Mr. Matt McGranaghan:

It is all about striking a balance. Many people in the music and entertainment sector rely on pubs. Certain parts of this legislation could threaten their livelihood in a short period of time. That may need to be looked at over a longer period of time, perhaps ten years or more, so that people in the entertainment industry can learn how to access different spaces and make a living between pubs and other spaces. It would also allow pubs to find other ways to make a living within the community and not rely on the existing models. Time needs to be given for that to happen. Schemes like the night time economy support scheme, NTESS, including its licensed premises strand, will support that.