Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade and the Cabinet Office on the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners; and what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of that acquisition on the UK video games sector, player data, creative workers and the integrity of the games industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK video games sector. In April this year we launched the £30 million Games Growth Package, doubling funding to invest in UK games businesses and develop future talent.
Under competition law, responsibility for investigating the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers and expertise to investigate the benefits and risks of mergers in relation to competition, including those that may impact the video games sector.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of recognising Deaflympic athletes as elite athletes eligible for (a) UK Sport and (b) National Lottery funding.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people.
Through our arm's length body, Sport England, we have provided £1.2 million to support the work of UK Deaf Sport.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect the (a) creative, (b) video game and (c) animation industries from the potential impact of AI-generated content on jobs and educational programs.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Our consultation on the impact of AI on the copyright regime, which was published on 17 December and closed on 25 February, received over 10,000 responses. We will now consider the full range of responses we have received and will continue to develop our policy approach in partnership with creative industries, media and AI stakeholders. Addressing this is an urgent priority for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, but no decisions will be taken until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers for the creative industries.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) also works closely with the Department for Education (DfE) on skills policy affecting the creative sector. This includes DfE’s work on the reformed growth and skills levy, which will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, including digital skills, and create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries.
Many video games studios already use AI tools to streamline development processes and enhance game-play experience.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with (a) broadcasters and (b) social media companies on making more sporting events freely available to watch live.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
I routinely hold discussions with a range of stakeholders in the sector where we cover matters relevant to sports and television, including free-to-air access to sporting events.
The Government wants major sporting events to be made available on free-to-air television so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. However, this must also be balanced with the ability of sporting organisations to generate revenues to invest in their sports, at all levels.