Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

UK Video Games Industry: Contribution of Leamington Spa

09 March 2021 · 0 other contributors · 3,830 words

Opened by Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

Responding minister: Not recorded

Business & Trade

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Matt Western raised concerns about uk video games industry: contribution of leamington spa in Westminster Hall. Response awaited from government.

Key points

  • Matt Western highlighted the significant contribution of Leamington Spa to the UK video games industry, emphasizing its role as "Silicon Spa"
  • Leamington Spa employs over 2,000 people in 32 studios, representing more than 10% of the UK total in the video games sector
  • Western asked the Government to maintain and deepen video games tax relief, increase investment in intellectual property, and support trade and investment activity

Key requests to Government

Western asked the Government to maintain and deepen video games tax relief, increase investment in intellectual property, and support trade and investment activity. He also requested sensible business-friendly immigration policies to attract global talent.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington

Matt Western highlighted the significant contribution of Leamington Spa to the UK video games industry, emphasizing its role as 'Silicon Spa'. He mentioned key titles like 'Rock Star Ate My Hamster', 'Forza Horizon', 'Dirt Rally', and 'Sonic Dash' produced in the area. The UK video games industry contributes £2.8 billion to the economy, with Leamington Spa employing over 2,000 people in 32 studios, representing more than 10% of the UK total. He noted that 75% of digital media companies in the region are gaming companies, and the area has the highest percentage of games employees in the working-age population.

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