Licensing Act 2003

Indeed, simple is how the Minister describes it. He has no idea what people face. Let me draw the Minister’s attention to the e-mail that I received from the chairman of the Pinder hall committee in Cookham in my constituency—Pinder hall is the village hall. She says:"““Our Social Club has thrown in the towel and is going to a solicitor, as they feel the forms are so complicated. The Sailing Club””—" Cookham Reach sailing club—"““have discovered the cost is more than they bring in in fees and we at the Pinder Hall believe we will have to pay well over £1,000 for just eighteen events a year. The Cricket Club say no one told them about it . . . The whole thing is a total fiasco””." That is the point. If even trained professionals like that lawyer are struggling to cope with the system, how on earth are volunteers supposed to cope? The complex nature of the regime is putting at risk the future of our sports clubs and village halls. The Minister has made a number of statements about the new regime. He has said that it simplifies matters and makes it cheaper for organisations in the long run, and that once completed, organisations will never have to apply again. Indeed, on the ““You and Yours”” programme on BBC Radio 4 two weeks ago, he said:"““The light at the end of tunnel is that they can know that they will never have to apply for a licence again””." My version of never having to apply again is clearly not the same as Ministers’. My ““never having to apply”” means exactly that. The reality is, however, that organisations will have to renew their licence every year at the cost of between £40 and £225. [Interruption.] Ah! The Minister says that they will not have to fill in the same form. What he said on the Radio 4 programme was:"““they will never have to apply for a licence again””," yet they will, because every year they have to apply to renew their licence. When is a licence for life not a licence for life? I suggest that it is when it is issued by this Minister. His one-off licence looks a little dodgy to me. Perhaps he has become the Del Boy Trotter of the licensing trade: ““Lifetime guarantees but don’t expect your money back.”” I have other examples of people who face the reality of filling in the forms. Bob Hulley, the secretary of Sonning working men’s club, says:"““Hitherto, Clubs have had to apply to a Magistrate’s Court for a Club Registration Certificate. This cost is £10, and lasted for ten years. Under the new Act, we have had to pay £250 to apply . . . £230 to advertise our application, and starting next year there is an annual fee of £180. We are constituted on a ‘not for profit basis’, and exist to serve as a focus and meeting place for the local community. If we finish a financial year and all bills paid and a surplus of only a few hundred pounds in hand, we feel we have done quite well.""We are looking at ways to increase income, such as increasing our membership fees, but we have to recognise that many of our members are pensioners, who are living close to the financial edge themselves.””" Sonning working men’s club"““has served the community in Sonning for over 100 years. We will do our utmost to keep going, but I have to describe our future as uncomfortable to uncertain.””"