MPs call for music red tape to be relaxed

Licensing laws that have damaged the culture of live music in pubs need to be relaxed, an MP led inquiry has announced.

A wide-ranging report into the effectiveness of the Licensing Act 2003 includes calls to cut red tape that discourages venues from putting on live music.

The panel of MPs wants the government to allow venues with a capacity of 200 or fewer to be exempt from needing an entertainment licence to host live music.

It also recommends the reintroduction of the two in a bar exemption, which would allow venues of any size to put on a performance by one or two performers.

Committee chairman John Whittingdale MP said: "We were concerned to hear of the way the Act may be hampering live music performances especially by young musicians who often get their first break through performing live in small venues such as pubs."

The Committee also called for the scrapping of the controversial Form 696. The Metropolitan Police wanted to force certain venues to provide details of performers ahead of events for security reasons.

But the panel said this went "way beyond the provisions of the Act"

Former pop star and chief executive of industry body UK Music Feargal Sharkey described the report as "an incredible display of support".

"What the committee has done is extraordinary and fantastic, he said.

"Six out of 10 of world's biggest selling artists this year are British. We are fantastically good but this industry relies on fragile foundations such as starting out in the backrooms of pubs, bars and restaurants."

Elsewhere in the report, the committee "remained concerned" that the relaxation of premises' opening hours had not reduced law and order problems but "shifted them to a couple of hours later" in the night.

The report also recommends increasing the number of Temporary Event Notices a pub can apply for each year from 12 to 15.