MPs clash over live music reform

MPs have clashed over the Government's record on promoting live music during a radio debate.

Labour's Margaret Hodge, the Conservative's John Whittingdale and Don Foster of the Liberal Democrats discussed the issues during a lively election debate on music on BBC 6 Music.

Feargal Sharkey, chairman of campaign group UK Music, kicked off by saying growth in the genre has only been in "top end" festival and large gigs. "The problem we find was with the smaller venues"

Sharkey said the Licensing Act has been "over burdensome, bureaucratic and probably shouldn't have been done in the first place".

The former rock signer accused the Government of being "unwilling" to reform, claiming there had been nine consultations on live music since Labour came to power.

Hodge said there had been an 11% rise in the number of music licences between 2007 and 2008. But Sharkey pointed to a 5% reduction in people going to gigs at small venues.

Foster — whose party wants music licence exemptions for sub-200 capacity venues and the return of the two-in-a-bar rule — also labeled the music licensing system "expensive and bureaucratic".

Whittingdale said thousands of venues may have simply not bothered to apply for a music licence under the new licensing regime.

Hodge rebutted the criticism, saying the Government has made the system "less bureaucratic, much quicker and much easier".

She also pointed to the Government's consultation that recommends licence exemptions for venues with no more than 100 people. But Hodge said the views of the industry must be balanced with those of neighbours.

The Conservatives say they will push for music licence exemptions for venues with a capacity under 200.