Govt vows to work closely with ad industry

by Our Parliamentary correspondent, Campaign 29-Feb-08

The advertising industry is planning to use the Government's recognition of its "vital role" in the economy to head off demands for legislation to limit campaigns on junk food, alcohol and gambling.

In a strategy document released last week, the Government flagged
advertising as the third-largest creative industry, with a gross value
added of £6.5 billion in 2005 and exports worth £1.3

billion.

It pledged to work with D&AD to develop a dialogue with the advertising,
design and communications industry "to understand its challenges more
fully, and how government can support its growth".

Baroness Peta Buscombe, the chief executive of the Advertising
Association, was pleased the industry's positive contribution had been
recognised. "I look forward to having the opportunity to work with
government and for the industry to lift horizons, enrich lives and bring
great benefits to British society," she said.

Moray MacLennan, the IPA president and the chairman, Europe, of M&C
Saatchi, said: "It's up to us as practitioners to seize the opportunity
to be the creative hub for the world."

But Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative's culture spokesman, said: "This is
hardly a dynamic blueprint for one of the key sectors of the economy.
After two years of preparation, the industry will have been expecting
much more than the rehashing of old ideas and promises to explore the
issues again."