The transitional provisions - from old to new law, work with both acts in tandem - licences under old act from Magistrates' run out next February and regulations may allow them to be renewed for a shorter time than the present 3 years until new ones take over. Transitional period not yet announced because, say the Department of Constitutional Affairs, awaiting guidance from the Ministry of Fun (Department of Culture Media and Sport). Licensees still in the dark (like DCMS) but it will be petty officials at the local council who will grant the licences unless there are objections in which case it will be their political lords and masters, local councillors, who will want to be hereos with local nay sayers, and yet want local jobs, so a problem.

I really wish there was some way of getting through to politicians what damage this bill could do and how many votes could be lost, but as said above the Torries objected on principle maybe rather than to support traditional music. By the way a local session on TV recently for fighting with local authority has its last session next week, new landlord wants to do somthing else so chucking us out - see last session at the Sloop, Barton upon Humber.