A reintroduction of the ‘two-in-a-bar rule’ (under which two musicians can perform without a public entertainment licence) and conditional exemption for live music in small venues licensed under the Licensing Act 2003 are the focus of a Private Member’s Bill to be introduced in the House of Lords by the Liberal Democrat Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Lord Clement-Jones. He seeks “exemption for hospitals, schools and colleges from the requirement to obtain a licence for live music” when alcohol is not sold and the entertainment involves no more than 200 people. The Bill, which Clement-Jones plans to table before the summer recess, will echo recommendations made by the Culture Media and Sport Parliamentary Select Committee in a recent report (AP195).
