The Stage

Entertainment licensing reform will boost the economy by £43m, says Equity

Published Thursday 1 December 2011 at 10:36 by Natalie Woolman

Equity has claimed that proposals to reform live entertainment licensing could boost the economy by more than £43.2 million every year.

The government is consulting on removing licensing requirements from performances of drama, music and dance in certain circumstances, in a change that would alter the 2003 Licensing Act.

In its response, Equity states: “We agree with the government’s assessment that there will be substantial benefits to individual and collective wellbeing due to the deregulation of entertainment. The government’s estimate of an additional economic benefit of £43.2 million per year is likely to be at the lower end of the scale as currently many artists and small businesses are put off from considering organising live entertainment.”

In his introduction to the government’s proposals, tourism minister John Penrose says the laws on entertainment licensing are a “mess”. His plans involve reducing regulation in sectors including theatre and live music performances for audiences of fewer than 5,000 people.

Launching the consultation, Penrose said: “Our starting point is a simple one - if there’s no good reason for any of the rules and restrictions in this important area, our presumption should be to scrap them.”

In its response, Equity suggests the proposed changes could benefit small-scale performance venues.

It says: “Anecdotal evidence from our members also suggests that relaxing the rules governing regulated entertainment will open up new markets for performers and enable smaller organisations and businesses, which cannot cope with the administrative burdens associated with the Licensing Act, to compete alongside larger businesses currently operating in the sector.”

Later, it adds that deregulation could “free up smaller independent theatre companies and practitioners” and would also allow arts organisations to respond to “the growing audience demand for site-specific theatre”.

However, Equity said it was “disappointing” that under the plans if a venue holds another licence, such as for alcohol, any pre-existing restrictions on live entertainment will remain. Although the government’s proposals state that a venue could apply to have these conditions removed, the union says it would be clearer if such conditions were scrapped.

The response reads: “It is disappointing that the government’s proposals would not apply retrospectively such that venues which currently have a condition on their alcohol licence would not have it automatically removed.

“If these proposals are passed, it would provide clarity for many businesses and performers if pre-existing conditions on the licence relating to live entertainment were made null and void.”

The consultation closes on Saturday (December 3).

Meanwhile, Timothy Clement-Jones’ private members’ bill - aimed at changing the 2003 act to allow gigs with audiences of 200 or less, held between 8am and midnight in bars and workplaces, to take place without a licence - has had its second reading in the House of Commons and will now pass to the committee stage, where it will be examined and may be amended before returning to the Commons.