asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will report progress made towards legislation on public lending right and whether, in particular, lie is studying self-financing by extended copyright.

Progress is being well maintained on the lines indicated in my reply to a Question from my hon. friend the Member for Luton West (Mr. Sedgemore) on 17th June. As to financing public lending right by extended copyright, I would draw attention to the reply given by my hon. friend the Under-Secretary of State for Trade—(Mr. Clinton Davis)—to a Question from the hon. Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Cooke) on 4th March—[Vol. 887, c. 380.] It would not in any case be desirable to subject the introduction of PLR to the delay inevitable in resolving the complicated problems of a change in copyright law.