Charity events across North Wales will suffer as a result of the decision by Lord Mandelson’s department to abolish an exemption from charities from complying with music licensing rules, which will mean that community groups will have to pay fees for playing recorded music at events such as discos, coffee mornings and tea dances according to Clwyd West MP, David Jones.
The decision to abolish the “PPL exemption” has been made by the Intellectual Property Office, part of Lord Mandelson’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. The Government itself admits that the levy will cost voluntary organisations some £20 million a year and will be “highly detrimental”.
Clwyd West Conservative MP, David Jones, commented:
“The decision to abolish the PPL exemption will affect voluntary organisations across North Wales, including sports clubs, charity shops and church and village halls. Many youth and pensioners’ groups may decide to stop holding discos and tea dances as a consequence.
“At such a gloomy economic time, it seems particularly heartless for Peter Mandelson’s office to decide to tax struggling voluntary groups laying on welcome entertainment for local people. It is, in every sense, a tax on simple enjoyment
“Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate banned dancing and abolished Christmas. Peter Mandelson’s music tax is just one step short of doing the same.”
