§ Lord Northfieldasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consultations they have had with the Commission of the European Communities regarding the legality of the proposed levy on blank audio tape: and what was the outcome of any such consultation.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Lucas of Chilworth)We are fully satisfied that the levy scheme outlined in the recent White PaperIntellectual Property and Innovation (Cmnd 9712) is compatible with our obligations under Community law, and, although the European Commission has not been 145WA consulted on this issue, we have no reason to believe that the Commission takes a different view.