If, and I emphasise the if, Howells produces a bill that will allow sessions without any form of licensing requirement, so long as no money changes hands (and the trapdoor of increased beer sales does not get written in), there is some progress. So long, of course, as local authorities are not allowed to insist on their usual range of farcical alterations. Oddly, Howells did not specify "acoustic" sessions, so his exact words seem to plan the authorisation of electric jam sessions too, with no limitation on the power of amplifiers used.

But I spot three immediate problems. First, a singaround or a singers (or players) club would not be exempt. Second, paid acoustic performers (even a paid leader of a session) will not be exempt. Why? acoustic performers pose no noise or disturbance threat. This is not a taxation measure, designed to divert some money movements to central or local goverment, but a public order measure. Isn't it? Third, what about folk dancing?