"It can be argued that any performance by unpaid performers, which was publicised with the expectation of bringing in extra customers and consequently extra revenue to the licensee would meet the definition of public performance."

"It can be argued" - what kind of rubbish is that from soemone who is supposed to be drafting legislation that is supposed to settle argy=uments one way and another?

And of course it implies that the stuff about "money changing hands" on the Mike Harding programme as being necessary to define it as a public performance was ointemntionally misleading and untrue.

The trouble is that with all that's going on in the world its going to be virtually impossible to get people to treat it as in any way significant. In a way it's analogous to the way the licensing hours system that have distorted so mmnany things over the decades was slipped through almost inadvertantly in the middle of the Great War.

"Ultimately, however, it is for Parliament to decide on the merits of our proposals." Now that should mean that it will be a free vote. Like hell it will.