One cautionary note re a post above: my opinion, it's not unfair because of Scotland not being covered. It's just unfair, period. Beware the pitfall of feeling that an intrinsic wrong is somehow mitigated by more "equitably" speading it around. If my rights are violated and my neighbor's are not -- good for my neighbor. The fewer rights violated, the better. The harm to me is not one whit lessened if the other guy gets screwed too. The injustice here will not be in free Scotland. It will be in occupied England and Wales. The solution is not to extend the licensing plan, but to scrap it.

Thanks very much for your concern and your actions, I think many will be in perfect agreement with this. It is, I think the key to why the response even from folkies in England and Wales has been patchy, as the current law's enforcement has not afffected everyone here the same.

Many who are not directly affected tend to accuse those who have been and are trying to change things, of wanting to make life worse for them, by 'kicking up a fuss'. When the truth is that they are really trying to make things better for all of us, and to alert everyone to the fact that the partial honeymoon period for some, is soon going to come to an abrubt end. Perhaps I should explain a little about Scotland.

Scotland already has more semsible (but still far from perfect entertainment licensing). PELs in Scotland

This is not mentioned with any intention of spreading the misfortue of those in England and Wales to Scotland, even if that were possible, but to pose the question why this model (Morag, I call her) cannot form the starting point for 'reform' this side of the Tweed.

For Scotland maintains that other existing health and safety legislation, exactly the same as that in England and Wales, means that the Scottish public does not require any additional entertainment licensing in already liquor licesened premises.

Our Government really have not made the case for, or established the need, for the increased scope of the proposed entertainment licensing requirement licensing. I think that our Noble Lords in their debate 12 Decenmber, are beginning are making that point rather clear, even to the, so far imovable Government proposers of the legislation. They deal with this with gentle humour, which you may find entertaining, if you can sort through the strange processes on the following Hansard account.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds02/text/21212-01.htm#21212-01_head2