Over the past year I have struggled against a particular local problem presented to traditional musical activities by the UK's outdated licensing legislation and local authority enforcement of this.

I have received much help from many contributors to the Mudcat (wherever they live) and this has made a real difference. Mainly in demonstrating that I was not a lone voice, representing a minority view that can safely be ignored and dismissed. These letters and e mails have helped to raise public awareness to the threat presented by current legislation to music making generally and traditional activities in particular. Details of this can be found on the following threads and websites.

UK folkies urgent help Minister insults folk music Uk folkies take note the law Gareth's site, local press coverage Trevor Gilson's site, Session Harassment, more general background information CaLM, more (London based campaign) information. The proposed reforms (White Paper)

We all need to ensure that the proposed new legislation actually does improve the situation. There are some pretty big players in these licensing reform and there is great danger that our voice will not be heard. It is vital that it is.

To that end can I ask that the same concerted effort that was directed at my local authority, which was so successful, now be made to inform the Government of our concerns. These expressed from potential overseas tourists seem to hit home and those just expressing incredulity at the attitude here and contrasting them with other country's attitudes, would be effective too.

Please can you all help to change our country's attitude toward music forever?

Kim.Howells@culture.gsi.gov.uk is the minister responsible. The civil servants at the ministry do not seem to think that the public has many concerns for this whole issue. Can you please help to change that perception? If we do not, I fear that the official 'jobsworths', will yet prevail.

UK residents (even folkies) do live in a democracy and do have a voice, we must use it now.

Below is a suggested letter that could be sent to our MPs by email now! Their email addresses can be found through the Parliament website www.parliament.uk, or Dr Howells direct and your local councillors too.

Dear _________

In the House of Commons on 3 December Culture Minister Kim Howells described the two-in-a-bar rule as 'silly'. He added that live music should thrive in pubs and restaurants. But these 'silly' rules have been a serious problem for nearly 20 years, and new legislation is unlikely before 2004.

Musician's opportunities to perform and freedom to make music are restricted by these silly laws, but it is silly local authorities who make this problem much worse either by making public entertainment licences prohibitively expensive, or by adopting over-zealous enforcement policies - or by doing both. This practice is not confined to a few local authorities. It is the norm in London, and in many other areas of England and Wales.

In Scotland, pubs and restaurants can generally put on live bands during permitted hours without a public entertainment licence (PEL). The same safety and noise legislation regulates these premises as in England. Clearly, for live music in this context, this legislation is adequate to ensure the in-built provisions to cover the protection of patrons, performers and the general public, irrespective of PELs.

But the Government's proposed licensing reforms will mean even one pianist in a bar will require prior local authority approval (and a fee).

The local live music scene thrives in Scotland and in Ireland. Local authorities in England and Wales have complete discretion over their PEL fees and conditions. They could revitalise work opportunities for musicians and change the face of traditional music now if they learned from the Scottish example. Instead of proposing to extend local authority jurisdiction over types of live music that are less of noise risk than recorded sound or satellite television, why is the Government not adopting the Scottish licensing example?

The present harassment of musicians, venues and the public, undertaken in the name of official control and revenue, shames our proud cultural heritage, make us a laughing stock and is to be prevented from continuing in any future form.