Hansard

I thank the Local Government and Regeneration Committee for its scrutiny of the bill and the attention that it has paid to all the submissions, including mine, in what has been an arduous and at times emotional task. The committee has taken evidence on air weapons, the supply of alcohol, taxi licences, metal theft and sexual entertainment venues, and I thank the clerks for the work that they have carried out for the committee and for me as part of the process.

I am not a member of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee but, for many years now, I have taken an interest in the effects of the sexual entertainment industry on women and girls and the wider public’s perception of the matter, particularly men’s perception of women as a result of exploitation, and I welcome the fact that the regulation of venues such as lap-dancing clubs that offer sexual entertainment has been included in the bill. In 2005, the Government of the time—in which, as Tavish Scott has just pointed out, he was a minister—set up a working group on adult entertainment following concerns that were expressed about the lack of controls on adult entertainment activity.

The working group recommended that sexual entertainment should be regulated, but no such regulation was introduced. In 2010, I sought to amend the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill to that effect. Although my amendment was supported by the Scottish Government at stage 3 of that bill’s consideration, the Parliament did not agree to it. To say that I was disappointed is an understatement.

Undeterred, I have continued to pursue the issue, and I thank the Scottish Government for incorporating that amendment, which has been worked on since 2010, into this bill. I welcome the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s comments on that and other issues. I am very pleased that such so-called entertainment is to be regulated and licensed. Mairi Millar of Glasgow City Council said:

“it strikes me that we have licensing legislation and regulations to cover everything from window cleaning to selling burgers from a van or selling chewing gum at 3 o’clock in the morning under late hours catering regulations, but adult entertainment activity is currently not regulated.”—[Official Report, Local Government and Regeneration Committee, 14 January 2015; c 17.]

I could not put it better myself. I think that it is high time that such activity was regulated.

I was struck by some of the examples that other members have given in relation to the licensing of adult entertainment, and I want to give a couple of examples of my own. Not far from here, a lady who works in an adult entertainment venue was attacked while she was walking along the street with her child. The person by whom she was accosted and attacked was someone who had been a customer in that venue. It was disgraceful that she was attacked in that way while she was going about her local business. What does that say about such venues?

I have also been contacted by women who work for corporate businesses who have been denied promotion because they refused to take to sexual entertainment premises corporate clients who had flown in or come up from other areas. Sexual entertainment venues must be regulated, not only because of the effect that they have on how women are perceived, which other members have commented on, but because, as Elaine Murray said, it is not the case that they are good for attracting businesses. It is disgraceful that women in corporate companies are being discriminated against because they will not take clients to such premises.

I turn to some of the recommendations that the committee made in its report, particularly on the issue of having an appropriate number of sexual entertainment venues and of whether to have a discretionary or a mandatory regime. I welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to provide guidance to licensing authorities on what constitutes an appropriate number of venues, as the committee recommended. I note the committee’s recommendation that the licensing of sexual entertainment venues should be mandatory, but my original proposal, which the Scottish Government has incorporated in the bill, was for an opt-in system. It is a fact that only four or five local authorities operate such entertainment licences. The Scottish Government has indicated that it thinks that an opt-in system that gives local authorities a choice is sufficient. I agree with Elaine Murray’s view that local authorities are best placed to decide just how many licences they should have in their area.

A number of other issues have been raised, such as that of under-18s working in such clubs. I do not know what kind of work they would be doing, or whether it would be against EU regulations to prevent people between the ages of 16 and 18 from being able to work as cleaners or whatever in such premises. I would like that to be looked at, because it is important to consider the people who hang about in such clubs, whether within or outwith working hours. I also want to raise the issue of a fit and proper person. Both those issues should be looked at.

On the recommendation that there be a single body to deal with SEVs, as I will refer to them, alcohol and advertising, I am worried that if we went down that road, it might take longer to set up a new regulatory body and to legislate for that. I think that we have waited long enough for legislation to tackle sexual entertainment, which objectifies women. I am concerned that, if we went down that road, everything might have to be thrown out and we might need to start again. Perhaps the cabinet secretary could pick up on that or it could be looked at at stage 2.

Certainly, the bill is a step forward. Everybody has said that they will support the bill and I hope that it makes it through stages 2 and 3. We must ensure that women are no longer objectified by this form of so-called sexual entertainment.