The Stage

Coalition Government promises action on child licensing laws

Published Tuesday 4 January 2011 at 14:59 by Natalie Woolman

The Coalition Government has pledged to update the 40-year old child licensing laws to ensure all British youngsters have the chance to appear on stage and on screen.

An advisory group has been set up to look at the legislation and to consider whether the amateur sector can be removed from licensing laws entirely. The group will develop the recommendations former Royal Television Society chair Sarah Thane set out in her report, which was commissioned by the Labour government in 2009 and reviewed the 1968 legislation around child performance.

In addition, a handful of working groups are to be set up in the coming months to address specific issues raised in the Thane report.

These will include a group dedicated to improving safeguarding arrangements, which will be led by John Oates of the British Psychological Society and John McVay of producers’ trade body PACT, and one charged with considering whether amateur groups should be exempt from the laws. The latter will be led by Ian Hart, chair of the National Network for Children in Employment and Entertainment, and Eddie Redfern from the Little Theatre Guild.

Thane commented: “It’s good that key stakeholders will be closely involved in shaping the necessary reforms to the system of licensing child performance. Our shared goal is for children to be free to experience and enjoy performing with proper regard for their welfare.”

Hart added: “It is something we have been campaigning for over a number of years. We look forward to working with all interested stakeholders to bring about change that represents the industry in the 21st century.”

The government will consult on proposals for changing the law this year. In the meantime, it has published guidance for local authorities and amateur groups to make the most out of the current rules.

The advisory group will also include representatives from the BBC, Channel 4, the Society of London Theatre and NSPCC among others.