Intellectual Property Bill [Lords]

Debate between Jim Dowd and Gerry Sutcliffe

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South) (Lab)]

It is a great pleasure to be involved in this debate and to follow the hon. Member for Hove (Mike Weatherley), who has shown why he should be the IP tsar. I know that he is the IP adviser to the Prime Minister, but in his contribution he has shown an understanding of the issues that we face. I first became involved in intellectual property rights as the Minister responsible for consumer affairs in the Department of Trade and Industry, and my interest has continued as a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. It has been impressed upon me how important these issues are. The amendment proposed by the hon. Gentleman, which would put education at the heart of this issue, is vital, and I hope the Whips will ensure that he serves on the Committee so that we have the opportunity to debate the issues he raised.

I was grateful to the Minister for initiating this debate in the way he did because it would have been easy for us to get into the usual argy-bargy about how long it has taken to get to this point. My hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham West and Penge (Jim Dowd) is right to say that the Gower report was the predecessor of the Hargreaves review, but it has taken an inordinate length of time to get to where we are today, which is an important stage of discussing an important Bill that will have an impact on creativity. I will chide the Minister a little because he did not mention the Culture, Media and Sport Committee report—unlike my hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright)—and what it said about the creative industries and the impact they have on our communities.

I represent a northern city, and we are looking at creativity to replace many of the manufacturing jobs we have lost over the years. The creative industries—whether film, television, the arts, or books—can create lots of new jobs. Bradford university and Bradford college provide opportunities to young people and small and medium-sized enterprises to use creativity as a way of creating those jobs of the future. Intellectual property is a key element of that, which is why the point about education is so strong, especially with the copying and so on that people do because they think they are getting things for free. In fact, that has an impact on the sector, particularly music, film and television.

The Hargreaves review has been broadly accepted by the Government and it is important that we move forward in a progressive way. The point about exceptions in the statutory instruments is a vital message that will be sent to the sector, and it is important we get that right. I hope the Minister will take that issue to his colleagues and ensure that we see the separate installation of the SIs on the exceptions.

I am not anti-Google. I think it does a lot of good, but the way it has operated with regard to intellectual property is a cause for concern. That concern was echoed by the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), when he appeared before the Select Committee and said that it was easier for Google to get to No. 10 than it was for him—I do not know what that says about him as a Minister, but there are clearly concerns there.

[Jim Dowd]

I am sure it was a slip of the tongue, but I remind my hon. Friend, as I reminded the Prime Minister, that it not the hon. Member for Wantage who is responsible for IP, but Viscount Younger in the other place, and he made the comment about access to No. 10.

[Mr Sutcliffe]

How soon I forget. My hon. Friend is right: Viscount Younger did come before the Select Committee, but the hon. Member for Wantage, who is also a Minister from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, also gave evidence to the Committee on IP rights.

The Committee’s report is worthy of being read by hon. Members who have not yet done so, given the impact that creativity can have on well-being, innovation, and the growth of potential new jobs. When the Committee went to America to look at the creative industries—a difficult job but somebody has to do it—we went to Google and to the film studios. I found it interesting to note the importance of tax credits to the film industry. Film tax credits are one thing I will congratulate the Government on, and moving those measures to high-end television and games will maintain our lead in such things.