Ken Hind senior Vice chairman of RVCA warns ''this new tax could be extremely damaging to churches ,voluntary organisations and charities across the Ribble Valley .In the small print of obscure new regulations, the Government is abolishing charities’ and voluntary groups’ long-standing exemption from music licensing rules – hitting them with unexpected new bills just for holding events with recorded music or for playing a radio.
To date, voluntary groups have not had to pay for a so-called “PPL” performance rights licence in order to play recorded music. This exemption reflects the benefit that such organisations provide, but this is now being abolished by the Government.This will affect church worship, charity discos, tea dances, youth clubs, dancing groups, sports clubs and even charity shops which have a radio in their staff room.
The new levy will come into effect in April 2010 once the new regulations are ratified by Parliament. Conservatives are opposing these changes and standing up for local voluntary groups.The Government admits that the new levies will cost voluntary groups £20 million a year. Some organisations will “cease playing music” because they cannot afford a licence, and it will hit a quarter of a million organisations nationally – 140,000 charities, 6,750 charity shops, 66,440 sports clubs, 4,000 community buildings, 5,000 rural halls and 45,000 religious buildings.
These new levies are on top of bureaucratic rules imposed by the Licensing Act 2003, which requires expensive ‘premises licences’ for village halls to hold regular small-scale social functions, and which has imposed new red tape to play unamplified live music.
Ken Hind commented ''This is another assault upon the voluntary sector and rural community life.This damage fund raising for worthy causes all over the Ribble Valley . In the economic crisis made worse by this government's policies , we need life to go on as normal and community groups to raise money unhindered by Whitehall interference.- So Mr Brown listen to the public and don't stop the music''