Governance

The UK government has published a response to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) recommendations on secondary ticketing, ruling out legislative changes for the time being. 

The CMA called for stronger laws to tackle illegal ticket reselling in August 2021, publishing a comprehensive report on the secondary market. 

The authority called for changes including a ban on platforms allowing resellers to sell more tickets than they are legally allowed to buy from the primary market, holding platforms accountable for incorrect information about tickets listed on their websites and a new licencing system for platforms that sell secondary tickets.

The UK government’s response, penned by MP Kevin Hollinrake, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State within the Department of Business and Trade, formally rejects the proposals.

“The government believes in the power of competitive markets to give consumers choice and flexibility,” Hollinrake’s response said. 

“This applies to both the primary and secondary markets in event tickets. Consumers should have the ability to sell on tickets they no longer want or able to use and therefore need a market for resale.”

The government response cited the “massive disruption” to the event industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as hindering a detailed assessment of the impact of current trading standards and CMA enforcement work.

It also stressed the responsibility of buyers to make careful decisions when purchasing tickets from the secondary market.

The response said that it is “too soon” to establish whether futher legislation focused on the secondary ticket market is “the only way forward”, concluding that “to propose further legislation in the sector at this stage is not yet appropriate or justified by the available evidence”.

It added that improvements to other aspects of consumer law, published in response to the 2021 consultation, would be the government’s priority in the immediate future, “rather than changes to the secondary ticketing regime specifically”.
 

A Charity Commission investigation into a leadership row at the Actors’ Benevolent Fund has found there was a “breach” in the election process for its new trustees.

The row dates back to early 2022 when a group of long-standing trustees complained about former general secretary Jonathan Ellicott’s handling of the charity’s finances.

Then, in a meeting in February, ten trustees including former president Penelope Keith, and Siân Phillips and James Bolam, were removed.

A new leadership was elected in December 2022 at the charity’s AGM, but a dispute followed regarding whether they were legally trustees.

A spokesperson for the Charity Commission said: "We have worked extensively over recent months to help the Actors’ Benevolent Fund overcome a bitter dispute that has not served the interests of the charity’s members or beneficiaries and has been harmful to the charity’s reputation and its ability to operate effectively. 

"Through our investigations, we have concluded that, while there was a breach in the process of the trustee election held at the charity’s AGM in December 2022, those who received the most votes should now be appointed as trustees."

The breach was a decision to close, rather than adjourn, the charity’s AGM.

The Charity Commission spokesperson added: "To allow the charity to operate, we have therefore used our powers to appoint as trustees those individuals who received the most votes from the membership.”

Spending on libraries in Britain has fallen by 17%, new statistics show.

Official figures released by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), show that £9,982 was spent per 1,000 people on libraries by central and local government in England, Scotland and Wales in 2021/2022. 

This figure represents a significant reduction from the 2020/2021 rate of £11,970 and the £12,646 spent in 2018/2019.

The money libraries made decreased in the same period, The Guardian reported, falling 24% from £868 per 1,000 people in 2020/2021 to £660 in 2021/2022.

During the same period, in-person visits to libraries increased by 68%, from 915 per 1,000 people in 2020/2021 to 1,536 in 2021/2022. 

The number of books borrowed also increased by 58%, from 1,119 per 1,000 people to 1,767.

Web visits fell by 8% as people returned to borrowing physical books after borrowing a larger number of ebooks during the pandemic. 

“The fact that in-person visits are recovering shows demand for library services is still strong,” said Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive of CIPFA.

“Libraries are clearly still valuable to the communities they serve but given the drop in their income, sustained funding is crucial if they are to continue to be a vital part of the community.”

He said the growth in library visits was “encouraging… but the same cannot be said for funding and income levels, which still lag behind”, adding that “libraries are certainly facing a difficult road ahead”.
 

The North East has been chosen as the location for a government pilot programme aimed at developing tourism.

NewcastleGateshead Initiative will lead the pilot in partnership with Visit Northumberland and Visit County Durham, working across seven local authority areas.

The Destination Development Partnership (DDP) will receive £2.25m to “help successfully develop and market the region as a must-visit destination while attracting further private investment and driving growth”.

This is expected to include the creation of cultural events.

The DDP pilot follows an independent review into Destination Management Organisations published earlier this year, in which the government committed to streamlining tourism boards. 

If the pilot is successful, the government expects to roll the partnership model out to other regions across England.

“We are looking at what more we can do to streamline the way the region’s tourism bodies work together, improve the region’s offer and the way it markets itself,” Tourism Minister Stuart Andrew said.

With £2.25 million in funding, we hope the North East can be a pioneer for other areas in unlocking its potential and putting its best foot forward.