To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing access to (a) Kindles and (b) audiobooks on children’s literacy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing access to (a) Kindles and (b) audiobooks on children’s literacy.

In the 2020 Budget the government announced that e-publications would be charged VAT at the zero rate, in the same way as books, newspapers and magazines. This change took effect from 1 May 2020.

In the 2020 Budget the government announced that e-publications would be charged VAT at the zero rate, in the same way as books, newspapers and magazines. This change took effect from 1 May 2020.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS hospitals can access electronic versions of medical reference books.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NHS hospitals can access electronic versions of medical reference books.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help support libraries to purchase e-books.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to help support libraries to purchase e-books.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will (a) grant libraries the right to archive eBooks and (b) ensure perpetual access to licensed works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will (a) grant libraries the right to archive eBooks and (b) ensure perpetual access to licensed works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing online publications to be used to advertise public planning notifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing online publications to be used to advertise public planning notifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to increase the effectiveness of the Electronic Legal Deposit system since the cyberattack on the British Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to increase the effectiveness of the Electronic Legal Deposit system since the cyberattack on the British Library.

Motion that this House has considered the matter of VAT on audiobooks. Agreed to on question. Sitting adjourned without Question put.

Motion that this House has considered the matter of VAT on audiobooks. Agreed to on question. Sitting adjourned without Question put.

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of VAT on audiobooks.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Sharma. We are in the coolest place in Westminster, so let us see if we can stay in here; this is probably the only room...

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the matter of VAT on audiobooks.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this afternoon, Mr Sharma. We are in the coolest place in Westminster, so let us see if we can stay in here; this is probably the only room...

Is it not true that young people especially enjoy audiobooks and it is a real path for them into the joy of reading? Some will not be able to discover that joy because of the expense, but it is how many first access literature?

Is it not true that young people especially enjoy audiobooks and it is a real path for them into the joy of reading? Some will not be able to discover that joy because of the expense, but it is how many first access literature?

I agree, and I hope that is part of the problem that the Minister, as a Treasury Minister, will recognise. It is difficult to work out how we can ensure that people who are being discriminated against—as opposed to people who can read in general terms; I will return to...

I agree, and I hope that is part of the problem that the Minister, as a Treasury Minister, will recognise. It is difficult to work out how we can ensure that people who are being discriminated against—as opposed to people who can read in general terms; I will return to...

It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma, and as they say, “Follow that!” The previous contribution was a passionate and informed speech by someone who really understands the difficulties that the tax on audiobooks represents to some people. The right hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead...

It is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma, and as they say, “Follow that!” The previous contribution was a passionate and informed speech by someone who really understands the difficulties that the tax on audiobooks represents to some people. The right hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead...

The hon. Lady is making a very important point that I probably did not express very well in my speech. Asking people to prove their disability may exclude a whole tranche of people. That sort of vetting would be so negative for so many people that they just would not...

The hon. Lady is making a very important point that I probably did not express very well in my speech. Asking people to prove their disability may exclude a whole tranche of people. That sort of vetting would be so negative for so many people that they just would not...

I totally agree, and the right hon. Gentleman expressed it much better than I was able to.

Reading has many mental health benefits, and there is a clear link between reading and improved wellbeing. Given that the cost of living crisis has led to soaring rates of stress, anxiety and depression,...

I totally agree, and the right hon. Gentleman expressed it much better than I was able to.

Reading has many mental health benefits, and there is a clear link between reading and improved wellbeing. Given that the cost of living crisis has led to soaring rates of stress, anxiety and depression,...

It is a pleasure to serve under you, Mr Sharma, my parliamentary neighbour in Ealing. I start by wholeheartedly congratulating the right hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Sir Mike Penning) on securing the debate. I listened to him with great interest and I thought his speech was very thoughtful, heartfelt...

It is a pleasure to serve under you, Mr Sharma, my parliamentary neighbour in Ealing. I start by wholeheartedly congratulating the right hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead (Sir Mike Penning) on securing the debate. I listened to him with great interest and I thought his speech was very thoughtful, heartfelt...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Sir Mike Penning) on securing this debate, and I thank him sincerely for the personal experiences that he has brought into it.

For what it is worth, I did...

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Sir Mike Penning) on securing this debate, and I thank him sincerely for the personal experiences that he has brought into it.

For what it is worth, I did...

The Minister and the civil servants who are listening will realise just how petrified officials were when I walked into my first ministerial position and said, “By the way, I memorise—I do not read—the submissions that you want me to read out at the Dispatch Box.” In a further seven...

The Minister and the civil servants who are listening will realise just how petrified officials were when I walked into my first ministerial position and said, “By the way, I memorise—I do not read—the submissions that you want me to read out at the Dispatch Box.” In a further seven...

My right hon. Friend makes an important point more generally, if I may have your munificence for a moment, Mr Sharma. It is so important that people such as my right hon. Friend show that dyslexia or other learning conditions need not be a barrier in a person’s ability to...

My right hon. Friend makes an important point more generally, if I may have your munificence for a moment, Mr Sharma. It is so important that people such as my right hon. Friend show that dyslexia or other learning conditions need not be a barrier in a person’s ability to...

The Minister is making a good point. In a previous life as a university lecturer in journalism, I had a student who was blind. The books that were available as audiobooks were much more expensive because of the VAT, and there were fewer of them. With podcasts, there is more...

The Minister is making a good point. In a previous life as a university lecturer in journalism, I had a student who was blind. The books that were available as audiobooks were much more expensive because of the VAT, and there were fewer of them. With podcasts, there is more...

Although this part of my speech focuses on children, I very much accept the point about people having a love of reading throughout their life. I want to mention the positive work, which I hope is welcomed across the House, in schools to improve literacy and give that love of...

Although this part of my speech focuses on children, I very much accept the point about people having a love of reading throughout their life. I want to mention the positive work, which I hope is welcomed across the House, in schools to improve literacy and give that love of...