The risks involved with the use of lasers are now well known, and installation and operation of class 3B and 4 lasers normally being the responsibility of specially trained operatives.

Other steps – including dimming bright lights when not needed, moving lights that are placed at eye level, and not placing bright lights near teleprompters or other monitors could all help.

Here, theatre law follows the standard rules, but with little call from practitioners for any special treatment.

The Gwent Ballet Theatre and the Young Concert Artists Trust were also assessed. These organisations were also found to be complying with the test.

The report highlights the need for all charity trustees to review their current activities, in relation to their stated charitable objects.

The new rules apply to all organisations providing goods and services to the public, including those in the voluntary sector. It also applies to private clubs and other associations of more than 25 members.

Under the old rules, it was difficult to understand the circumstances when positive action to help disadvantaged people would be allowed. The new rules allow service providers to take proportionate steps to help people overcome their disadvantages or to meet their needs. The new rules do not require service providers to take positive action, and there is no restriction on treating disabled people more favourably than non-disabled people. Steps can be taken to help meet the needs of people with a particular disability.

Associations and Clubs with 25 or more members with a membership selection process can, under the new rules, restrict their membership to people with protected characteristics but not groups defined by colour. The latest guidance on the Act suggests that an association could restrict its membership to Afro-Caribbean boys or to people of African Origin, but no to black people.

Charities can also, under the new rules, provide benefits only for people with a protected characteristic (but not a group defined by colour) provided that it can be justified as intended to meet a legitimate objective in a fair, balanced and reasonable way, or is fro the purpose of preventing or compensating for a disadvantage linked to that protected characteristic.

It can be accessed on the NCVO website.

Those setting admission prices (and offering discounts to children and senior citizens) can note:

• Age discrimination will be extended to service providers, but not until detailed regulations have been agreed (likely to be on or after April 2012);
• The Act explicitly excludes children and young people from legal protection from unfair discrimination on the grounds of age;
• Some service delivery will also be excluded, but the scope of those exclusions is not known (likely to relate to financial services, health care and the travel industry);
• The government does not intend to stop service providers from providing benefits to some age groups if it is “beneficial or justifiable or for good public policy reasons”. The new rules (according to guidance published by the Government Equalities Office) will not stop, for example, free bus passes for older people.

On that basis, free or reduced entry to venues would seem to be acceptable. Further updates will be published here when the regulations are passed.

Instead, the government will “remodel” the scheme to “proportionate, common sense levels”. Teresa May describes the required changes to be “fundamental” to allow a proportionate and sensible scheme.

The review, to be co-ordinated by the Home Office in partnership with the Department of Health and the Department for Education is still being scoped. The Direct Gov website promises further announcements “later in the year”.

So the current state of play seems to be:

• CRB checks continue;
• Employers face criminal sanctions for knowingly employing a barred individual for a wide range of work;
• Employers can check the barred lists with the ISA as part of an Enhanced CRB check;
• Employers, local authorities, professional regulators and inspection bodies have a duty to refer to the ISA any information on an individual working with the vulnerable where they consider them to have caused harm or pose a risk;
•  It is a criminal offence for a barred individual to apply to work in a wide range of posts (including voluntary positions).

Although the review will be welcomed by many, it leaves in place the CRB system (with all of its challenges) and, for the entertainment industry, the child performance regulations.

Given the VBS was not due to be fully implemented until 2015, this continuing delay will cause uncertainty for an even longer period.  Will it be worth the wait?

The Home Office is expected to also announce a full scale review of the scheme.

No announcement has been made on the child performance licensing scheme, following Sarah Thane’s review published before the election.

The Olympic .380 BBM
Also known as:
-Bruni Olympic Revolver- Blank Firer
- Olympic 9mm
- Olympic .380
- Olympic .38

Although the gun has been popular as a blank firer, it has recently been disclosed that the gun can be easily converted to a live firing gun. It is therefore prohibited, and possession can lead to a five year criminal sentence.