Another amendment was the exclusion of Educational Establishments from the terms of the Bill; it had been feared that schools would have to apply for licences in order to stage nativity plays. The Lords voted by 169 to 107 in favour of the amendment, despite warnings that this could leave University venues exempt from licensing requirements.
The government suffered a third defeat over a motion tabled by the Liberal Democrats to set up a central authority in charge of licensees. Peers backed the amendment by 143 votes to 111.
A detailed look at the debate surrounding the Bill appears in this month's Lighting&Sound International magazine.
(Lee Baldock)
