Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effect on small businesses of the licensing enforcement regime for the use of music in public spaces.

The Government believes that the Licensing Act 2003 has been effective in striking a fair balance between the wider public interest and potential impacts on individual citizens and removing unnecessary burdens for lower risk entertainment activities, which hampered cultural and community creativity and prevented businesses (especially small businesses) from diversifying.