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Economy: Creative Industries

My Lords, I remind the House of my interests, among them my role as chairman-designate of the Advertising Standards Authority and as a non-executive director of Phonographic Performance Limited. I am particularly proud of having begun the work, when I was Secretary of State, that the Government have built on in establishing the importance of the creative industries and the creative sector of our economy,an increasingly important and growing part of the economy. I am also very pleased to note the excellent report of the Select Committee in another place on the creative industries, which was somewhat better than the Gowers report on intellectual property that also emerged recently. In the brief time I have, I shall concentrate on where the Government can help. The creative sector is a success story for Britain, and the Government can and should help to sustain its growth and importance. There are five ways in which the Government can and should help. First, they can sustain a vibrant, active and creative artistic and cultural life in this country because the creative industries and the entrepreneurialism that leads to them spring out of a vibrant culture. That is why the Comprehensive Spending Review in relation to the arts is so important. I agree with the noble Baroness on that. Secondly, there is education; that is, making sure that the spirit of creativity is nurtured and developed in our children right the way through the educational process. Thirdly, there is access to affordable accommodation for young, start-up creative entrepreneurs who want to live and work in clusters in vibrant urban areas, often where rising property prices and rents are prohibitive. Fourthly, there is access to finance, which is vital in order to start up creative businesses. Fifthly, and perhaps most importantly, there is copyright protection; that is, making sure that intellectual property value can be properly protected. For example, we need to look at giving music performers equality in copyright terms with everyone else concerned with the production of music. More than that, we need the Government to be very clear about the importance of intellectual property. Making sure that we protect it properly is the way that we will ensure a continued flow of creative endeavour. These are ways that the Government can help, and I urge them to sustain this success story by doing so.