Authors (Public Lending Right)

HC Deb 05 February 1970 vol 795 cc608-9

16. Mr. Channon

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made with a public lending right scheme for authors.

Miss Jennie Lee

I have now had replies from all the interests involved about the scheme which I put to their representatives without Government commitment on 1st July last. I am considering these replies with a view to a further meeting in the near future.

Mr. Channon

Will the right hon. Lady say what is the result of the experiment at Hove and whether there are likely to be any other experiments?

Miss Lee

The experiment went very well, but the difficulty is that there is an enormous divergence of views about both the principle of this scheme and how it should be applied. We are working hard. A great deal of work has been done both by the Arts Council and by my Department, and we are trying hard to narrow those divergencies.