Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of that acquisition on the UK video games sector and the data security of UK players.

The department has not assessed the impact of the acquisition or discussed it with the CMA. Responsibility for investigating the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition falls to the Competition and Markets Authority to determine independently.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK video games sector. In April we launched the £30 million Games Growth Package, doubling funding to invest in UK games businesses and develop future talent.

The UK General Data Protection Regulation applies to all companies that offer goods or services to individuals in the UK.