Schedule 1 - Provision of regulated entertainment

Part of Licensing Bill [Lords] – in a Public Bill Committee at 10:00 am on 3 April 2003.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Malcolm Moss Malcolm Moss Conservative, North East Cambridgeshire 10:00, 3 April 2003

All right, but it comes under his Secretary of State's remit.

The Arts Council has said that the Bill will cause real difficulty. In fact, I think that it was the body that proposed the small premises exemption. The figure of 250 was decided on after an argument for a figure between 200 and 300. That was an Arts Council initiative. So, the senior body for the arts in this country is clearly telling the Government that the Bill is wrong and will do great harm. The Government are not prepared to allow the small premises exemption—they deleted that provision from the Bill on Tuesday—but they are not prepared to propose a sensible alternative, either. They have set their mind against real change in the Bill.

The Bill started off as the responsibility of the Home Office and ended up in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. There has been no pre-legislative scrutiny, so it has not been considered in as much detail as it should perhaps have been. It has been considered in the other place and at this late stage in its progress there are still inconsistencies and problems with it, but the Government do not seem at all exercised in addressing the issues. Not only will we press the amendment to a Division, but we will vote against schedule 1.

Question put, That the amendment be made:—

The Committee divided: Ayes 5, Noes 9.