Public entertainment venues
Section 74 – Licensing of theatres etc.
226.This section repeals existing licensing requirements in the Theatres Act 1968 (“the 1968 Act) and supporting provisions in the 1968 Act that allow for powers of entry and inspection and prevent licensing being used to censor the content of plays.
227.The section also removes the exemption for premises licensed under the 1968 Act from the 1982 Act thereby allowing plays to fall into the activities that may be licensed under public entertainment licensing arrangements. An equivalent of the anti-censorship provisions in the 1968 Act is inserted into the 1982 Act.
Section 75 – Restriction of exemption from requirements for public entertainment licence
228.Sections 75 restricts the exemption from public entertainment licensing requirements contained in section 41(2)(f) of the 1982 Act, to specify that the exemption is only applicable to premises in possession of a premises licence within the meaning of section 17 of the 2005 Act. This would result in those in possession of an occasional licence issued under section 56 of the 2005 Act no longer being exempt from public entertainment licensing requirements.