Authors, MPs and Lords Come Together to Celebrate 30 Years of Public Lending Right (PLR)

LONDON - Tracy Chevalier, Stella Duffy and Wendy Cope were among the many authors who joined MPs and Members of the House of Lords for a summer drinks reception hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group (APWG) in the Terrace Pavilion at the House of Commons last Tuesday evening, 9th June.

The reception also provided a welcome opportunity to mark the 30th anniversary of Public Lending Right (PLR), the legal right of authors to receive a payment every time their work is borrowed through the public library system.

The Rt Hon Denis MacShane MP, Vice Chair of the APWG addressed the reception, inviting those present to join him in celebrating PLR as a UK cultural success story which has a significant role to play in Britain’s creative economy. He acknowledged the high value which writers continue to place on the PLR Scheme, but emphasised that a review of current PLR legislation was urgently needed to take account of digital developments, in particular the growing number of loans of works in e-Book and audio formats. A paper outlining these concerns was presented to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by the APWG in April.

Barbara Follett MP, Culture Minister, sent the following statement to the All Party Writers Group:

“In these difficult economic times, I am proud that the Government continues to support Britain’s authors through the Public Lending Right. But as the All Party Group rightly suggests, we do need to have another look at how best to do this in the future, especially given the rapid pace of technological changes. I look forward to working with the All Party Writers Group to advance this.”

The reception also heard from Jim Parker, current PLR Registrar, and Maureen Duffy, writer and prominent campaigner for PLR during the 1960s and 70s.

Notes for Editors

About All Party Groups:

All Party Groups provide an opportunity for Members of Parliament to help keep the Government and Opposition informed of opinion both inside and outside Parliament on policy issues.

Contact information: ALCS, The Writers’ House, 13 Haydon Street, London EC3N 1DB email alcs@alcs.co.uk Website: www.alcs.co.uk

Source: ALCS

Media contact: Becca Wyatt: +44-1798-867-117; +44-7801-061-420, ALCS; Alison Baxter: +44-207-264-5700