20 November 2012
Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive of the Society of Authors, has written to the Director of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Clare Pillman, in response to the consultation letter on the PLR Rate Per Loan for 2013.
The Chief Executive said:
"We are pleased to note that you propose an increase on the rate per loan next year from 6.05p per loan to 6.2p per loan (although the total PLR fund will continue to decline in accordance with the 15% reduction in funding in real terms over the period 2011/12 – 2014/15 following the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review). We accept the Registrar's recommendation that the 2013 payments are made at a rate per loan of 6.2 pence but wish to make the following additional observations:
We are sad to note the decrease in the estimated loans of books registered for PLR, caused, no doubt, by the cuts in library services and the exclusion of some volunteer-run libraries from the scheme. It is our view that such libraries should be included within the PLR scheme. We also urge the Government to protect the library service which is under serious threat because of local council cost-cutting.
We are, however, pleased to note that part of the recommended increase comes from savings made in the costs of running the scheme. This is a testament to the efficiency of the service provided by Jim Parker and his team and confirms the recommendations in our submission to the DCMS consultation that responsibility for managing the PLR scheme should not be transferred to another public body
We also wish to remind you that s43 of the Digital Economy Act 2010 extends PLR to audiobooks and ebooks “lent out” from library premises for a limited time but these payments have never been implemented. This is patently unjust and a clear breach of the Rental and Lending Directive. We urge that this provision be brought into force and that extra funds be made available to cover PLR payments for such lending.”
- Read Clare Pillman's letter 5 November 2012
- Read Nicola Solomon's full response 20 November 2012
- Read our response to the DCMS 2012 consultation 17 November 2012
- Solomon warns on PLR The Bookseller 22 November 2012