This from Hamish Birchall

The Times has published a letter from Culture Minister Kim Howells defending the Licensing Bill (see above). Please consider sending a response to The Times letters@thetimes.co.uk

or by post:
The Editor The Times 1 Pennington Street London E98 1TA
Phone: 020 7782 5000

Here are some key points for your replies:

The Licensing Bill is draconian: any organised singing, out and about, or even in private if to raise money for charity, would become a criminal offence unless licensed. Even carol singing is caught. Max penalty: £20,000 fine and six months in jail.

The Minister says the Licensing Bill will ensure people can 'stay in for a peaceful evening', but he is proposing to exempt broadcast music or sport on widescreen tv and large sound systems.
Combined with 24-hour opening this has major noise implications for local residents.

Over 80% of noise complaints are caused by noisy people outside bars, most other complaints are about noisy recorded music - criminalising musicians will have no effect on that problem.

Does this explain why the government has hastily commissioned a study into the noise implications of licensing reform, which will not be complete until Spring 2003 at the earliest?