A member of Parliament says pipe down

Posted at 5:52 PM on June 26, 2006 by Don Lee

Thanks to John Birge for pointing out an important development in the British Parliament:

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.

The bill, now before the House of Lords, was introduced by Green Party member Lord Beaumont of Whitley. Arguing for the bill earlier this month, he stated, "I dislike most forms of noise pollution, including wallpaper music." He continued, "When we listen to a sound, whatever that sound is, including music, if the listener does not want it, it is noise. Noise is defined as unwanted sound."

Fear not, adherents of the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. In the words of the bill, “'Piped music' means pre-recorded background music played through loudspeakers."