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Written Question
Publishing: Intellectual Property
Thursday 25th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the publishing industry is consulted by the Intellectual Property Office as part of its review of the UK’s future intellectual property exhaustion regime.

Answered by George Freeman

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. During the consultation period, the Intellectual Property Office held constructive discussions with stakeholders across multiple business sectors, including representatives of the publishing industry and wider creative industries.


Written Question
Intellectual Property: Writers
Thursday 25th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of an international exhaustion regime on UK author incomes.

Answered by George Freeman

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The potential impact of an international exhaustion regime on UK authors is likely to form part of the overall assessment, alongside the potential effect on other sectors of the economy. The Government will provide an update on this consultation in due course.


Written Question
Copyright: Publishing
Thursday 25th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment her Department has made of the potential Americanisation of (a) spelling, (b) vernacular, (c) cultural reference and (d) design in British books in the event that the Intellectual Property Office introduces an international copyright exhaustion regime.

Answered by George Freeman

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The Government will provide an update on this consultation in due course.


Written Question
Intellectual Property: Writers
Wednesday 10th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of an international exhaustion regime on UK authors.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The Government is currently assessing consultation responses. and will provide an update on this consultation in due course.


Written Question
Intellectual Property
Wednesday 10th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that concerns of the publishing industry and wider creative industries are taken into account by the Intellectual Property Office in its consultation into the UK’s future intellectual property regime.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. Before and during the consultation period, the Intellectual Property Office held constructive discussions with stakeholders across multiple business sectors, including representatives of the publishing industry and wider creative industries. The Government is currently considering consultation responses and is grateful for the contributions from interested parties.


Written Question
Arts: Intellectual Property
Wednesday 10th November 2021

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential impact on UK creative industries exports in the event of international exhaustion regime being implemented following consultation by the Intellectual Property Office.

Answered by Paul Scully

The Government recently held a consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. The Government is currently assessing consultation responses. and will provide an update on this consultation in due course.


Written Question
Ofgem: Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 21st July 2020

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the compliance of Ofgem's RIIO-2 Draft Determinations for Transmission, Gas Distribution and Electricity System Operator with the UK's net zero target.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

Ofgem, as the independent expert regulator, has an important role in the transition to net zero. Its principle duty is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, and this includes consumers’ interests in the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and gas supply. Ofgem also has a duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of activities connected with the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity and gas. These duties are set out in Part 1 of the Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989.

Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem – by law Government has no role. In its RIIO-2 Draft Determinations Ofgem has announced £3bn of upfront funding to connect green electricity sources and transmission grid upgrades. In addition, Ofgem is introducing mechanisms to inject £10bn or more of additional funding that companies can access over the price control to drive decarbonisation and infrastructure upgrades as required, and help to drive green and resilient economic recovery.

In its Decarbonisation Action Plan (link to Plan here), Ofgem stated that it would be ‘reviewing the way our energy systems are managed to ensure they are fit for a net-zero future’.


Written Question
Ofgem: Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 21st July 2020

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the publication of the RIIO-2 Draft Determinations for Transmission, Gas Distribution and Electricity System, whether he plans to align Ofgem’s remit to net zero.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

Ofgem, as the independent expert regulator, has an important role in the transition to net zero. Its principle duty is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, and this includes consumers’ interests in the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and gas supply. Ofgem also has a duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of activities connected with the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity and gas. These duties are set out in Part 1 of the Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989.

Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem – by law Government has no role. In its RIIO-2 Draft Determinations Ofgem has announced £3bn of upfront funding to connect green electricity sources and transmission grid upgrades. In addition, Ofgem is introducing mechanisms to inject £10bn or more of additional funding that companies can access over the price control to drive decarbonisation and infrastructure upgrades as required, and help to drive green and resilient economic recovery.

In its Decarbonisation Action Plan (link to Plan here), Ofgem stated that it would be ‘reviewing the way our energy systems are managed to ensure they are fit for a net-zero future’.


Written Question
Ofgem
Tuesday 21st July 2020

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will take steps to ensure that Ofgem policies support an investment-led green economic recovery.

Answered by Kwasi Kwarteng

Ofgem, as the independent expert regulator, has an important role in the transition to net zero. Its principle duty is to protect the interests of existing and future consumers, and this includes consumers’ interests in the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas emissions from electricity and gas supply. Ofgem also has a duty to have regard to the effect on the environment of activities connected with the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity and gas. These duties are set out in Part 1 of the Gas Act 1986 and Electricity Act 1989.

Network regulation is a matter for Ofgem – by law Government has no role. In its RIIO-2 Draft Determinations Ofgem has announced £3bn of upfront funding to connect green electricity sources and transmission grid upgrades. In addition, Ofgem is introducing mechanisms to inject £10bn or more of additional funding that companies can access over the price control to drive decarbonisation and infrastructure upgrades as required, and help to drive green and resilient economic recovery.

In its Decarbonisation Action Plan (link to Plan here), Ofgem stated that it would be ‘reviewing the way our energy systems are managed to ensure they are fit for a net-zero future’.


Written Question
Arts: Intellectual Property
Monday 18th May 2020

Asked by: Giles Watling (Conservative - Clacton)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the intellectual property of sports bodies is protected from piracy; what plans he has to investigate the potential commercial effect of the activities of the Saudi-based pirate broadcaster beoutQ on the UK's creative industries; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Officials in the Intellectual Property Office work closely with their counterparts in the Department for International Trade work, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on matters relating to the protection of intellectual property (IP) rights around the world.

Government Ministers and HM Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have raised this matter with the Saudi Arabian Government and will continue to make representations about any alleged broadcast infringement activities of UK IP.

We understand broadcasting piracy in Saudi Arabia, through the pirate operator beoutQ, has now stopped. This followed pressure by the UK, the US, European countries, and major sports rights holders.

The Government will continue to with the UK creative industries to try to understand the commercial effect of the alleged piracy by beoutQ.