Last week, Peter Luff MP tabled a Motion in the House of Commons. This has already been signed by several supportive MPs, including two Select Committee chairmen. The Motion calls upon the Government to provide a compensation package that covers all fifteen spectrum channels being cleared, and at levels that cover the full costs of replacing existing equipment with like-for-like alternatives.
If the campaign is to be successful, Save Our Sound UK needs Parliament to apply pressure to the Government. Early Day Motions or 'EDMs' are a way by which backbench MPs and opposition frontbenchers can raise or show their support for a particular issue. Obviously, the more MPs sign the motion, the stronger the show of support and the more influential it can be.
Save Our Sound UK urges all affected by the compensation issue, especially those who work in the industry but also those who enjoy live events, to write to or e-mail their local MP and ask them to sign EDM 323. This should not take long and the campaign has made this as easy as possible.
How to do it - step by step guide
1. If you do not know who your local MP is, then simply type your postcode into this page on the UK Parliament website http://findyourmp.parliament.uk
2. Download the draft letter on the SOS UK website that applies to your individual situation and personalise it.
3. Once your letter is complete, either send it to your constituency MP by post or e-mail it across. E-mail addresses can also be found on the UK Parliament website http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alms.cfm
4. Once your correspondence has been sent, you can ascertain whether your MP has signed the EDM by clicking on this link - the signatures should be updated daily http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=39883&SESSION=903
5. Some MPs cannot sign EDMs but most can. Follow up your letter with a phone call to your MP's office if you do not receive a positive response.
Draft letters can be downloaded from the Save Our Sound UK website (see below):
(Jim Evans)
