According to Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who proudly unveiled the new shatter- proof glass last week:
Major changes in the law are about to affect the Lap Dancing industry.
The Lap Dancing and Striptese industry is facing major changes.
You may know them as lap dancing clubs, but they are soon to be reclassified as “sexual entertainment venues,” under an amendment to the 1982 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
Tougher new laws are just around the corner that will see lap dancing and striptese clubs regulated in the same way as sex shops and sex cinemas.
Why is the law changing?
The Westminster Arms
Today the Government revealed a new mandatory code for drinks promotions.
The final conditions announced today will form the new mandatory alcohol code. The code is aimed at irresponsible promotions in pubs, clubs and off licences that could lead to alcohol related crime and disorder.
Amongst the conditions for alcohol retailers are a ban on irresponsible promotions including “all you can drink for £10″ deals plus a compulsory requirement to check under 18s for ID.
Breaches of the code could result in a range of sanctions including a review of their licence or on summary conviction a maximum £20,000 fine and/or six months imprisonment.
Is this the end of the Happy Hour, as we know it?
According to a Report published by a cross-party Health Committee, on 8 January 2010, the U.K. Government should introduce minimum prices on alcoholic drinks, independent and tighter regulation of promotions, a rise in taxes on spirits, and mandatory health warnings on labels.
The Home Affairs Select Committee wants to end cheap drinks promotions thought to encourage binge-drinking.
It criticises Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s administration for being too sympathetic to supermarkets and drink producers and not paying enough attention to doctors. The report says that the Government is guilty of a “failure of will and competence” over alcohol policy.
Live music.. coming soon to a pub near you (hopefully).
We now have a minor step forward for licensing and live music. The current licensing laws mean that most, if not all, solo and duo performances have to be licensed under the Licensing Act as “regulated entertainment.” This means that many small pubs have been forced to put an end to any form of live music. That means no open mike nights, no piano in the pub on a Sunday and no sing alongs.
![Desperate publican Small[1]](http://www.licentiouslaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Desperate-publican-Small1-150x150.jpg "Desperate publican Small[1]")
Every five years all commercial properties are revalued by the Valuation Office Agency to take into account shifts in value between UK regions and different market sectors. The next re-valuation comes into effect on 1 April 2010. The re-valuation is not intended to raise more revenue for the Government, but to re-distribute the burden amongst commercial occupiers
How is your rateable value really worked out by the VOA? More importantly, how does your rateable value relate to the business rates that you will pay from April 2010, and if you really think that your business rates bill is going to be too high – what can you do?
A fortunate few have seen their rateable values fall but some publicans have found that their rateable values have more than doubled.