Following similar recommendations from the Culture Media & Sport Select Committee in May 2009, he declared intentions to introduce a Private Member’s Bill that will:
- Provide a conditional exemption for the performance of live music in small venues
- Reintroduce the two-in-a-bar rule, so that any performance of unamplified live music by up to two people will be exempt from the need for a licence
- Totally exempt hospitals, schools and colleges from the requirement to obtain a licence for live music when providing entertainment where alcohol is not sold and the entertainment involves no more than 200 people.
Lord Clement-Jones also highlighted concern over the use of discriminatory Metropolitan Police Assessment Form 696, which has become a mandatory licensing condition on more than 100 premises in 21 London boroughs.
Form 696 is “totally unreasonable,” he stated, “and at variance with the intentions of the Act. When asked, the Government were wholly unable to produce evidence that live music is generally linked to disorder.”
Commented Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive of UK Music: “Given the current economic situation, this is no time to be placing shackles on creativity. Following the Select Committee’s report in May, we now have two clear signals of the needless harm and bureaucracy that the Licensing Act has imposed on small music venues. Live music is good for the economy, good for society and essential for the music industry. We urge Government to support Lord Clement-Jones, follow his lead and capitalise on one of this country’s major economic and social assets”
For further information, please contact Adam Webb on 020 7306 4447 or 07908 811223 or email
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Notes to editors: UK Music represents the collective interest of the UK’s commercial music industry: from artists, musicians, songwriters and composers, to record labels, music managers, music publishers, collecting societies and studio producers.
Our member organisations are: the Association of Independent Music (AIM), the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA), BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, the Music Managers Forum (MMF), the Music Publishers Association Limited (MPA), the Musicians Union (MU), PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) and PRS for Music.
