The following from Hamish Birchall.

Please circulate

The Government will only reconsider a small events exemption if the Lords vote to reintroduce it on Thursday 19th June. Lobbying the Lords tomorrow is probably the last chance you have to change the final form of the Licensing Bill.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat Peers are well aware of performers' concerns and are backing this exemption. Crucially, the principle of a small events exemption now also has the unequivocal backing of the whole music industry, as well as performers' unions and a broad range of arts organisations.

However, Labour and Cross Bench Peers who take an interest in music could still make a valuable contribution to the debate on Thursday.

It is too late to post a letter, and Peers' emails are not published as widely as MPs'. But there is a generic fax number for the House of Lords: 020 7219 5979. This is the Peers' Lobby. Note that they only accept a maximum of six Peers' names on any one fax.

As ever, your own form of words is best, but here is a draft if you are short of time (it is almost the same as a letter sent today to Cross Benchers by the Musicians' Union):

~ ~ ~

My Lords

Licensing Bill - live music

The Licensing Bill returns to the Lords on Thursday 19th June at 11am for Lords Consideration of Commons Amendments. I would be most grateful if you could attend this debate.

On Monday 16th June, the Bill had its 3rd Reading and Report debates in the Commons. Unfortunately, the Government reversed some key amendments made by the Lords earlier this year relating to the performance of music. I feel strongly that one amendment in particular should be reinstated: the small events exemption for the performance of live music.

As currently worded, the Licensing Bill will make it an offence for premises, other than churches, to host any regular public performance unless first licensed. Even providing a piano for the public to use for their own amusement will be an offence unless licensed, a new offence that is a consequence of the 'entertainment facility' licensing requirement. However, jukeboxes in bars, or big screen broadcast entertainment anywhere, remain exempt. This is clearly disproportionate and a discrimination against live music.

Local authorities and the police already have wide-ranging statutory powers to deal with public safety, noise and crime and disorder. The Anti-Social Behaviour Bill will give local authorities even greater power to clamp down on noisy premises. Imposing an additional licensing requirement at this level is unnecessary and will stifle live performance that is already struggling to survive.

I hope you will consider supporting the small events exemption on Thursday 19th June.

Yours faithfully


LABOUR PEERS with an interest in music:

Rt Hon The Lord Archer of Sandwell QC

Lord Attenborough CBE

Lord Bach

Lord Bassam of Brighton

Lord Currie of Marylebone

Rt Hon The Lord Diamond

Lord Donoughue

Lord Dormand of Easington

Lord Evans of Watford

Lord Gallacher

Lord Gladwin of Clee CBE JP

Lord Haskel

Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld

Lord Howie of Troon

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath

Baroness Lockwood DL

Lord Macaulay of Bragar QC

Rt Hon the Lord Macdonald of Tradeston CBE

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate OBE

Rt Hon The Lord Murray of Epping Forest OBE

Lord Rea

Rt Hon The Lord Richard QC

Rt Hon The Lord Varley DL

Lord Williams of Elvel CBE

Lord Winston

Baroness Howells of St Davids OBE

Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall

Lord Filkin OBE

Lord Harrison

Lord King of West Bromwich

Lord Lea of Crondall OBE

Lord Fyfe of Fairfield

Lord Morgan

Professor The Lord Parekh

Lord Jones

CROSS BENCHERS with an interest in music:

Lord Armstrong of Ilminster GCB CVO

Earl Baldwin of Bewdley

Rt Hon Lord Cameron of Lochbroom QC

Rt Hon Lord Chalfont OBE MC

Rt Hon Lord Clyde

Lord Elis-Thomas AM

Lord Flowers FRS

Lord Freyberg

Lord Gibson

Rt Hon Lord Hope

Field-Marshall Lord Inge GCB DL

Prof Lord Lewis of Newnham FRS

Earl of Listowel

Rt Hon Lord Lloyd of Berwick

Lord Neill of Bladen QC

Rt Hon Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead

Rt Hon Lord Oliver of Aylmerton

Lord Roll of Ipsden KCMG CB

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy

Viscount Tenby

Lord Tombs

Lord Walton of Detchant TD

Baroness Warnock DBE

Lord Wright of Richmond GCMG FRCM

Baroness Prashar CBE

Baroness Greengross

Lord Adebowale

Lord Adebowale

Lord Moser