Culture Minister Ed Vaizey pledges support in Parliament for Free is NOT an Option
Transcript of a question raised in Parliament on 4 June 2015 by Kerry McCarthy MP, Chair of the Performers’ Alliance
Kerry McCarthy MP:
Is the Minister aware of the campaign by the Writers’ Guild, Free is NOT an Option, which is based on a survey that found that TV writers are increasingly being asked or pressurised to write scripts for free, even when they are established writers who have previously written for the same show? What can we do to ensure that creative work is valued in the same way as other work?
Mr Vaizey:
I am aware of that very important campaign. I find it absolutely astonishing that many independent production companies, which make millions and millions of pounds, cannot be bothered to pay a decent wage to people who contribute to their work. I will certainly work with the hon. Lady to encourage them to do so.