§ Mr. HendryTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received on the imposition of levies on blank tapes for the music industry.
§ Mr. LeighThe Government have received numerous representations for and against the proposal that a levy should be put on blank recording tape to compensate copyright owners for private copying. Representations were particularly numerous during the passage of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, when the Government decided not to introduce such a levy, and many further representations have been received since the European Commission announced in January 1991 its intention to propose a draft directive on private copying. Bodies that have made representations include the Royal National Institute for the Blind, The Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom, the Music Copyright Reform Group, the British Phonographic Industry, the Home Taping Rights Campaign and the British Copyright Council.