"SCHEDULE 1 Provision of regulated entertainment
Part 1 General definitions

2 (1) The descriptions of entertainment are—

(a) a performance of a play,

(b) an exhibition of a film,

(c) an indoor sporting event,

(d) a boxing or wrestling entertainment,

(e) a performance of live music,

(f) any playing of recorded music,

(g) a performance of dance,

(h) entertainment of a similar description to that falling within paragraph (e), (f) or (g),

where the entertainment takes place in the presence of an audience and is provided for the purpose, or for purposes which include the purpose, of entertaining that audience."

No doubt a lawyer could make a great deal of the meaning of "provision", "event", "performance", "audience" and "entertaining", and probably quite a lot more, but the reality is that in the case of a session the costs of a legal challenge would far outweigh the costs of getting the appropriate licence, so it's unlikely to be tested.

I don't think Hamish Birchall's statement has been ignored, exactly, rather it says pretty much all there is to say. There are hints that the Government is beginning to admit that the Act is not achieving the intended results, at least so far as encouraging live music is concerned, but it seems reluctant to undertake a full-scale revision and instead is trying to get away with the bare minimum changes which don't fully address the issues.