Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with HM Treasury on the application of 20 per cent VAT on e-publications; and if he will make a statement.

The application of 20 per cent VAT on e-publications is a long-standing concerns of parts of the publishing industry. The Cairncross Review into a sustainable future for journalism recommended extending the zero-rating of VAT to digital newspapers and magazines, including digital-only news publications. The Government is currently considering its response to the Review's recommendations. Decisions on taxation are a matter for HM Treasury.