asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from organisations representing the blind about the proposed levy on blank cassette tapes, following the publication of the consultative document, "The Recording and Rental of Audio and Video Copyright Material."

The Royal National Institute for the Blind, the Association of Blind Chartered Physiotherapists, the National Federation for the Blind, the National League for the Blind and Disabled, the Association of Talking Newspapers of Northern Ireland, the Talking Newspaper Association of the United Kingdom and many individual talking newspapers have expressed concern about the effect on the blind of a levy on blank audio recording tape. Their main points are that they, and individual blind people, should be entitled to relief from any levy introduced, and that the mechanism for giving relief should not cause them additional administrative expense or reduce their freedom of choice of tape.