Schedule 1 - Provision of regulated amendments
Licensing Bill [Lords]
3:30 pm
Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire, Conservative)
I shall speak briefly because I know that we want to move on to some meatier topics in the Government amendments in the next batch.
Amendments Nos. 55 and 56 are probing amendments. We could not work out why the work of stand-up comedians and hypnotism shows that attract large audiences are not regarded as entertainment under the schedule. If descriptions of various forms of entertainment are deemed necessary, why have they been omitted? If the list is not to be completely prescriptive, what criteria did the Government use to include or exclude certain entertainment forms under paragraph 2(1) of the schedule? Amendment No. 57 follows on from that. It is curious that the list of entertainments to be licensed does not include the broadcasting of either television or radio programmes.
The hon. Member for North Devon wanted to know the difference between the potential for public disorder and noise if a soccer match were broadcast in a pub. Its customers may support different clubs. Copious amounts of drink would be consumed on the premises. There have been instances of public disorder when the soccer game has finished. Why is that exempt when the ubiquitous two-in-a-bar oboe players are not? That does not make a lot of sense. I know that the hon. Gentleman wants to talk to his amendment, which is similar to ours.