Following on from our story yesterday, a Labour peer in the UK has has conceded that the new Licensing Act has proved “somewhat of a disappointment” when it comes to live music in the UK.

Following on from our story yesterday, a Labour peer in the UK has has conceded that the new Licensing Act has proved “somewhat of a disappointment” when it comes to live music in the UK. 

The admission came during a debate this week tabled by Liberal Democrat culture spokesperson Lord Clement-Jones.

Lord Davies of Oldham, spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), said he did not rule out the possibility that there had been an “unintended or disproportionate impact on certain types of venue or activity” and that “the Government accept that the new regime has yet to deliver the significant benefits in terms of the number and variety of live music performances which we would have hoped."

However, Lord Davis said that he hoped that the final report of the Live Musc Forum (the independent body sponsored by the DCMS) would establish that many criticisms of the act were unfounded. The Forum's current research found that the Act had had a broadly neutral effect on the provision of live music and its final research on the effect of the Act on live music is due in November 2007. 

While no major legislative changes were announced, Lord Davies said that plans were being pushed through to “remove the administrative burden” for pubs and clubs wanting to host live music.

Measures are also being taken to make it easier for village and community halls to gain licenses.