Scotland - licensing changes

Subject: Scotland - licensing changes
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 11 Feb 12 - 12:20 PM

http://www.john-gaunt.co.uk/news/299/scotland-public-entertainment-licensing

Currently a licence is required when anyone intends to have entertainment, such as a dance, concert, variety show or other entertainment to which members of the public are to be admitted and where some payment for admission is to be paid.

The Act repeals the words "on payment of money or money's worth" from section 41(2) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This allows licensing authorities to control large-scale public entertainments that are free to enter. Further, authorities will have the discretion to license events such as gala days or school fetes.

Subject: RE: Scotland - licensing changes
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 11 Feb 12 - 03:32 PM

Very Interesting
I wonder how they will differentiate between small and large scale free events. Folk festivals over a number of venues in one town?
This seems quite draconian, would a Union meeting or demo come under this. Church services , large funerals large weddings. amateur sports events, Royal garden parties, non royal garden parties. political party meetings over phone box size. im sure this list could be added to
This amendment stinks of public control gone mad.
This would mean that any event at all would have to be under the "control" of local authorities or at least ask their advice about whether it required a licence a shameful wast of time and money.
I seems to me that the original act was sensible and an amendment covering the kind of things they had in mind would have been OK instead of a wooly blanket coverage of "Free events"
This could make many free events too costly and time consuming to stage

Subject: RE: Scotland - licensing changes
From: GUEST,The Shambles
Date: 12 Feb 12 - 01:53 PM

It does seem strange at a time when England And Wales has moved to less regulation, in recently passing the Live Music Bill.

Subject: RE: Scotland - licensing changes
From: GUEST,Calum
Date: 13 Feb 12 - 10:47 AM

Haven't been following this too closely, but I hope they don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. The background is concern over several Facebook-organised "party-in-the-park" type affairs which went badly wrong with no-one accountable for them.