Never, or not in his clubs anyway veteran impressario Peter Stringfellow told a committee of MPs yesterday.
Stringy was addressing members of the culture, media and sport committee (is lap dancing culture, media or sport?) who are wondering whether or not to bring in new laws defining lap dancing joints (which seem to be springing up like weeds) as ’sexual encounter’ venues, thereby making it easier to turn down planning permission and licensing requests for and from them.
‘Sexual encounter’ venues (I thought brothels were against the law in the UK) have to pay a special licence fee of £30,000 which is one reason Stringfellow was so indignant. But he also maintains that people can look but not touch in his West End clubs so it’s not an encounter at all.
And he made the perfectly sensible point that there enough laws in being to deal with the problem, if problem it is.
But MPs these days are professional legislators so there’s little chance of them ever being happy with the laws they already have.
[Image Attribution: buckofive]