Fears grow over Licensing Bill

Hugh discusses the implications of the Licensing Bill with constituents

Hugh Robertson, visited the Three Tuns in Tanner Street last Thursday night to discuss concerns over the Licensing Bill. The visit followed a lobbying trip to the House of Commons by a group of Faversham musicians last month.

The group, led by Michael Wheeler, are concerned about proposals in the bill to remove the "two in a bar" rule, effectively forcing all musicians performing in a public bar to be licensed. After the meeting in Westminster, Michael Wheeler invited Hugh to join them in a Faversham pub to see for himself what they do.

Hugh spoke against the government's proposals over the Licensing Bill during the Queen's Speech debate in Parliament last November. He has deep concerns about both the "two in a bar" rule and the proposal to transfer responsibility for licensing from Magistrates to local authorities. He was also one of a number of MPs who pressurised the government into last month's u-turn over the licensing of events in churches.

Hugh said: "It was great fun to go down to the Three Tuns, which is a terrific pub, and to hear for myself some traditional Kentish pub music. It is very much part of the pub scene in Kent and it is totally unnecessary to legislate against it.

"I am totally opposed to proposals to transfer licensing from Magistrates courts to the local authority. The current system works well, costs little and is universally popular with publicans.

"In a recent survey in The Licensee, 93% of publicans voted to retain the status quo and I am deeply worried that more intensive regulation will simply force costs up and cause pubs to close."