Westminster support

Tiga announced today that it was supporting the creation of an All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry in the Westminster Parliament. The Group will raise and discuss key industry issues amongst interested Parliamentarians. Tiga will be providing the secretariat to the All Party Group.

The Group’s officers are:

· Chairman: Bill Olner MP

· Vice-Chairman: Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E.

· Vice-Chairman: John Whittingdale OBE MP, Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport

· Vice-Chairman: Philip Davies MP

· Treasurer: Dr Nick Palmer MP

Richard Wilson, CEO of Tiga, said:

“I am delighted that Bill Olner MP has set up Westminster’s All Party Parliamentary Group on the Computer and Video Games Industry and been elected as the Group’s first Chairman. The participation of distinguished parliamentarians, including Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E., Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, John Whittingdale OBE MP, will lend real weight to the Group’s work.

“Tiga has made a real impact over the last 15 months in raising policy issues affecting the video games industry in political circles. The establishment of the All Party Group on the Computer and Video Games Industry will ensure that issues affecting the sector, including the tax system, skill needs and industry-academia links are raised still more effectively in Parliament and Government.”

Bill Olner MP and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry, said:

“All-Party Groups can be a highly effective vehicle to raise and discuss issues amongst interested Parliamentarians. I congratulate Tiga for showing leadership in instigating the creation of Westminster’s first All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry, and for providing its secretariat. The entire All Party Parliamentary Group is looking forward to working with Tiga in discussing issues crucial to the video games industry.”

Bill Olner MP, John Whittingdale OBE MP and Richard Wilson Tiga CEO, will be speaking at the House of Common’s on Monday, 15 June, 09, for the launch of the ‘Play Together’ initiatives, aimed at helping the videogames industry maintain its position as one of the UK’s most successful and vibrant creative sectors.

Ends

Notes to editors:

1. Tiga is the national trade association that represents games developers in the UK and in Europe. We have 150 members, the majority of whom are either independent games developers or in-house publisher owned developers. We also have outsourcing companies, technology businesses and universities amongst our membership.

2. Tiga's vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. We focus on three sets of activities: political representation, generating media coverage and developing services that enhance the competitiveness of our members. This means that Tiga members are effectively represented in the corridors of power, their voice is heard in the media and they receive benefits that make a material difference to their businesses, including a reduction in costs and improved commercial opportunities. Visit www.tiga.org

3. The meetings of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry will be attended by Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Any Member of either House may turn up and speak at any meeting of the Group; anyone else may only attend if invited by the Group.

4. The Officers of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry include:

· Chairman: Bill Olner MP

· Vice-Chairman: Lord Puttnam of Queensgate, C.B.E

· Vice-Chairman: John Whittingdale MP OBE, Chairman of the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport

· Vice-Chairman: Philip Davies MP

· Treasurer: Nick Palmer MP

5. Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Computer and Video Games Industry include:

· Bill Olner MP

· James Plaskitt MP

· David Clelland MP

· Lord Puttnam

· Nick Palmer MP

· Janet Anderson MP

· Alan Keen MP

· Lord Faulkner of Worcester

· Celia Barlow MP

· Tom Watson MP

· Philip Davies MP

· John Whittingdale OBE MP

· Nigel Evans MP

· Lord Inglewood

· Michael Fabricant MP

· Mark Field MP

· Evan Harris MP

· Lord Hugh Dykes

· Dan Rogerson MP

· Stewart Hosie MP

· Don Foster MP

· Baroness Bonham-Carter

6. The Group’s remit is: To provide a forum to discuss business issues affecting video games software developers, to develop policies to enhance the sector and to champion an industry that responsibly creates content for an audience ranging from children to adults.

For further information, please contact: Dr Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO on: 0845 0941095; Mob: 07875 939643; or: Email: richard.wilson@tiga.org, or Eva Whitlow, TIGA PR Manager on: Mob: 07814 039 983; Email: eva@tiga.org.