Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and what recent steps she is taking to monitor where non-compliance and abuse of UK advertising codes persist in the video game sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.
The CAP code, which applies to in-app and in-game adverts if they are directly connected with the supply of goods, services, opportunities or prizes, includes specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading.
The Government welcomes action the ASA has taken to ensure compliance with the advertising codes in the video game sector. In particular, we welcome action to ensure consumers are not misled on the presence of loot boxes in video games. In February, the ASA published an Enforcement Notice confirming that loot boxes must be clearly disclosed on app store pages which are accessible to UK audiences, even when the video game developer is not based in the UK. This action will help to ensure that parents and players are able to make informed choices about the games they purchase or download.
The Government fully supports the stance set out in this enforcement notice and expects the industry to be aware of, and comply with, these disclosure requirements and the wider codes.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Advertising Standards Authority’s enforcement against misleading and manipulative in-game advertising and pop-up ads in mobile applications.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is the independent regulator responsible for regulating advertising in the UK, through codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). The Government is not involved in these codes, nor in the investigations and enforcement delivered by the ASA.
The CAP code, which applies to in-app and in-game adverts if they are directly connected with the supply of goods, services, opportunities or prizes, includes specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, it can be considered misleading.
The Government welcomes action the ASA has taken to ensure compliance with the advertising codes in the video game sector. In particular, we welcome action to ensure consumers are not misled on the presence of loot boxes in video games. In February, the ASA published an Enforcement Notice confirming that loot boxes must be clearly disclosed on app store pages which are accessible to UK audiences, even when the video game developer is not based in the UK. This action will help to ensure that parents and players are able to make informed choices about the games they purchase or download.
The Government fully supports the stance set out in this enforcement notice and expects the industry to be aware of, and comply with, these disclosure requirements and the wider codes.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the job roles successful applicants have qualified under when applying for a global talent visa in order to work in the video games industry.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Applicants with skillsets utilised by the video games industry could potentially qualify under the criteria for multiple Global Talent endorsing bodies, including Tech Nation, Arts Council England and Pact. The visa does not tie individuals to a specific job role or employer.
As a result, the Home Office do not record the number of Global Talent applicants granted who are intending to work in the video games industry. Applicants are not endorsed on the basis of a particular job role they intend to take up in the UK and while the endorsement application form asks if they are intending to work in a particular job for a specific employer, it is not recorded on Home Office caseworking systems.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were granted a global talent visa in order to work in the video games industry in each year since 2020.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Applicants with skillsets utilised by the video games industry could potentially qualify under the criteria for multiple Global Talent endorsing bodies, including Tech Nation, Arts Council England and Pact. The visa does not tie individuals to a specific job role or employer.
As a result, the Home Office do not record the number of Global Talent applicants granted who are intending to work in the video games industry. Applicants are not endorsed on the basis of a particular job role they intend to take up in the UK and while the endorsement application form asks if they are intending to work in a particular job for a specific employer, it is not recorded on Home Office caseworking systems.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the online gaming industry on its impact on the economy.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
DCMS estimates the UK video games sector generated £4.4bn in GVA in 2024, a 5.1% increase from 2023 when adjusted for inflation.
We are aware that these figures may not fully capture the impact of video games, and DCMS has worked closely with the Office for National Statistics on the UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, which have now been updated to better reflect the games sector.
In terms of the consumer market, UK consumers spent £8.76 billion on video games in 2025, a 7.4% increase on the previous year. Digital console spending rose 9.2% to £2.49 billion, spending on mobile games grew 7.9% to £2.07 billion, and digital PC software reached £1.15 billion.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The decision to retire physical media is ultimately a commercial decision for Sony Interactive Entertainment, but we encourage all businesses to consider the impacts of such decisions on consumers, including young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure future online safety regulation does not have unintended consequences for the online gaming industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Proportionality is a core principle of the Online Safety Act and is in-built into its duties. Ofcom must consider the size and risk level of different types of services when recommending steps providers can take to comply with their duties.
Ofcom has communicated with in-scope services about Act regulations, including working with them to ensure compliance is as easy as possible. Ofcom is providing support resources and tools to online services to make it easier for them to understand – and comply with – their responsibilities under the Act.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
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.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
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.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe complies with UK law, following its decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers but has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
This is a commercial decision for Sony to make. Consumers are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to businesses directly. This encourages businesses to adapt and compete fairly based on demand.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers but has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
This is a commercial decision for Sony to make. Consumers are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to businesses directly. This encourages businesses to adapt and compete fairly based on demand.