The following from Hamish Birchall http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/

Apparently the government has more to lose if it falls out with the Local 
Government Association over Licensing Act exemptions for small gigs, than by 
falling out with Libya, which has the largest oil reserves in Africa.

Any lingering doubt that the government has gone a bit loopy must be 
dispelled by the news that, while they are now publishing reams of hitherto 
confidential material about sensitive negotiations with Libya, they are at 
the same time fighting tooth and nail to keep secret their discussions with 
the Local Government Association about small gigs exemptions from the 
Licensing Act.

On 27 August, DCMS refused a Freedom of Information Act request, submitted 
on 18th June, to disclose information about the negotiations which had been 
going on in 2008 and early 2009.

Government promises to consult on new Licensing Act exemptions for live 
music date from late 2007, and were a response to urgent warnings from the 
Musicians Union and Live Music Forum that the Licensing Act was harming 
small gigs.  In May this year those warnings were echoed by the all-party 
Culture, Media and Sport Committee.  After taking evidence from all sides 
during their Licensing Act inquiry, the Committee came to the same 
conclusion and recommended exemptions for venues up to 200 capacity, and for 
one or two unamplified performers.  The Committee also called for the 
controversial Met Police Form 696 to be scrapped.

Ministers repeated their promise to consult on small gigs exemptions 
throughout 2008 and early into 2009.  But on 15 June 2009 the government 
said they were postponing any such consultation for a further year in order 
to evaluate their new 'minor variations' process. This is the £89 
application form which DCMS itself warned would fail in many cases (because 
live music would be considered a potential noise problem). The minor 
variations process offers no benefit whatever to venues that are not already 
licensed under the Act. Typically these include hospitals, care homes, and 
schools. See House of Lords debate on minor variations: 
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200809/ldhansrd/text/90615-0013.htm#09061538000351

DCMS justified their refusal to publish their small gigs exemption 
negotiations on the grounds that the public interest in disclosure was 
outweighed by a need to keep discussions about the formulation of government 
policy private (apparently covered by section 35 of the Freedom of 
Information Act).   The assumption is that those involved may be so hurt by 
public disclosure of their views that future negotiations will be 
jeopardised.

ENDS

At 13:45:26 on Wed, 2 Sep 2009, Roger Gall  
wrote in :

>The following from Hamish Birchall http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/
>
>Apparently the government has more to lose if it falls out with the Local
>Government Association over Licensing Act exemptions for small gigs, than by
>falling out with Libya, which has the largest oil reserves in Africa.
>
>Any lingering doubt that the government has gone a bit loopy must be
>dispelled by the news that, while they are now publishing reams of hitherto
>confidential material about sensitive negotiations with Libya, they are at
>the same time fighting tooth and nail to keep secret their discussions with
>the Local Government Association about small gigs exemptions from the
>Licensing Act.

This is just getting out-and-out party-political.  This is not an 
appropriate newsgroup to publish one's views on the Government's 
interaction with Libya.

Somebody please let me know if and when Roger Gall says anything 
interesting and informative about folk music.  I won't been seeing any 
more of his posts otherwise.
-- 
Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

Molly Mockford wrote:

> 
> Somebody please let me know if and when Roger Gall says anything 
> interesting and informative about folk music.  I won't been seeing any 
> more of his posts otherwise.

In case anyone is interested, RG has posted 64 messages to this NG in 
the last year (according to my count, anyway).  Strictly, NONE has any 
directly "folk" content, although obviously they relate to the 
performance and availability.  Almost needs a category of its own....

Tony F said:
> Molly Mockford wrote:
>
>> Somebody please let me know if and when Roger Gall says anything 
>> interesting and informative about folk music.  I won't been seeing any 
>> more of his posts otherwise.
>
> In case anyone is interested, RG has posted 64 messages to this NG in 
> the last year (according to my count, anyway).  Strictly, NONE has any 
> directly "folk" content, although obviously they relate to the 
> performance and availability.  Almost needs a category of its own....

He also hasn't responded in any way to anyone else's remarks, or given any
other indication that he reads here. He seems to regard this group as
write-only.


-- 
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://www.qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

Richard Robinson wrote:

>  He seems to regard this group as
> write-only.

  Or perhaps 'inform only'.

Where else do you find information about what's going on about 
the ludicrous licensing fiasco?

JF

In message , JF 
 writes
>Richard Robinson wrote:
>
>>  He seems to regard this group as
>> write-only.
>
> Or perhaps 'inform only'.
>
>Where else do you find information about what's going on about the 
>ludicrous licensing fiasco?
>
Agreed there is relevant stuff in there - it's the sheer slog of wading 
through turgid text on screen.

-- 
Peter Thomas

"Peter Thomas" <peterdoubled@doubledemon.co.uk.invalid> wrote in message 
news:ZMWciNFQGFoKFwB5@godthoms.demon.co.uk...
> Agreed there is relevant stuff in there - it's the sheer slog of wading 
> through turgid text on screen.

Indeed. There's nothing more likely to turn potential advocates away than 
being permanently stuck in transmit mode. He'll be accusing the government 
of "not listening" sometime soon.

I hate that "not listening" phrase. It's trotted out by anyone who hasn't 
gotten their own way. Mainly be people who are unwilling to hear any point 
of view that conflicts with their own and in any case unable to have a 
rational discussion even if they did.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

Cheers,
Steve W

Peter Thomas said:
> In message , JF 
> writes
>>Richard Robinson wrote:
>>
>>>  He seems to regard this group as
>>> write-only.
>>
>> Or perhaps 'inform only'.
>>
>>Where else do you find information about what's going on about the 
>>ludicrous licensing fiasco?
>>
> Agreed there is relevant stuff in there - it's the sheer slog of wading 
> through turgid text on screen.

I don't like it, that people people dump text into places where they don't
read what anyone else says. He treats it as write-only, we have to deal with
it as read-only.

I won't even bother thinking of friendlier ways it could be done, because
there's no point.


-- 
Richard Robinson
"The whole plan hinged upon the natural curiosity of potatoes" - S. Lem

My email address is at http://www.qualmograph.org.uk/contact.html

At 23:41:40 on Thu, 3 Sep 2009, JF  
wrote in :

>Where else do you find information about what's going on about the 
>ludicrous licensing fiasco?

<http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/>
-- 
Molly Mockford
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin
(My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.)

Molly Mockford wrote:
> At 23:41:40 on Thu, 3 Sep 2009, JF  
> wrote in :
> 
>> Where else do you find information about what's going on about the 
>> ludicrous licensing fiasco?
> 
> <http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/>

Ta.

JF

Molly Mockford wrote:

>> Where else do you find information about what's going on about the 
>> ludicrous licensing fiasco?
> 
> <http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk/>

Cut out the middle-man!