Report on the Public Lending Right Scheme 1999-2000
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REPORT ON THE PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT SCHEME 1999-2000 BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT INCORPORATING THE REGISTRAR'S ANNUAL REVIEW Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 3(8) of the Public Lending Right Act 1979 December 2000 The Secretary of State's Report is © Crown Copyright, 2000. (Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to The Copyright Office, HMSO, St Clements House, 2-16 Colegate, Norwich NR3 1BQ.) The Registrar's Annual Review is the copyright of the Registrar of Public Lending Right. (Permission is hereby given to reproduce pages or sentences of the Annual Review provided the source is acknowledged and the Registrar notified.) First published December 2000 ISBN 0-952-52916-5 ISSN 1461 5592 Published by: Registrar of Public Lending Right Richard House Sorbonne Close Stockton-on-Tees TS17 6DA Telephone: 01642-604699 Facsimile: 01642-615641 E-mail: [email protected] Copies of this Report are available from the Registrar at the above address at a cost of £2.80 including postage. CONTENTS Page REPORT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT ON THE PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT SCHEME 1999-2000 1 REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT SCHEME BY THE REGISTRAR 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2. REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE 1999-2000 5 Table 1 Five Year Comparisons 1995/96 - 1999/2000 8 3. SERVICE TO AUTHORS 9 (a) PAYMENT CALCULATION AND DISTRIBUTION (b) IMPROVING THE SERVICE Table 2 How authors learn of PLR’s existence 12 4. LOANS SAMPLING 14 (a) DATA COLLECTION Table 3 Sample Library Authorities July 1999 - June 2000 15 (b) SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY SERVICE Table 4 Loans of Registered Books by Category 20 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND REVIEW OF THE SCHEME 21 6. INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 26 7. ADMINISTRATION 29 (a) CORPORATE PLANNING (b) STAFF, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT (c) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (d) ACCOUNTABILITY (e) OFFICE ACCOMMODATION (f) GREEN ISSUES ANNEX 1 SUMMARY FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANNEX 2 STAFF COMPLEMENT ANNEX 3 ADVISORY COMMITTEE ANNEX 4 AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT ON THE PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT SCHEME 1999-2000 Last year, we celebrated the success of the first 20 years of the PLR Scheme and, in preparing my fourth report, I have been impressed with the number of positive developments which have taken place this year to enhance the Scheme even further. I am pleased that my Department has been able, over the past few years, to find extra funding to provide modest increases in PLR’s grant-in-aid which have helped maintain and increase the rate per loan. We realise how important PLR payments are to many authors, even when the sums involved are relatively small. The PLR Scheme fosters both creativity and excellence, and supports my Department’s overall objectives for the encouragement of the creative economy. With this in mind, my Department seriously considered the representations it received both from authors and the PLR Advisory Committee to increase the PLR Fund to take account of inflation over the first 20 years of its operation. Following the Departmental Spending Review, I was pleased to announce on 25 July 2000 that my Department would be increasing the PLR Fund to £7 million with effect from April 2002. I hope this increase will provide a secure basis upon which the Registrar and the Advisory Committee can plan for the future expansion of the Scheme. I remain grateful to the Advisory Committee for its efforts during the year and would especially like to thank Michael Holroyd, who retired as Chairman of the Committee. Under his chairmanship, there were some extremely successful developments including a thorough review of the Scheme and subsequent recommendations to Ministers on how the Scheme might be made more efficient and cost effective. I was delighted, however, that Clare Francis agreed to take up the reins as Chairman on 7 August 2000 and I very much look forward to working with her. I was pleased to learn that the PLR Advisory Committee is taking a leading role in implementing the extension of the UK Scheme to authors throughout the European Economic Area to encourage wider recognition of lending rights internationally and to facilitate the development of reciprocal arrangements. I am very supportive of the Registrar’s efforts which enable the UK scheme to take a leading role in the future development of PLR internationally and contribute to what could be one of the most important changes in PLR’s history. 1 PLR has also taken some important steps towards the realisation of its e-business plans during the year including the launch of its international web-site and the provision of e- mail facilities for authors wishing to communicate electronically with the PLR office. PLR’s own web-site was also developed to include information and application forms in three languages in support of the extension of PLR eligibility to European authors from 1 July 2000. I have been greatly impressed with the way in which the Registrar and his staff have completed a series of major projects this year. Most notably, PLR successfully relocated to Richard House in November 1999. The new office was officially opened by the Arts Minister Alan Howarth on 3 February 2000. PLR has also completed the installation of an upgraded IT system and achieved Investors in People accreditation. Each project has contributed to a thorough overhaul of PLR’s infrastructure aimed at improving the effectiveness of the service it provides for authors. I would like to thank the Registrar and his team for ensuring that this period of considerable upheaval was completed smoothly and without any detrimental effects to the annual rate per loan calculations. The Rt Hon Chris Smith MP Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2 REVIEW OF THE PUBLIC LENDING RIGHT SCHEME BY THE REGISTRAR 1. INTRODUCTION This Review describes the work of the PLR office and the operation of the PLR Scheme during the period 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000. We had the satisfaction of bringing to a successful conclusion a number of major projects which have occupied our attention over the last three years. In some cases this was achieved in the face of serious problems in the final stages of the projects. That we were successful in the end is in large part due to the hard work and professionalism of PLR staff. The highlights of the year were undoubtedly the move to new office accommodation in Richard House, and the announcement by Ministers at the end of the year that PLR is to receive a substantial increase in funding from April 2002. There was much disappointment in June last year when our original plans to move collapsed at an advanced stage in negotiations with the landlord. However, alternative premises were found soon after at Richard House and the move went ahead in November 1999. There is general agreement among staff and visitors that the new offices provide a pleasant, secure and functional working environment for our administration of the Scheme. PHOTO 1 PLR’s new offices at Richard House, Stockton-on-Tees. (Gary Walsh Photography.) 3 It has also been a fruitful year for the PLR Advisory Committee whose report on the future development of the Scheme was submitted to DCMS. The Committee’s two principal recommendations - that the PLR Fund be increased to £7 million and that the Scheme be extended to authors throughout the European Community - both proved acceptable. Ministers’ willingness to allocate an extra £2 million to PLR following the recent government spending review, and the commitment that this demonstrated to PLR, was particularly welcomed by the Committee. Happily, the announcement of PLR’s new funding came before Michael Holroyd stood down as Chairman of the Advisory Committee. He had worked tirelessly in making the case to Ministers for increased funding, and in raising public awareness of the importance of PLR for authors. Other achievements described in this year’s Review include completion of the up- grading of the PLR computer system, the resolution of millennium date problems, and the award of Investors in People accreditation. These and other developments in the operation of the Scheme are described more fully below. 4 2. REVIEW OF PERFORMANCE 1999-2000 We set ourselves the following corporate objectives for 1999-2000: Management of the Scheme (i) Maximising the PLR Fund To manage the PLR Fund efficiently, economically and in line with statutory and audit requirements; additionally, this year, to budget for the costs of replacing PLR’s IT system, and relocating the PLR operation to new offices. We anticipated being able to free £4,267,000 for distribution to authors and to increase the Rate Per Loan on which payments are based. Largely Achieved (As a result of problems outside PLR’s control, completion of the IT project and the move to new offices were delayed, resulting in some higher costs to the Fund. However, the Rate Per Loan was increased to 2.18 pence (2.07 pence in January 1999), and £4,206,345 was distributed to authors. A summary of the payment figures, along with comparative details from February 1996, are provided in Table 1 below.) (ii) Registering Authors and Books To administer the Scheme’s eligibility provisions efficiently and accurately, aiming at all times to provide authors with a fair and responsive service. Achieved (By the annual 30 June (1999) deadline we had processed all 15,816 applications for book registration, taking the total number of registered authors to 30,674. No complaints about the service were received.) 5 (iii) Collecting and Managing Loans Data To manage PLR’s library sample and loans data collection procedures in an efficient, cost effective and timely manner with due regard to the legal requirements of the Scheme.