Shambles, the linking of PRS "licensing" and alcohol/music/dancing "licensing" is really confusing the issue. Hamish Birchall's email does make it clear that the two are separate, however I can't for see what point he's trying to make by mentioning it in that email, unless he's getting them to tighten up the wording. In a Licensing Bill for licensing alcohol and public entertainment, anything saying "is/is not licensed" should be pretty obviously to do with that license, although it's no bad thing to have the wording say this explicitly. I presume anglers aren't also complaining because it doesn't explicitly say that it doesn't cover fishing licenses as well? ;-)

Anyway, the PRS issue is clearly unrelated to the Licensing Bill, present or future. "Licensable music" as far as the PRS are concerned is that written by their members. In fact, to quote directly from the FAQ on the PRS website:-

(start quote)
What is your position on the Government's new Licensing Bill?

The new Bill proposes changes to Public Entertainment Licensing (PEL), which is quite different to the licensing that PRS and MCPS undertake. PEL is undertaken by local authorities and is, effectively, a permit to stage live music. A PRS licence is required in addition to a Public Entertainment Licence (and will continue to be so). Nothing in the Government's new Bill affects the way in which PRS licenses the public performance of music on behalf of its composer and songwriter members.
(end quote)

"Unless the pub owner had made his application to host licensable entertainment at the same time as his application to sell alcohol"... which is free and requires no more than that the pub owner fills out the form correctly. Sorry, I don't hold too much sympathy for someone who lands themselves in the crap through their own incompetence.

Doktor Doktor, re that "summer evening tour", I do have sympathy on that score. Could you get away with that by saying the location was the whole area, in effect being a moving event, and just move the event between pubs? :-) Of course, if you make sure that all pubs know they need to tick the right box on the form, then there'd be no charge for you at all.

Graham.