§ 4. Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science which has priority under her policies, nursery schools or public lending rights for authors.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science (Miss Margaret Jackson)It is Government policy to promote nursery education, especially in areas of social disadvantage. We are considering how best we may proceed in making progress towards putting the PLR principle on the statute book.
§ Mr. MoateWill the Under-Secretary confirm that during the last year the taxpayer and the ratepayer have contributed about £82 million—namely, 45 per cent.—of the total United Kingdom turnover of British publishers? If authors are inadequately rewarded for their work, would it not be better for 211 them to look to the publishers for redress of their grievances and not to the taxpayer?
§ Miss JacksonI have never based my argument about a public lending right on the assumption that authors are essentially deprived of income. That would be very difficult to assess. I have based my argument on the premise that there is a right of authors to benefit from the use of their books in public lending libraries.
§ Mrs. Renée ShortIs my hon. Friend aware that the nursery school expansion programme no longer exists and that nursery education is rapidly disintegrating? Does she agree that it will continue to do so for parents who want it unless it becomes part of the State system?
§ Miss JacksonI do not accept that the expansion of nursery education is not continuing, nor do I accept that nursery education is disintegrating. I agree, however, that it would be desirable if we were able to expand it far more than we are doing at present.