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25 Jun 2003 : Column 820W—continued
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Appointments
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within her Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and comparable titles since May 1997; what their job title is or was; what their role is or was; whether they were or are being paid; what the total cost of each such person was in each financial year, including expenses and benefits; what the expected cost of each such person is in 2003–04; to whom they are accountable; and if she will make a statement. [112461]
Mr. Caborn: All Special Advisers employed from May 1997 are listed as follows:
- Burnham, A. M.
Bush, B.
Eccles, J.
El Nusairi, S.
French, P. M. W.
Hunter, S.
Mackenzie, R.
Newbigin, J.
Remuneration details cannot be disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned, and Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Information to Government Information applies.
Bookmakers Industry
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the bookmakers industry regarding the future regulatory treatment of fixed odds betting machines; and if she will make a statement. [121290]
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Mr. Caborn: We meet representatives of the bookmaking industry regularly to discuss matters of current interest, including the regulation of fixed odds betting machines. The position remains as set out in the written statement which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made on 8 January 2003, Official Report, column 7WS.
EU Regulations
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many regulations originating from the EU have been implemented by her department over each of the last five years. [120857]
Mr. Caborn: DCMS has not implemented any EU Regulations during the last five years.
Gaming Board
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what requests for information about the lottery activites and (a) Solutions RMC Ltd., (b) Breast Cancer Relief and (c) Breast Cancer Research Scotland the gaming board has made of Mr. Robert Winter of Wendover, Buckinghamshire; [121416]
- (2) what representations the Gaming Board has received from Mr. Robert Winter of Wendover, Bucks, about the activities of Solutions RMC Ltd; [121198]
(3) if she will request that the Gaming Board carry out an investigation into Solutions RMC Ltd. [121200]
Mr. Caborn: Mr. Winter has e-mailed the Gaming Board on two occasions this year about Solutions RMC. Information which he provided is being considered by the Board as part of an investigation into the way two charities conducted their lotteries and the capacity in which Solutions RMC acted on their behalf. The Board's inspectorate are liaising with the police and the Charity Commission; but I understand that the Board has not yet asked Mr. Winter for further information.
Licensing
Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has for the storage and archiving of past records of licensing magistrates after licensing responsibility is transferred to local authorities. [121574]
Mr. Caborn: None. Under the transitional arrangements in Schedule 8 to the Licensing Bill, applicants for the conversion of existing licences and club certificates will be required to include their existing licence or club certificate with their application. The past records of licensing justices' will not be required. Once the transfer of responsibility for alcohol licensing to licensing authorities comes fully into effect at the end of the transitional period new licences and certificates will be granted in accordance with the provisions of the Bill and without reference to any previous licence that was granted by the licensing justices.
Licensing Bill
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are to ensure
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that the costs to local authorities arising from the administration, inspection and enforcement of licences, as proposed in the Licensing Bill, are met (a) from the fees payable and (b) by direct central Government funding. [119863]
Mr. Caborn: The fees for licences, certificates and notices under the Licensing Bill will be set at a level which provides for full cost recovery in respect of administration, inspection and enforcement. The Government will monitor the levels of fees and it will be open to bodies such as the Audit Commission, after a reasonable period, to report to the Secretary of State on any indications that the level of fees might not be leading to full cost recovery for licensing authorities. Where an exemption from fees has been granted by Government, the associated costs will be met from central Government funds.
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether events covered by a temporary event notice, as set out in the Licensing Bill, will be covered by fire and safety legislation. [119867]
Mr. Caborn: There is nothing in the Licensing Bill which exempts permitted temporary activities taking place under a temporary event notice from the provisions of existing fire and safety legislation.
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures will be put in place to ensure that licences issued under the terms of the Licensing Bill by one local authority will be recognised as valid by other local authorities. [119868]
Mr. Caborn: Personal licences must be issued by all licensing authorities in accordance with the provision of the Bill. Further, regulations made by the Secretary of State will prescribe a standard form for a personal licence. No discretion is given to a licensing authority to reject the validity of a personal licence properly issued by any licensing authority. The Government are also committed to setting up a central licensing register, which would allow licensing authorities to check the issue of a personal licence with another licensing authority. Work with local authorities and other key partners to set up such a database is in hand and we will drive the work forward in parallel with the Bill to ensure that a database is available at the earliest opportunity.
A premises licence is also granted in accordance with the provisions of the Bill by the licensing authority in whose area the premises is situated. The form of a premises licence will also be prescribed by the Secretary of State in regulations. The issue of recognition of the validity of a premises licence by another licensing authority may only arise when premises straddle the area of more than one authority. If the other authority made relevant representations on an application for a premises licence, and is aggrieved by the licensing authorities decision, it may appeal that decision to the magistrate's court.
Mrs. Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures will be put in place to ensure that the enforcement of the terms of licences issued under proposals in the Licensing Bill will not increase the burden on police officers. [119869]
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Mr. Caborn: The police have existing responsibilities for the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of current alcohol licensing law. The Licensing Bill will not alter this or impose any additional burdens in relation to enforcement. The Government believe, however, that the removal of permitted hours and the anticipated reduction in crime and disorder problems at the current fixed closing times could help to reduce the burden on the police.
Live Music
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is taking to increase the opportunities to hear live music in the UK in (a) pubs, (b) public halls and (c) public open spaces. [119479]
Mr. Caborn: The Licensing Bill will provide a unified system for the regulation of licensable activities, removing the need for the current system of separate annually renewable, public entertainment licences. Under the Bill a pub, qualifying club, community hall or indeed any other premises applying for authorisation under a premises licence for the sale and supply of alcohol will be able to apply, at the same time, for authorisation under that licence for the provision of regulated entertainment, such as live music, without incurring an additional fee. Once granted, a premises licence will have effect until the licence is revoked or surrendered, but otherwise will not be time limited unless the applicant so requests. We believe that this unified system will open up more opportunities for live musical events.
Also the Government have made plain their intention to exempt church halls, village halls and other community buildings from the fees associated with the provision of regulated entertainment, including live music. However, a fee will be payable if the applicant also seeks authorisation for the sale or supply of alcohol. We believe that these exemptions from the fees associated with the provision of regulated entertainment will also broaden the opportunities for live musical events.
The Bill provides that a premises can be any place and live music or other regulated entertainment on public open spaces would be licensable, subject to satisfying the conditions in Schedule 1 to the Bill and any exemptions being relevant. We will, however, be encouraging local authorities to obtain premises licences authorising the provision of regulated entertainment for public open spaces, such as village greens, on which many performances take place. No additional licence would then need to be obtained by anyone wishing to provide regulated entertainment on premises covered by such a licence, although the consent of the local authority holding the licence would be required.
All short-term small scale events, whether in a pub, public hall or public open space could also benefit from the more informal system of permitted temporary activities under the Bill, which would require a simple notification to the licensing authority and the police and a small fee of around £20. The Bill has been amended to increase the number of temporary event notices that can be given in respect of the same premises from five to 12, subject to a maximum number of 15 days for that
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premises during which permitted temporary activities may take place in a calendar year. The Bill has also been amended during its passage to increase the period permissible for any temporary event from 72 hours to 96 hours.
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