Peers to Decide on Changes to Lap Cancing Club Licensing

Press release from the Fawcett Society and OBJECT

Tomorrow (3/11/09) members of the House of Lords will decide whether to strengthen reforms to the way lap dancing clubs are licensed (1). A coalition of organisations led by the Fawcett Society (2) and OBJECT (3) are calling on peers to support amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill tabled by Baroness Gould of Potternewton (4) - which would see all lap dancing events across England and Wales subject to more stringent licensing controls. As peers debate the amendments, a public demonstration will be held outside the House of Lords in support of strengthening the reforms (5).
 

Currently licensed in the same way as cafes and restaurants, some lap dancing events are set to be licensed in the same way as sex shops under new rules proposed by the Government. The changes follow a national campaign (6) coordinated by the Fawcett Society and OBJECT after it was revealed lax licensing had resulted in the number of UK lap dancing clubs doubling to 300 in just four years, with local communities powerless to stop the spread.
 

However, the proposed reforms have come under heavy criticism from leading equality groups for being too weak. The new legislation will be optional for local authorities and venues hosting lap dancing eleven times or less per year will be exempt from the new licensing rules. Today leading equality organisations have written to all peers (7) calling on them to support amendments to the Policing and Crime Bill that would apply the new licensing regime universally across England and Wales without a frequency-based exemption.

 

Ceri Goddard, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society, said:

“Lap dancing clubs have more than doubled in just four years and this has happened practically unchecked and without debate.

“Government has a chance with this bill to ensure that women’s rights to equality, dignity and safety are properly considered alongside local people’s views about whether they want these clubs in their neighbourhoods. However, the proposals as they stand would effectively let local authorities “opt out” of consulting communities and considering equality issues. Moreover, the proposed exemption for venues hosting lap dancing less than once a month is a ready-made loophole for large commercial lap dancing agencies to create a sub market by hiring out their performers to mainstream bars and clubs without the need for a Sex Encounter Venue license.

“If government are serious about putting women’s equality and dignity -  and the right for local communities to have their say -  above the profits of the burgeoning  lap dancing industry then the new licensing controls must apply to all lap dancing events - however frequently they occur in a particular venue.”

 

Dr Sasha Rakoff, Director of OBJECT, said:

"Men's ability to buy sexual stimulation at lap dancing clubs has serious potential consequences for the women involved and for gender equality more generally. Local authorities must have meaningful powers to ensure women's safety and dignity at lap dancing events, no matter how infrequent they are, and without a complex and expensive opting-in process before these issues can even be considered". 
 

For further information and to request interviews please call Kat Banyard (Fawcett Society) on 020 7253 2598 / 07775 855037 or Ellie Cumbo (OBJECT) on 07748 114714.

Notes to editors

(1) Clause 27 of the Policing and Crime Bill will be discussed at Report Stage in the House of Lords on 3/11/09. Clause 27 seeks to enable local authorities to license lap dancing clubs as Sex Encounter Venues under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. At present, lap dancing clubs operate under the Licensing Act 2003 with a Premises Licence. 

(2) The Fawcett Society is the UK’s leading campaign for women’s rights. www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

(3) Object is a women’s rights organisation which campaigns against the objectification of women in the media and popular culture. www.object.org.uk

(4)  Baroness Gould of Potternewton has tabled amendments 36, 37, 43, 53, and 54 to the Policing and Crime Bill. The amendments are co-sponsored by Baroness Gale of Blaenrhondda. If passed, these amendments will have the effect of removing the optional nature of the licensing reforms – ensuring all local authorities license lap dancing clubs as Sex Encounter Venues. They will also remove the frequency-based exemption, ensuring all lap dancing events are licensed as Sex Encounter Venues, however often they occur in a particular venue.

(5) Supporters of OBJECT and the Fawcett Society will be demonstrating in Parliament Square from 10:00-11:00am on Tuesday 3rd November 2009. 

(6) Key moments in the campaign to reform lap dancing club licensing include the following:

a. 18/6/08: a 10 Minute Rule Bill was introduced by Robert Blackman-Woods MP (City of Durham) calling for lapdance clubs to be licensed as Sex Encounter Establishments. The Bill was unopposed and received cross-party support

b. 18/6/08: The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport began a consultation with all local authorities in England and Wales on whether they wanted greater powers to control and regulate lap dancing clubs. 75% of responding local authorities asked for such powers.

c. 21/9/08: The Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith announced at the Labour Party Conference that the Government would grant local people a greater say in stopping lap dancing clubs opening:http://www.labour.org.uk/jacqui_smith_speech,2008-09-21

d. 3/12/08: Plans to tighten the licensing of lap dancing clubs were announced in the Queen’s Speech

e. 18/12/08: Policing and Crime Bill (containing licensing reforms) receives its first reading in the House of Commons

f. 20/5/09: Policing and Crime Bill receives its first reading in the House of Lords

(7) The letter to peers is signed by Equality Now, WOMANKIND Worldwide, YWCA, Eaves, White Ribbon Campaign, NUS National Women’s Officer, Rights of Women, Safe Exit – Toynbee Hall, OBJECT, and the Fawcett Society. A copy of the letter can be obtained by emailing  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it