The fact that Noreen didn't receive reply from her email might just reflect the fact that email inboxes get stuffed with so much spam that it's amazing anyone ever finds anything. Well, that'd be my excuse anyway if I was the MP in question.

I suggest that faxing him or her, using faxyourmp.com is much more likely to get a result. There's an actual bit of paper that lands in the fella's in-tray, looking all neat and slightly ominous. Just enter your post code, type in the text, and bingo.

I doubt very much if all local authorities are doing much about consistently enforcing the present law, Shambles. If they were it would probably be better for us, because they'd build up a head of steam. It's done in a sporadic way, some local authorities, some pubs, and most of the time people shrug it off as a nuisance rather than a menace.

But it is a menace, which continues to do enormous harm to music in this country, even where the law isn't enforced. The existence of the law has the effect of discouraging publicans, and more especially the people who employ the managers in pub chains, from allowing any live music that might breach the strict rules. "Better safe than sorry" is how they see it.

We are dependent on the courage and generosity of publicans who have the nerve to say "sod the law", and though there are still some like that, there aren't enough. And sometimes they are unlucky enough to run up against the jobsworths.