Oral Answers to Questions

Kerry McCarthy Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Grant]

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. This is an important area and the Government are taking a lead. Through our body confidence campaign we have been working with industry to develop positive and diverse representations of women and girls in the media and to tackle and get rid of outdated stereotypes. The women’s engagement programme is also working hard, through a series of round-table meetings, to deal with many of the issues that the hon. Gentleman raises.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

8. What steps he is taking to protect music venues from closure as a result of noise complaints.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

The Government have recently reviewed their legislation and believe that the law as currently constituted strikes the appropriate balance between considering the needs of venues and managing the adverse effects that can come from noise.

[Kerry McCarthy]

I thank the Minister for that response. He will know that many people are arguing for an agent of change law in this country, as there is in Australia. They do not believe that existing legislation protects venues from developers who are building around the venue then submitting noise complaints. The owner of The Fleece in Bristol says that

“the reality of the current situation could not be further from the picture painted in the planning practice guidance”,

and the venue’s representatives are back before the planning committee next Wednesday.

The Minister will very soon be getting an invitation to Venues day on 9 December, which will be held just across the river on the south bank. May I urge him to attend that, where he will meet many venue owners who will explain to him just how difficult the situation is on the ground?

[Mr Vaizey]

The hon. Lady is a great champion of live music, so it does not surprise me that she is raising this issue, and I will certainly consider the invitation to Venues day. As for The Fleece, I understand that Bristol city council has imposed some acoustic restrictions on planned developments around it. The agent of change principle has only recently been implemented in Australia. Some elements of it exist in our own planning policies, but I will certainly raise that with planning Ministers.