Compact Discs

EDM number 2005 in 1992-93, proposed by Nigel Griffiths on 12/05/1993.

That this House congratulates the National Heritage Committee for its landmark report on compact disc prices; notes that the favourite music of the record industry is the ringing of the tills; notes that record companies, manufacturers, distributors and retailers are overcharging the public for CDs; notes that in the past decade the price of CD players has fallen to an eighth of the original price, while the price of CDs has only fallen less than one-third in real terms; notes that the Committee found the evidence of the record industry unconvincing and that high prices are depressing the sales of CDs; notes that the Committee found no evidence of payments to performers inflating price of CDs; calls on the record companies and retailers to reduce the price of CDs immediately by at least ú2 and in some cases by ú4 so that premium CDs are available to the public at ú9. 99; calls on the government to introduce legislation immediately to repeat the relevant sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to permit UK businesses to import lower-priced CDs from the USA and other countries; and requests the Government to take immediate action to bring down the prices of CDs.

This motion has been signed by a total of 60 MPs.