My MP sent my questions re the incidental exemption to the Chair of the local Licensing committee. The following is from the reply which I think shows that whichever Party wins the election - our problems in obtaining sensible licensing will continue unless action is taken at the local enforcement level.

As Chairman of Licensing my committee adjudicates on applications which have objections to them. We do not set the policies which are set by Government statute with slight variations which can be set by the Policy and Management Committees.

On the substance of your letter to Mr Knight I would simply comment that the purpose of having a licensing procedure is to give any objectors an opportunity to make those objections. If you think there should be less opportunity for such objections to be heard I suggest you write to all the candidates standing at this election and ask them to change the law.

There was no mention of passing my still unsanswered questions to whichever Committee may have some interest in local licensing policy. The intent is to simply ignore them.