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

It is nearly two weeks since licensing minister Gerry Sutcliffe announced 
that the government wanted to act 'very quickly' on a new entertainment 
licensing exemption for small gigs.

But still there has been no statement from the Department for Culture, Media 
and Sport, nor any sign of the minister's promised 12-week public 
consultation.  Hitherto, all significant licensing policy announcements have 
been issued in a general press release by DCMS.

Reliable sources suggest that both the police and local government remain in 
the dark about the detail of the proposed exemption and the consultation.

Meanwhile Sting criticised the impact of licensing on pubs and clubs on the 
BBC One Show yesterday (Monday 2nd November 2009):

'...The music industry is this multi-million dollar business and the 
shop-floor is not the X Factor, it's pubs and clubs up and down the country 
where you get in your van and you go up and down the M1 and you build an 
audience that way.  That's how you build backbone...  I think those clubs 
and pubs are closing down because of government legislation, because of the 
licensing laws which is ridiculous.  They're losing an industry.  [Playing 
live is]...the only way"

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00nq9sk/The_One_Show_02_11_2009/ 
(quotes above start 5'46" into the programme)

Perhaps someone at DCMS, maybe even a minister, will make discreet contact 
with Sting's management and claim that their latest licensing statistics 
show an 11% increase in venues with live music permission since 2007.  But 
they are unlikely to mention the 2007 DCMS live music research which found a 
5% fall in gigs in small venues since the Licensing Act came into force in 
2005, and that most of the 11% is likely to be councils licensing their own 
spaces, and schools and other venues having to get permissions that they 
never needed before.

Liberal Democrat peer Tim Clement-Jones, author of the private members bill 
that would implement exemptions for a range of venues and events up to 
200-capacity, has tabled a series of Parliamentary Questions to keep the 
government on their toes. Answers are expected within two weeks:

Lord Clement-Jones to ask Her Majesty's Government...

... what are (a) the terms of reference of, and (b) the timescale for, the 
proposed consultation on an entertainment licensing exemption for live 
music. HL6171

... what plans they have to publicise their proposed consultation on an 
entertainment licensing exemption for live music. HL6172

... whether their proposed consultation on an entertainment licensing 
exemption for live music will include consultation on venues with a capacity 
of up to 200 people. HL6173

... what proportion of the 5 per cent increase in venues with a live music 
permission, reported in the 2008-09 Alcohol, Entertainment and Late Night 
Refreshment Licensing statistics published by the Department for Culture, 
Media and Sport on 22 October, (a) is accounted for by applications from 
schools and councils licensing their own premises, including parks and 
streets, and (b) are premises that would not have needed such a permission 
before the Licensing Act 2003 came into effect. HL6174

... why they are holding a further consultation on a possible entertainment 
licensing exemption for live music. HL6175

... what measures are in place to deal with any noise and anti-social 
behaviour arising at small venues that would qualify for the proposed 
entertainment licensing exemption for live music. HL6176

See (search for 'Clement' on the page): 
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldordpap.htm#order

ENDS