Unless those exceptions are in the Act what Mr Howells says are completely meaningless in terms of the law. In some of those cases (not all) the Bill at present clearly insists on a licence being in place. So unless he is a much bigger fool than he seems he has to do something to change that.

The same goes for his pledge that sessions and singarounds will not need licences (July 17th 2002 Radio 2, Mike Harding show.) - which of ciurse he did not include in that list, and which is the one that is of most concern to us I imagine.

Mind those things that Ed mentioned are quite craftily put in some cases. For example "bellringers practising" - but what about when they aren't practising, but attempting to ring a peal? And what does "when the general public are not admitted" mean in a school context or even in the case of a private house.

All he has to do to come out of this smelling like roses is stick in one or two simple clauses in the exceptions section of the act.