Ticket Touting

Mr. Don Foster
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which event organisers of music festivals in the summer of 2006 have signed up to her Department's code of practice on ticket touting; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Woodward
DCMS have been working with many of the organisers of summer music festivals including those representing the organisers of T in the Park, the Reading and Leeds festivals and the V festival as well as other representatives covering music, sport and the arts as well as secondary sellers and EBay.

All of these parties were involved in the production of the statement of principles (copies of which I have now placed in the Libraries of both Houses, which was first presented at a meeting) hosted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in April. The statement of principles sets out the broad guidelines which we expected all parties involved in the commercial selling of tickets to follow. Since that meeting DCMS officials have had continued meetings with these representatives to aid their sectors in the production of sector specific codes of practice, which puts the rights of the consumer at the forefront.

Our principle in taking this forward must be to find a solution that protects fans and ensures that our creative, cultural and sporting industries are able to realise legitimate revenue streams.