Live music bill passes latest hurdle

MPs were presented The Live Music Bill - which is asking for smaller venues to be exempt from having to have an entertainment licence.

The controversial licences mean any venue, no matter how small, has to conform to a series of regulations, fill out loads of forms and pay a high fee to put on any form of live music.

Because of it, for many smaller bars, pubs and clubs the idea of putting on live music - and giving musicians somewhere to hone their skills - is currently out of the question.

It's taken almost three years of lobbying for the bill to get this far but despite it being on the agenda in Parliament if less than 100 MPs decided to show up for it it wouldn't have been debated.

But it did and was passed by the present politicians.

Next it will get a final consideration of amendments and if it gets through that hurdle can get royal assent and become law.