THE SOUND OF SILENCE - WILL IT BECOME LAW?

The sound of silence - will it become law?

The IPKat has discovered that the Piped Music and Showing of Television Programmes Bill had its Third Reading in the House of Lords this week. For the benefit of his readers, he reproduces the Bill in full:

A Bill To Provide for the Secretary of State to draw up a plan to prohibit piped music and the showing of television programmes in the public areas of hospitals and on public transport; and to require the wearing of headphones by persons listening to music in the public areas of hospitals and on public transport.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Piped music and showing of television programmes plan

(1) The Secretary of State shall, within two years of the coming into force of this Act, draw up a plan setting out the measures he will take to—

(a) prohibit piped music and the showing of television programmes in the public areas of hospitals;

(b) prohibit piped music and the showing of television programmes on all public transport journeys less than fifty miles;

(c) require the wearing of headphones by persons listening to music in the public areas of hospitals;

(d) require the wearing of headphones by persons listening to music on all public transport journeys over fifty miles, in the United Kingdom.

(2) In preparing the plan the Secretary of State shall consult—

(a) such organisations as appear to him to represent—

(i) local authorities;

(ii) the interests of business;

(iii) the interests of users of, and workers in, hospitals;

(iv) the interests of users of, and workers on, public transport; and

(b) such other persons as he thinks fit.

(3) The Secretary of State shall—

(a) as soon as is practicable after completion of the plan, lay the plan before each House of Parliament; and

(b) consider any matters arising from any debate that takes place in either House of Parliament on the plan.

2 Exceptions

The plan under section 1 shall provide exceptions for—

(a) television programmes shown for the purpose of safeguarding the welfare of users of hospitals or travellers on public transport;

(b) such other showings of television programmes in the public areas of hospitals and on public transport as the Secretary of State considers to be in the public interest.

3 Interpretation

In this Act—
“piped music” means pre-recorded background music played through
loudspeakers;
“public areas of hospitals” means the areas of hospitals to which the public or a section of the public have access, but does not include in-patient wards;
“public transport” means every type of vehicle open to the public, including aircraft flying between airports both of which are situated in the United Kingdom.

4 Citation and extent

(1) This Act may be cited as the Piped Music and Showing of Television Programmes Act 2006.

(2) This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

The IPKat, who notices that 'music' is undefined, also wonders whether this is yet another attempt to limit opportunities for hard-working collecting societies to secure royalty income for composers, performers and recording companies - or to deprive London drunks of the simple pleasure of being able to pop into the outpatients department to watch Match of the Day after an evening's recreational drinking. Merpel thinks it's a good idea, though. It means that those responsible can start piping poetry instead - starting with the Pied Piper ...

Piped music hate sites here (for bravehearts only) and here
Make and play your own panpipes here
The sound of silence here and here