Hansard

Video Games

Volume 474: debated on Monday 31 March 2008

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of exports by the UK games development sector in each year since 1997. (196976)

Margaret Hodge

I have been asked to reply.

Information on the value of exports specifically by the UK games development sector is not available.

The value of UK exports of services in the ‘software, computer games and electronic publishing’ sector is published in the annual DCMS Creative Industries Economic Estimates statistical bulletin. Games development firms likely represent only a small proportion of this sector.

Exports of services for the software, computer games and electronic publishing sector

(£ million)

1997

1,400

1998

1,700

1999

2,300

2000

2,500

2001

3,900

2002

3,500

2003

3,900

2004

4,700

2005

4,800

Source: DCMS Creative Industries Economic Estimates statistical bulletin (October 2007)—based on data from ‘International Trade in Services', Office for National Statistics.

The software, computer games and electronic publishing sector comprises all firms classified in official business data under ‘publishing of software’, ‘other software consultancy and supply’ or ‘reproduction of computer media’ (only 25 per cent. of this class is included).