities covered by such a licence, although the consent of the local authority holding the licence would be required.
>
> The temporary event notice system is one of a light touch and it is therefore necessary to attach limits to its use to ensure that unscrupulous individuals do not use it as a way of circumventing the provisions of the Bill.

Suggers comment:
The way I see it is that this just reinforces the point that dance sides are going to be wrapped up in more red tape than a maypole.
In reality, there's no real change for a "proper" village fete, as there's usually a bar and it's just a matter of applying for a slightly different licence via a slightly different route to the one you had last year for alcohol.
Dancing out is a different matter, I fear. This note confirms my fears that EVERY TIME WE DANCE OUT on our own (ie not as a paid job for someone else)we will need to check that the places we intend dancing are properly licensed.
Bear in mind that there could be problems if either of the five per year limits have been exceeded.
The recent promised easement for performers does NOT apply to organisers. If you dress up in your kit, you can hardly claim that this is spontaneous - so you will ALWAYS need to find out whether your village green(s) are properly legal after the bill becomes law.

INTC
Suggers