My Lords, we recognise the good intentions behind the original amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, and have accepted it, but we need to make some technical amendments. That is the purpose of Amendment 246A. The Government’s amendment clarifies that the reference number provided should refer to the unique...

My Lords, we recognise the good intentions behind the original amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Moynihan, and have accepted it, but we need to make some technical amendments. That is the purpose of Amendment 246A. The Government’s amendment clarifies that the reference number provided should refer to the unique...

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make it an offence to sell or attempt to sell a ticket for more than its original cost price.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make it an offence to sell or attempt to sell a ticket for more than its original cost price.

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, for adding his name to this government amendment.

For many years this House has rightly been concerned about the operation of the secondary ticketing market. In 2015, as well as placing new rules in the Consumer Rights Act, noble Lords...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Stevenson, for adding his name to this government amendment.

For many years this House has rightly been concerned about the operation of the secondary ticketing market. In 2015, as well as placing new rules in the Consumer Rights Act, noble Lords...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister and all noble Lords who have participated in this debate. I should say to my noble friend that I did not telephone Brussels, which has put it in black and white that the directive does not prevent this practice, so they would...

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister and all noble Lords who have participated in this debate. I should say to my noble friend that I did not telephone Brussels, which has put it in black and white that the directive does not prevent this practice, so they would...

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle the use of computer systems by ticket tout companies to purchase multiple tickets for events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle the use of computer systems by ticket tout companies to purchase multiple tickets for events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's response to the Waterson review, published on 13 March 2017, how he plans to make funds available to National Trading Standards to enforce legislation relevant to secondary ticketing websites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Government's response to the Waterson review, published on 13 March 2017, how he plans to make funds available to National Trading Standards to enforce legislation relevant to secondary ticketing websites.

Following the unfortunate comments made by Peter Duthie, the chief executive of Scottish Events Campus, in which he appeared to defend ticket touts and said that any recent issues were down to just

“a bit of…bad press”,

can we have a debate on the secondary ticket market to ensure that our constituents...

Following the unfortunate comments made by Peter Duthie, the chief executive of Scottish Events Campus, in which he appeared to defend ticket touts and said that any recent issues were down to just

“a bit of…bad press”,

can we have a debate on the secondary ticket market to ensure that our constituents...

I think we are all well aware of how aggrieved genuine fans of musicians and sports feel when they are denied the opportunity to get tickets to their chosen event because of the activities of touts. Passing a new Act of Parliament will not necessarily guarantee an answer of the...

I think we are all well aware of how aggrieved genuine fans of musicians and sports feel when they are denied the opportunity to get tickets to their chosen event because of the activities of touts. Passing a new Act of Parliament will not necessarily guarantee an answer of the...

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2016 to Question 50037, on the Independent Review of Consumer Protection Measures concerning online secondary ticketing facilities, when the Government plans to publish its response to that Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 2 November 2016 to Question 50037, on the Independent Review of Consumer Protection Measures concerning online secondary ticketing facilities, when the Government plans to publish its response to that Review.

I think the last Father of the House to die in office was T. P. O’Connor in 1929, so this is a very unusual moment for us. I support the earlier call for us to have a formal means of paying tribute to Members, so that the decision is not...

I think the last Father of the House to die in office was T. P. O’Connor in 1929, so this is a very unusual moment for us. I support the earlier call for us to have a formal means of paying tribute to Members, so that the decision is not...

I cannot help remarking that if Gerald Kaufman was actually able to sing along with numbers from “Sweeney Todd”, he must have had a very good musical ear indeed, because they have some pretty challenging lines.

In response to the hon. Gentleman’s question about ticket touts, I will refer to the...

I cannot help remarking that if Gerald Kaufman was actually able to sing along with numbers from “Sweeney Todd”, he must have had a very good musical ear indeed, because they have some pretty challenging lines.

In response to the hon. Gentleman’s question about ticket touts, I will refer to the...

Q8

.

Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con):

Does the Prime Minister agree that, when tickets to a teenage cancer charity gig by Ed Sheeran are being resold on the viagogo ticket website for more than £1,000, with none of that money going to the charity, and tickets to the hit musical “Hamilton” are being touted for upwards of £5,000 when viagogo knows only too well that resold tickets are invalid for entry, it is unfair and not indicative of a market that works for everyone? What will the Government do to ensure that genuine fans are not fleeced by ticket touts and rogues?

Q8

.

Nigel Adams (Selby and Ainsty) (Con):

Does the Prime Minister agree that, when tickets to a teenage cancer charity gig by Ed Sheeran are being resold on the viagogo ticket website for more than £1,000, with none of that money going to the charity, and tickets to the hit musical “Hamilton” are being touted for upwards of £5,000 when viagogo knows only too well that resold tickets are invalid for entry, it is unfair and not indicative of a market that works for everyone? What will the Government do to ensure that genuine fans are not fleeced by ticket touts and rogues?

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue, which I know he has been working on for some time. He is absolutely right to identify circumstances where websites are acting in that way and causing those problems for people who genuinely believe that they are able to buy tickets for what they wish to attend. I understand that he recently met my right hon. Friend the Minister for Digital and Culture to discuss the issue. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 introduced new rules on ticketing and a review of online ticket sales. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will shortly respond to the independent report by Professor Michael Waterson on this issue, but as a Government we are looking at the general issue of where markets are not working in the interest of consumers.

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important issue, which I know he has been working on for some time. He is absolutely right to identify circumstances where websites are acting in that way and causing those problems for people who genuinely believe that they are able to buy tickets for what they wish to attend. I understand that he recently met my right hon. Friend the Minister for Digital and Culture to discuss the issue. As my hon. Friend will be aware, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 introduced new rules on ticketing and a review of online ticket sales. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will shortly respond to the independent report by Professor Michael Waterson on this issue, but as a Government we are looking at the general issue of where markets are not working in the interest of consumers.

My Lords, I too would, of course, like to pay tribute, on behalf of the Government, to Baroness Heyhoe Flint today. I agree that it is particularly appropriate that we should be discussing this subject today.

In 2015 this House acknowledged the complexity of online ticketing by including the requirement for...

My Lords, I too would, of course, like to pay tribute, on behalf of the Government, to Baroness Heyhoe Flint today. I agree that it is particularly appropriate that we should be discussing this subject today.

In 2015 this House acknowledged the complexity of online ticketing by including the requirement for...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will publish the evidence collected by the Competition and Markets Authority supporting its compliance review into consumer protection law in the online secondary tickets market which was published on 19 December 2016.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will publish the evidence collected by the Competition and Markets Authority supporting its compliance review into consumer protection law in the online secondary tickets market which was published on 19 December 2016.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the evidence collected by the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to the secondary tickets platform compliance review.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish the evidence collected by the Competition and Markets Authority in relation to the secondary tickets platform compliance review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) successful prosecutions there have been under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 on the misuse of bots for the harvesting of event tickets through primary ticketing platforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) successful prosecutions there have been under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 on the misuse of bots for the harvesting of event tickets through primary ticketing platforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of the misuse of bots for the harvesting of event tickets through primary ticketing platforms have been reported to the police under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of the misuse of bots for the harvesting of event tickets through primary ticketing platforms have been reported to the police under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will use her powers under subsections 6 to 8 of section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to outlaw ticket touting for (a) events related to Hull City of Culture 2017, (b) musical events...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will use her powers under subsections 6 to 8 of section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to outlaw ticket touting for (a) events related to Hull City of Culture 2017, (b) musical events...