TUESDAY Govt to debate FUTURE OF HIGH ST - write your MP

[sfhyouthforum]

From the BA...

PLEASE WRITE TO YOUR MP BEFORE TUESDAY'S COMMONS DEBATE

The BA constantly monitors current and forthcoming parliamentary proposals, discussions and legislation, and last night we learned that there is going to be a general debate this Tuesday, 17th January, in the main chamber in the House of Commons, on “The Future of Town Centres and High Streets”. Time has been devoted to this subject in view of the interest expressed by the publication last December of Mary Portas’ Review to David Cameron on the Future of our High Streets.


This debate presents a really good opportunity for your Member of Parliament to pass on your views to the Government, either during the debate itself, or by letter afterwards to one or more of the following Ministers:

· Edward Davey, the Minister who is leading the Mary Portas Review

· Mark Prisk, the Minister responsible for Retail

· Bob Neill, the Minister responsible for Business Rates and Planning

· Eric Pickles, the Secretary of State in the Department for Communities & Local Government.

If you have concerns about your own High Street, we urge you to write an e-mail to your own MP during the next day or so, setting out:

1. Your concerns about your town centre and high street, using local examples and personal experiences

2. What you want the Government to do to improve the situation

3. …. and ending up asking your MP to participate in the debate in the House of Commons on 17th January and also to pass on your concerns to one or more of the relevant Ministers (see the list above).

BA REPRESENTATIONS TO THE OFT

The BA sent a comprehensive submission to the OFT, opposing the proposed merger between Amazon and The Book Depository. In spite of similar representations from all the leading associations in the book world, the OFT allowed the acquisition to go ahead. We are deeply unhappy about this decision and on 23rd December we sent a further submission to the OFT, setting out the state that high street and campus bookshops are in at the moment, our worries over the high street and, in particular our deep concern over:

· The domination that exists in the online bookselling sector (the OFT themselves estimated in their Amazon/TBP decision that Amazon was responsible last year for 70% - 80% of all on line book sales in the UK)

· The proprietary format of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader which in the UK last year was not able to be accessed by other retailers

· The fact that e-books for the Kindle can only be bought from Amazon.

[Robin Orton]

BA = Booksellers' Association?

[leenewham]

…Baracus