An open letter
TO: Dr Kim Howells, Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
& Andrew Cunningham (senior civil servant, DCMS)
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Dear Dr Howells and Mr Cunningham,

Re. the new License Bill

With Red Nose Day coming up and 100,000s of ordinary people organising events to raise money for charity .. will MCM Research UK or any other unbiased(?) Government appointed research company be reporting back:

- on the likely effect on voters at the next election once those people realise (from summer 2004)
- they face criminal prosecution and face fines up to £20,000 and/ or 6 months in prison
- for singing outside a supermarket or for playing a guitar and singing a number of songs in the middle of their comic routine without a license?
- Or the likely effect on fundraising once people realise they may have to apply, pay and satisfy Fire/ Police/ Health and Safety/ the neighbours etc for a license to hold a charity event?

Comic Relief has raised over £1billion - how much less once cash starved local authorities have taken over the issuing of those licenses?

Personally, I think the image of yourselves together with the impact of this bill on ordinary people's efforts to help starving children, will be one even more indelible than Thatcher the Milk Snatcher
Yours sincerely
H J Cook