To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the contribution to the economy of the domestic art market; how many people are employed in the UK art market; what estimate he has made of the UK’s share of the (a) global and (b) European art markets; and what progress the (i) Government and (ii) European Commission has made on securing an international agreement on artists’ resale rights. (234192)

The Government commissioned the Intellectual Property Institute to produce an independent report on the effect on the UK art market of the introduction of artist’s resale right. I refer my right hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement given by the then Minister of State for Science and Innovation on 2 April 2008, Official Report, columns 59-60WS.

The UK Government continue to support the European Community and its member states’ proposal to the ‘World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights’ that it should consider artist’s resale right as part of its future work.