ELSPA welcomes the launch of new Government strategy for creative industries

Tuesday 26th February/...ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) today warmly welcomed the Government's launch of its new apprenticeship strategy paper 'Creative Britain: New Talents for a New Economy'.

The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport has, in partnership with BERR and DIUS, launched the new strategy for the creative economy, and ELSPA is particularly delighted to see the games industry singled out to benefit from several specific Government commitments such as:

The commissioning of research to better quantify the economic benefits of the creative industries with special attention to the value added by innovation in those industries.

The commitment to identify the barriers to investment in next generation broadband. In addition to growing consumer expectations, innovative new services like online video games, video and music distribution and user-generated content are set to expand, government is to ensure that where possible it takes action to remove constraints on future development of the market.

Increase awareness of the current R&D tax credit scheme and investigate how to make it more user-friendly for small businesses, with a particular focus on the video games industry.

In respect of globalisation, the UK will take the lead in opposing practices that unfairly distort competition, such as working with Europe to determine whether the incentives offered by Canada to video games companies contravene WTO rules.

Paul Jackson, Director General of ELSPA, said: "The Government's commitment to bring creative industries from the margins to the mainstream of the economy and policy thinking shows a marked change to the government's attitude towards creative industries which can only be good for the games sector.

"We are very pleased Andy Burnham linked the idea of Film credits to support for the videogames development community. Whilst we are very different in terms of content we face many of the same issues.

"We are also glad to see Margaret Hodge looking into whether the Canadians have been anti competitive. Going to the WTO is the modern equivalent of "sending a Gunboat"... So Hurray, unfortunately this gunboat takes a decade to arrive!"

ENDS

EDITORS NOTES:

About ELSPA - http://www.elspa.com

ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.

http://www.elspa.com