Government forms games committee

The Government is to create an all-new ‘video games committee’ – in which cross-departmental representatives will be tasked with considering changes in policy to help the industry.

The decision was a result of ELSPA’s first formal meeting with new Minister for Creative Industries Sin Simon last week. ELSPA director general Michael Rawlinson and Simon discussed the new PEGI age ratings system, tax breaks and more.

The new committee will feature representatives from the Department Of Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

The news was indeed upbeat,” he said. The Minister assured us that the Government is confident of being able to introduce pro-PEGI legislation before the next election.

We also covered the other hot topic of the moment: tax breaks for the industry. Sin Simon confirmed that the Treasury is now open in principle to the idea of tax breaks for the country’s video games industry.

But endlessly calling for tax breaks is not enough. What is obvious is that hard evidence has so far been very lacking so the Minister has now asked ELSPA to help further the debate by furnishing that evidence. This, of course, we are happy to do.”

Sin Simon met with ELSPA again this week at the DCMS.