There is a proposed new law currently going through parliament that will
affect anyone who plays live in the UK. For any public entertainment, the
venue will have to buy a license and the artist will be held criminally
liable if there is no license or it is not correct! Proposed new law will
effect everyone.


Please forward this mail to any musicians\ music amateur you know, and do
something before it becomes LAW. i.e: write to your Member of Parliament,
your County and District councillors, and your local paper. There's a link
to have access to your local politicians's email here:
 http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/fizgig-tom/law.htm that's where this text's
been taken from.

When forwarding the mail, please copy the text and paste it in a new mail in
order to avoid the lines of >>>>>> , and don't forget to put all the email
addresses in hidden copies ... (outlook: in Bcc, not Cc ; )
Recently there have been press headlines about the government ' s proposals
to abolish the restriction on pub opening hours. At last we will fall in
line with just about every other country in the world. Hurrah!

But before you cheer too loudly, there is a sting in the tail and a nasty
one at that. It lies in the less publicised parts of "The Licensing Bill"
currently before Parliament.

At the same time as revising the law on pub opening, the Government is
proposing to tidy up the situation on entertainment licenses which is
riddled with anomalies; but rather than making the situation better, the
proposed bill makes it far worse.
For a start, all the pubs and clubs that have 'got away' without needing a
Public Entertainment Licence in the past because they've never had more than
2 musicians appearing at the same time will need a licence in the future.
The two-in-a-bar rule was a long outdated regulation and needlessly
restricted live music performance but what it is being replaced with will
limit live music still further.

Then there are all the other areas of public entertainment. The bill
currently before parliament contains provisions that will have a serious
impact on all branches of the performing arts, both amateur and
professional. All premises in which performing arts activities take place
will require a licence from the local authority. No costs have been
revealed, but licences will be granted only after inspection by the police,
fire authority, health and safety inspectors and consultation with local
residents and interest groups, so the cost will be far from nominal. At
present a license for a pub can be anywhere between £100 and £3,000
depending on where in the country.

Churches, schools, village halls, pubs, restaurants, even private houses
will have to be licensed if used for performance events, whether they take
place frequently or only occasionally. Performances for members of clubs or
for charitable purposes are also subject to this legislation, as are
recording studios and premises used for rehearsals. Any performance in
unlicensed premises will be a criminal offence, punishable by a large fine
and costs, or a prison sentence.

Religious gatherings are exempt but here¹s a prime example of the madness of
this legislation. 100 people attending a church service and singing hymns
with orchestral accompaniment will not require a license. But if the same
100 people go into the same church simply to listen to the orchestra (i.e. a
concert) it will require an entertainment license. It really will be a tax
on entertainment.



Existing legislation relating to law and order, noise nuisance and health
and safety makes the licensing of premises specifically for entertainment
superfluous. There is no need for new regulations. No other country imposes
such restrictions on artistic activities and a leading legal authority has
determined that this legislation is incompatible with Article 10 of the
European Convention on Human Rights relating to freedom of expression.

Who, then, has been campaigning for these measures? Suspicion must fall on
local authorities for whom this legislation will be a big money earner.
These organisations have had a significant influence on the committee that
formulated the Licensing Bill, while bodies representing arts interests have
been refused representation.

Recent experience indicates the lengths to which some local authorities go
in applying the letter of the law. A landlord was fined £500, with more than
£1,500 costs, for allowing four of his regulars to sing 'Happy Birthday¹
(without an entertainment license); another was threatened with court action
when patrons were seen to be 'tapping their feet¹ to, and therefore being
'entertained¹ by, unauthorised music. The new Licensing Bill provides even
more opportunities for 'jobsworth¹ interference in harmless activities.
The net effect of this new law will be curtail peoples¹ freedom and
drastically reduce the number of small-scale music performances. If you
value your freedom to enjoy watching and listening to, or participating in
live performance - be it music, drama, poetry reading, or any other
performance art - then you need to voice your concern about this new
legislation. Once it becomes law, it will be a difficult and lengthy process
to get it changed and the damage to the performance arts could well be
permanent.



Write to you Member of Parliament, your County and District councillors, and
your local paper, NOW before it's too late.

Rest of the story here:  http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/fizgig-tom/law.htm