Copy e-mail to john whittingdale, shadow culture minister.


The e-petition from musicians and supporters is approaching 30,000 and there are tens of thousands more on hard copy petitions.

There are serious doubts from MP's and the Human Rights Members groups about the compatibility of this with the right to a good nights sleep (i.e. no control of amplified music which causes 99.99 % of complaints and the restriction on the right to expression needing a licence for acoustic music. Kim Howells has about 12 days to reply to these concerns and has a meeting with many labour MPs tomorrow.

The Salvation Army are concern about their music. Mr Howells talks about revisiting churches and licensing secular music in the bill but they would be affected by street playing.

Additionally in the report of the Liverpool Shootings the music at the hairdressers where the party was held was said by the Times to be "ear splitting" in its volume. This is amplified recorded music not needing a licence under the bill. This sort of thing I am sure amplifies not only the music but potential gang trouble. If the hair dresser, charging £10 admission had hired a string quartet (unlikely though that may be) he would have needed a public entertainment licence under the bill!

Copied to Hamish Birchell of the musicians union for information.

Regards

Eric Twigger