§ Mr. Robert Cookeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she will investigate extended copyright as a possible source of revenue for financing public lending right as a means of providing additional income for living authors.
§ Mr. St. John-StevasAs I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Louth (Mr. Jeffrey Archer) on 18th January—[Vol. 867, c. 181.]—my right hon. Friend and I are impressed with the arguments for seeking to recompense authors for the use of their works through public libraries, but there are difficult practical problems to which we are giving urgent study. The question of extending the period of copyright would have wide implications and is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.