The Bill introduced on 29 April 2020 would require operators of travelling funfairs in Scotland to have a public entertainment licence.

The public entertainment licence is proposed to be administered by local councils.

Under the Bill’s proposals, the local council can charge operators for a licence and can decide not to grant a licence. This would mean that the funfair could not take place. Every local council can decide how much to charge and the time it takes to consider an application can vary.

This Bill changes the system for anyone applying for licences. It also changes how local councils decide whether to grant them. Operators will still need a licence to hold a travelling funfair under this Bill. A local council must grant the licence within 21 days as long as an operator meets certain application requirements.  A licence may be refused only for one of the reasons given in the Bill.  If a local council does not come to a decision within 21 days, the licence will be automatically granted.

The Bill also changes the fees for applying for a licence. Each application will cost £50. This is cheaper than licence applications currently cost in most local council areas.

The Bill does other related things like:

·         making procedures for adding certain conditions to licences

·         allowing appeals against a decision by a local council

·         allowing local councils to search and inspect travelling funfairs

The Bill makes no changes to health and safety requirements and standards. These are dealt with by other laws.