However, the MP for Washington and Sunderland West wants to go a lot further, so that mid-sized and small gigs and events are also covered. There, the police actively monitor internet and newspaper adverts, and also have the power to issue on-the-spot fines. Hodgson's proposal is based on what happens in Queensland, where it is an offence to sell or buy tickets to events at eight major venues for more than 10% above the original price. It is becoming increasingly common for fans to find events are selling out within minutes – yet, hours later, those same tickets can be found on secondary websites at prices way above the face value. In recent years, obtaining tickets for in-demand events has become a stressful, costly business – partly, some say, because of an explosion in the number of "bedroom touts". She has already won the backing of some big names including the manager of the Arctic Monkeys, Ian McAndrew Rod Smallwood, manager of heavy metal giants Iron Maiden Melvin Benn, head of Festival Republic, which organises the Reading and Leeds festivals leading primary agent See Tickets and the Sport and Recreation Alliance. In the meantime, Hodgson plans to step up her campaign, and says she needs the public to get behind it. Failing that, she hopes it will be a Labour manifesto pledge for the next election. She says it "would be great if the government decided to do something themselves". Her bill was "talked out" in the Commons on 21 January, which means it ran out of time and will, in theory, be debated again on 13 May. The people we are talking about buy huge numbers of tickets … Keeping the percentage small restricts the amount of extra money they can make on top, and so removes the incentive for touts to participate." Those putting on live events would be able to choose whether they wish to opt into the regime. Hodgson told MPs she chose the 10% figure because it "was deemed to be sufficiently small that there would be no profit. Would all these touts still be interested in buying and flogging tickets if the huge profits they make now were dramatically curtailed? So it's not hard to see that Hodgson's plan would dramatically change the way sites such as Seatwave, Viagogo and eBay operate. The highest price being charged was a whopping £856. Yet when we logged on to the website of secondary ticket broker Seatwave this week, we found 591 general admission tickets for that date on sale – and the cheapest price on offer was £104.95. Money gives this as an example because £61 (or £61.28, to be precise) is what Ticketmaster was charging for a general admission ticket to see Take That at Wembley Stadium on 30 June. If Hodgson's plan becomes law, the most that someone selling on a £61 gig ticket would be able to make is a smidge over £67 – ie, the original price (face value plus any service charges levied by the ticket agency), plus a further 10% to cover any postage costs, credit card fees and so on.
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