Licensing Act 2003 (Descriptions of Entertainment) (Amendment) Order 2013

In our article ‘Going, Going, Gone?', we summarised the DCMS' response to its consultation on the proposed deregulation of certain forms of regulated entertainment.

By way of update, the draft of the Licensing Act 2003 (Descriptions of Entertainment) (Amendment) Order 2013 has now been released.

When the Order takes effect (date TBC) it will deregulate the following activities between the hours of 08.00 and 23.00:

• performance of a play in front of an audience of 500 persons or less;
• performance of dance in front of an audience of 500 persons or less (unless it is relevant entertainment within the meaning of Schedule 3 para 2A Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 - i.e. certain forms of sexual entertainment); and
• indoor sporting events in front of an audience of 1,000 persons or less.

Further, mixed martial arts will become licensable as boxing or wrestling entertainment as opposed to being an indoor sport.

The Order does not reference proposed changes to live music or recorded music and a further consultation is still expected in respect of proposals to partially deregulate community film exhibitions.

For those that are interested, the draft Order can be found here.