UK Gov't Forms Committee For Video Game Policy

The UK Government is establishing a new committee devoted to supporting the video game industry through policy changes and collaboration across departments. According to a report in UK trade paper MCV, Minister for Creative Industries Sion Simon met with Michael Rawlinson, director general of trade group the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association last week. They discussed the PEGI ratings system -- recently selected as the games standard in the UK -- as well as tax breaks and other relevant issues. Representatives from the Department Of Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Department of Health and other key groups wll comprise the new committee. Rawlinson reportedly expressed his confidence that the government would be able to introduce "pro-PEGI" legislation before the next election, and said he came away from the discussions feeling the government is now more open to the idea of tax breaks for the game biz -- provided ELSPA and other trade groups are able to provide hard data to support their arguments in favor. "Endlessly calling for tax breaks is not enough," said Rawlinson. "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."