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Intellectual Property

I refer to my entry in the Register of Members’ Interests. In addition, I express my disappointment and that of my colleagues in the House of Commons band MP4 that we will not secure a single penny from our greatest hits recordings in 50 years’ time if the Gowers review suggestions are followed. I congratulate Andrew Gowers on producing a thorough and complete report on intellectual property, and in meeting the terms of reference set by the Treasury. He went about his business with the professionalism and diligence that one would expect of someone with his experience and background. It was always going to be a tough task comprehensively to review IP in the United Kingdom and how it applies to the UK economy, and then to set out recommendations about how things could be improved. It was always a task that would be mired in controversy, at the very least. The report was eagerly anticipated. I do not think that there has been such a scale of submissions during the consultation period of any Government review, and a similar thing can be said about the report’s publication at the beginning of December. Again, the number of responses from all the different stakeholders was almost unprecedented. The Andrew Gowers report will be considered and debated not just for the next few weeks and months but for the next few years. This is my first and probably only appeal to the Minister: do not close down the debate now. Let us consider the Gowers review as part of the process of the Government’s coming to their own decisions and conclusions about the future of IP and copyright. The review should go out for proper consultation so that all stakeholders have an opportunity to respond. I hope that the Government put a brake on the Gowers process and ensure that all stakeholders are consulted and have an opportunity to respond fully and comprehensively to the recommendations. The Government must do that. The knowledge economy is fundamentally important to the UK, and I am sure that I do not need to tell the Minister that. It represents some 8 per cent. of our total gross domestic product, and the latest assessments are that up to £50 billion of gross output is dependent on it. We must get this fundamentally right. More important that anything else, we must get the balance right so that creators are rewarded for their talent and initiative and so that we have the proper business environment, framework and culture to allow the development and growth of our IP.