Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Mary Macleod

Thursday 26th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mary Macleod (Brentford and Isleworth) (Con)]

8. What recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the creative industries in London to the UK economy.

[The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey)]

rose—

[Mr Vaizey]

Let me tell you, Mr Speaker, that these final DCMS questions are turning into an absolute joy. I can see your heart lifting every time I reach the Dispatch Box, and now I have done so to tell you that the creative industries make a fantastic contribution to London’s economy, employing half a million people.

[Mary Macleod]

My constituency is home to the west London creative industries hub, comprising hundreds of TV, IT and other creative industry businesses. To be successful, these businesses need to be connected. My hon. Friend and colleagues have done great work in delivering superfast broadband especially in rural areas, but will he consider some of the creative companies in west London that are still waiting to be superfast?

[Mr Vaizey]

On Tuesday night I spoke to the Hounslow chamber of commerce at the headquarters of iBurbia in Chiswick. The managing director there rushed up to me to say that he had just got superfast broadband by using one of our super-connected voucher schemes. He also said to me, utterly unprompted, that he thought my hon. Friend was one of the hardest-working people he had ever met. He told the entire room, full of hundreds of business people, that fact.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Mary Macleod

Thursday 16th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, we have worked with internet service providers to supply free filters that can be fitted to consumers’ internet connections. They are working to put together a £25 million a year campaign called Internet Matters, but we should certainly examine the point that he raises as well.

[Mary Macleod (Brentford and Isleworth) (Con)]

The all-party group for women in Parliament produced a report a few months ago in which it examined sexism in the media. Will my hon. Friend look into that issue and work with the Minister for Women and Equalities to determine what we can do to hold the media to account?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Vaizey of Didcot and Mary Macleod

Thursday 22nd March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Vaizey]

I never lose an opportunity to praise the advertising industry in the UK, which is one of the most successful, or its regulatory system under the Advertising Standards Authority.

[Mary Macleod]

I welcome yesterday’s announcement from the Chancellor about games tax relief. Does my hon. Friend agree that it will benefit companies such as Sega in my constituency, establish the UK as a world-leading games maker, and stop the brain drain of talented games developers to overseas?

[Mr Vaizey]

I never lose an opportunity, when I drive over the flyover, to look at the huge headquarters of Sega in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Not only will that proposal stop the brain drain; it will create a brain import scheme.