Dear Pat et al,

for an update on the campaign, visit the website below:

http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/


Bill Sweeney

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pat West" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 2:27 PM
Subject: Re: petition


Martin,

I presume youi've heard about this.

Patrick

Please read this.
If you want to, it's easy to sign the petition.  By Sunday 26th
January 55,000 people had signed.


The Government is intending to introduce new licensing laws
governing the performance and rehearsal of music in public
buildings, a move that will drastically affect the whole culture of
music-making in England and Wales.Essentially, what they are also
trying to do is legally redefine the notion of "performance" to
include "performance and/or rehearsal". They want all venues (and
this includes any church holding rehearsals or performances not
directly related to the religious function of the building) to be subject
to a Public Entertainments License.Currently they haven't published
a fee
but leaks to date have suggested that this fee will be between £500
and
£1000 per annum.

Clearly this will do a lot of harm to both amateur and professional
music, drama, and dance - informal rehearsal venues will be a lot
thinner on the ground as smaller organisations that play host to
choirs, amateur theatre, musical groups, and concerts will simply
not be able to afford the license. It will be illegal even to burst into
song spontaneously in the pub, as the current two-in-a-bar rule will
be
abolished, and any "entertainment" at all, however informal, will
require
a license. Failure to comply? Currently suggested penalties include
a
£20,000 fine or a 6 month prison sentence.

It's worth noting that not only the administrator of an unlicensed
venue but also any musician performing in such a venue would be
criminalised.



The bill can be downloaded from the following URL (it's approx 1Mb)

http://www.parliament.the-stationery-
office.co.uk/pa/ld200203/ldbills/001
/2003001.pdf

There is a proper petition online at

http://www.petitiononline.com/2inabar/
Patrick West,
MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit,
Glasgow University,
4 Lilybank Gardens,
Glasgow G12 8RZ.

tel (+44) 0141 357 3949
fax (+44) 0141 337 2389
e-mail [log in to unmask]