Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the effect of recent legislative and regulatory changes on contractual relationships between collecting societies in the visual arts sector; and whether they will issue appropriate guidance in cases where there is a contractual dispute between such societies.

The Government has not assessed the effects of recent legislative and regulatory changes on contractual relationships between collecting societies. This is because the policy objective of the regulations is to improve collecting societies’ conduct, rather than to regulate their contractual relationships. However, the impact of the regulations on the conduct of collecting societies will be assessed as part of the usual post-legislative process, which is scheduled for late 2015/ early 2016.

There are no plans for the Government to issue guidance where there is a contractual dispute: Government does not usually interfere in contractual matters between private commercial entities such as collecting societies.