§ Mr. SpringTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what evaluation the Creative Task Force has made of the impact of the internet; and if he will make a statement. [95908]
§ Janet AndersonThe Creative Industries Task Force has set up an inquiry to examine the impact of the internet on the following creative industry sectors: radio, design, advertising, newspaper and magazine publishing, and the cultural industries (literature, performing arts, fine art). This work is in addition to initiatives taken by other Government Departments with other parts of the creative industries.
The aims of the inquiry are:
to identify the opportunities, threats and barriers to growth which the Internet brings for creative SMEs in these sectors;to consider the future environment and developments in technology and infrastructure to gauge how SMEs in these sectors can move to anticipate and exploit the opportunities that arise; andto ensure that use of the internet in these sectors (by consumers, businesses and organisations) can be measured and tracked effectively.The inquiry is chaired by Robert Devereux, a Creative Industries Task Force member.
It will, subject to Creative Industries Task Force approval, be published by Spring 2000 and will include recommendations to Government and others on actions to be pursued.