Sir, In response to Councillors Bill Turner, Gill Mitchell and Barbara Weed (letters, August 14), we would strongly oppose any call for a dual licensing system for lap-dancing clubs. An estimated 70 per cent of revenues for our clubs come from alcohol sales, meaning that a premises licence is already required. A “sex encounter establishment” licence would therefore be additional to the premises licence, creating a burdensome and unnecessary dual licensing system, which could cost clubs an additional £5,000 per year. The sex encounter establishment licence was designed specifically to regulate those establishments offering adult entertainment but not selling alcohol, such as sex cinemas. It was never intended to regulate adult entertainment in licensed premises, as adequate controls have always existed under the premises licence regime.

Local authorities already have the means to control lap-dancing establishments, and we would call for stronger guidance to ensure that they are aware of this. We accept that there are some residual problems with an irresponsible minority of licence holders exploiting the Licensing Act 2003 to offer unregulated adult entertainment, but the tools for solving these problems already exist within the current regime. The call for this additional licence is just a case of those with a moral objection to lap-dancing clubs seeking a vehicle by which to give them a bad name. Of course we operate within a sexy industry, but to put it simply, sex is not for sale in our clubs.

Kate Nicholls
Secretary, Lap Dancing Association

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