Policy

Government reforms to prevent ticket sale scams may be insufficient to create lasting change if they are not enforced, an expert says.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is being granted new powers to enforce consumer legislation, including the ability to fine businesses 10% of their global turnover for breaking consumer protection laws.

The CMA is expected to use its new tools to combat touting and fraudulent ticket sales.

But Adam Webb, Campaign Manager at FanFair Alliance, told Access All Areas the government had failed to respond to specific recommendations submitted by the CMA eight months ago. 

Without legislation to tighten rules around secondary ticket sales, the reforms won’t guarantee lasting change, he said.

“Unless there’s a willingness to take enforcement action against rogue companies, the impact of these new powers is likely to be negligible”, he added.

National reporting centre Action Fraud estimates that ticket fraudsters duped 4,982 victims into spending £3.8m in the 2021-2022 financial year – an average loss of £750 per victim. 

Craig Mullish, Detective Chief Inspector for the City of London Police, said reports of ticket scams for festivals and sporting events rose when Covid restrictions lifted last summer and have grown further this year. 
 

Plans to revert VAT on ticket sales to pre-pandemic levels will be “hugely damaging” for the music industry.

UK Music Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to scrap an anticipated 7.5% hike on live event ticket sales expected in next week's 'mini-Budget'. 

A return to 20% would see the UK’s VAT on tickets - already one of the highest in Europe - far surpass levels set in Spain (10%), Germany (7%) and Belgium (6%), the association says.

Promoters and music industry chiefs are concerned it will force rising in ticket prices, which Njoku-Goodwin said would "leave music fans facing a cost of gigging crisis”.

“Dumping the planned VAT hike would help keep ticket prices down for fans and help music businesses pay down debts they built up during the pandemic, generate thousands of new jobs and nurture new talent,” he added.

The Arts Council of Wales (ACW) is seeking views on the role of Welsh in the arts to form a new strategy.

Stakeholders are being invited to join a bilingual discussion about language and art at 4pm, March 9. Two sessions have already taken place.

"We want to hear the voices of people who can speak or who are learning Welsh but we also want to hear the voices of people who do not currently speak the language. Everyone’s views and experiences are key to this strategy," ACW says.

The funder has recently mapped the use of Welsh in the arts and appointed a Welsh Language Enabler, Einir Siôn, who will lead the discussions.

"This will not be a platform to air complaints but an opportunity to discuss positive ways of creating change," Siôn said.