MPs vote to continue parliamentary ping-pong over AI ‘theft' crackdown
Peers agreed on Monday to amend the Government's Data (Use and Access) Bill.
Their proposal would force the Government to prepare fresh legislation which would open up AI model databases, so that copyright owners could see whether their works have been used as 'data inputs'.
But MPs voted 317 to 185, majority 132, on Tuesday to reject the amendment and continue the battle at Westminster, known as parliamentary ping-pong.
Rocket Man singer Sir Elton John is among the stars who have urged the Government to strengthen copyright protections, when he said last month that ministers are 'absolute losers' and that he felt 'incredibly betrayed'.
Dr Spencer told the Commons: 'Copyright law is a toothless instrument if the lack of transparency about the use of create content in AI models continues.
'The lack of transparency renders rights enforcement elusive, and the Government is apparently happy for this to persist on an open-ended basis.'
At the despatch box, he added: 'Creatives continue to lose out when their work is exploited without payment, the AI industry, especially smaller firms, can't get out of the starting blocks let alone play their part in turbocharging our tech economy, and the Government continues to risk the confidence of both key industries with the chilling effect on investment that this entails.'
On the stand-off, Dr Spencer told the Commons: 'We're stuck in Groundhog Day in this Bill until the Government realises that the Lords' amendments are not a nuisance but an opportunity, and that they need to listen to the concerns and change course.'
There is no time commitment from the Government benches whatsoever on bringing back a Bill to this House to address the current theft of property that is raining down on the UK creative industries
Conservative former minister Sir Julian Smith
Conservative former minister Sir Julian Smith later said: 'There is no time commitment from the Government benches whatsoever on bringing back a Bill to this House to address the current theft of property that is raining down on the UK creative industries.'
ADVERTISEMENT
Learn more
Technology minister Sir Chris Bryant had earlier spoken against the amendment, which was put forward by Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason director Baroness Kidron.
'One could argue that introducing a draft Bill which would then be considered in various different places, followed presumably by a Bill, would actually delay things rather than speed things up,' Sir Chris told the Commons.
He said that he 'cannot think of any Bill in our history that has included such a clause', to compel the Government to bring forward new draft legislation within three months of the publication of a report into the use of copyrighted works in the development of AI systems.
Sir Chris told MPs: 'A central plank of parliamentary sovereignty is no parliament can bind its successor.
'That doesn't just mean from one parliament to another, but it means one session can't bind a future session.'
Commons culture, media and sport committee chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, accused Sir Chris of 'dancing on the head of a pin' and added: 'The fact is that all legislation somehow binds those that are coming down the track.'
The Bill will now return to the House of Lords.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
4 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
EU-US trade deal: Business groups welcome certainty but say 15% tariff 'still substantial burden'
Business groups have tentatively welcomed the framework trade agreement reached between the EU and the US, as it brings more certainty for firms, but the 15% tariff on imports to the US 'still represents a substantial burden for many industries'. On Sunday, US president Donald Trump met with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at his golf course in Scotland to finalise a framework trade deal with the EU. The agreement will see the US impose 15% tariffs on imports from the bloc. This is up from the 10% currently in place, but is lower than the 30% Mr Trump threatened to impose from August 1 should a deal not have been reached. Trade between the EU and the US accounts for almost a third of global trade. Speaking after the meeting, Mr Trump said: 'I think this is the biggest deal ever made.' Ms von der Leyen said the deal will 'bring stability, it will bring predictability'. Ms von der Leyen defended the trade deal as 'the best we could get', adding that it was not to be underestimated given the looming threat of 30% tariffs. A baseline tariff rate of 15% on EU goods imported into the US would apply to cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical goods, Ms von der Leyen said. Meanwhile, a zero-for-zero tariff rate had been agreed for certain strategic products, including aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, and certain generic drugs. No decision has been made on a rate for wine and spirits. The deal also includes $600bn of EU investments in the US, along with EU purchases of US energy and military equipment. Ibec: Brexit-style supports needed Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy said the agreement brings an 'end to a significant amount of uncertainty for some businesses'. 'However, a 15% tariff still represents a substantial burden for many industries. 'Sectors which rely heavily on the US market, and operate within small margins, will once again be significantly impacted by an additional 5% tariff on top of what they have already had to absorb over the past several months, and well in excess of the 1% effective tariff which existed before April." He added: 'Our message to the Government, as it was with the 10% tariff, is that the most exposed sectors will require support similar to the interventions provided as a response to Brexit. Chamber Ireland: Viable firms need tariff supports Chamber Ireland welcomed the agreement on trade tariffs, with its chief executive Ian Talbot stating: 'Certainty is critical for businesses, and we've seen the impact of uncertainty over the past couple of months in terms of investment. 'While tariffs are never welcome news for businesses on either side of the Atlantic, reaching an agreement — however imperfect — is preferable to no deal. It, at least, allows companies to plan and adapt in the short term.' Mr Talbot also called for the EU and the Government to create a 'fund to support viable businesses in adapting to new tariffs', and also to ensure 'potential arbitrage issues with Northern Ireland are clearly understood and addressed'. This is the latest deal Mr Trump has reached with a few countries around the world before his August 1 deadline. Agreements with the US have also been reached with Britain, Japan, Indonesia, and Vietnam, but Mr Trump's administration has failed to deliver on a promise of '90 deals in 90 days'. He has periodically railed against the EU, saying it was 'formed to screw the US on trade'. Mr Trump said that the EU wanted 'to make a deal very badly' and said, as he met Ms von der Leyen, that Europe had been 'very unfair to the US'. His main bugbear is the US merchandise trade deficit with the EU, which reached $235bn in 2024, according to the US Census Bureau data. The EU points to the US surplus in services, which it says partially redresses the balance. Mr Trump also talked about the 'hundreds of billions of dollars' that tariffs were bringing in. Additional reporting Reuters
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Alcohol health labelling 'will add over a third to costs'
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was lobbied by business representative group Ibec to delay the introduction of alcohol warning labels for 'at least' four years due to tariff fears. Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy warned the Fianna Fáil leader that the new requirements would lead to packaging and labelling costs increasing by 'over one-third'. The letter also suggested that some distillers had even suspended brewing in fear of impending tariffs by the US administration. Mr McCoy also sent the letter to Tánaiste and trade minister Simon Harris and health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill in early June. The Government agreed earlier last week to suspend the rollout of warning labels for two years. In May 2023, then health minister Stephen Donnelly signed the Public Health (Alcohol) (Labelling) Regulations 2023. It was envisaged that the law would make it mandatory for alcohol product labels to state the calorie content and grams of alcohol in the product. They would also warn about the risk of consuming alcohol when pregnant and about the risk of liver disease and fatal cancers from alcohol consumption. The change was due to come into effect in May 2026, to allow a three-year implementation period for the drinks industry. However, there have been rumblings in recent weeks that the plan would be postponed, with Mr Harris saying that it would be additional disruption and a 'potential trade barrier' as tariff negotiations continue. At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, the Tánaiste told ministers that Ms Carroll MacNeill will defer the plans for two years. This is despite reports that it would be a four-year pause. Correspondence released under Freedom of Information (FoI) shows that the Taoiseach was being lobbied by Ibec to drop the labelling plans. On June 3, Mr McCoy called for the plans to be dropped for four years 'at least'. 'The wider drinks sector, but particularly many of the new emerging distilleries, have significant exposure to these new tariffs and the wider trade uncertainty,' wrote Mr McCoy. 'The majority of distilling across the country is now suspended. The introduction of new labelling requirements for the drinks sector, which will add over one-third to product labelling and packaging costs, should be suspended for at least four years to give some certainty to operators. 'Reducing regulatory burden costs to free up resources to allow companies invest in finding new markets would be a positive development.' Mr McCoy said that the legislation had been cited by the US administration in its 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, which he said was 'cause for further concern and reason for this legislation to be deferred'. He added: 'The industry does not want this to be an issue of disagreement in overall efforts to secure a resolution on trade relations and restoration of a tariff-free trading environment.' Further correspondence shows the letter was also forwarded from the Taoiseach's office to the Department of Enterprise several days later seeking an update on enterprise minister Peter Burke's engagement with Ms Carroll MacNeill. A letter sent from Mr Burke to Ms Carroll MacNeill on May 15 was also released under FoI. He said that recent months have seen 'significant global uncertainty and a rapidly shifting trading landscape', which he said 'could have profound competitiveness implications for small open economies like Ireland'. Mr Burke said that Ireland would be the first country in Europe to introduce the labels. 'The proposed measures will mean increased production and sale costs for Irish producers and importers and add to the price payable by consumers at a time when prices are also rising due to a multitude of other factors,' wrote Mr Burke. 'Notwithstanding the overarching health benefits of the proposal, I would ask you to consider pausing the introduction of the proposed new requirements.' Calls not to delay plans Meanwhile, Mr Martin was urged not to delay the plans and received a letter just last week from Alcohol Action Ireland chief executive Sheila Gilheany. She said that 'postponing alcohol health information labelling is not consequence free given the thousands harmed by alcohol in Ireland.' Read More Delaying alcohol warning labels prioritises profiteering over health, says Irish Medical Organisation
Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Jim Power: Budget countdown begins with big promises
The publication of the summer economic statement has set the budgetary process in motion, and the destination will be reached in early October. The two relevant ministers have outlined a budget package of €9.4bn, with a net tax package of €1.5bn, and an expenditure package of €7.9bn. This expenditure package will be comprised of current expenditure increases of €5.9bn or almost 75% of the total; and capital spending of €2bn or just over 25% of the total. Proposed Vat cut On the tax side, the Government has given a commitment to reduce the Vat rate for part of the hospitality sector — the food element — to 9% and this would cost around €580m in foregone taxes. If this is delivered and applies from January 1 next, it means that effectively less than €1bn would be available for personal tax changes. To put this in context, it is estimated that a 1% indexation of the employee tax credit would cost around €230m in a full year, so to index for projected inflation in 2026 would cost somewhere in the region of €460m; or a 1% decrease in the 40% tax rate would cost around €540m. If the government delivers the Vat cut from the beginning of 2026, which it has committed to, the tax package will be small. So not surprisingly, there are suggestions that the cut might be delayed until July, thereby significantly reducing the cost in 2026. If this transpires, the hospitality sector would have every right to be aggrieved. Restaurants and food businesses are the most crucial element of our tourism product, and many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Inflation Data released by the CSO last week show that in 2024, Irish food prices are the third highest in the EU-27 and are 12% above the EU average. In the year to May, agricultural output prices increased by 20.7%, with cattle prices up by 48%. These prices obviously feed into restaurant input costs, but the pressures are compounded by labour costs, insurance, water charges, commercial rates etc. I am a supporter of the reduced Vat rate, and I think it is now more appropriate to provide some limited support to a key employer of people all over the country, and a vital part of the tourism offering, rather than to pump money through excessive expenditure into an economy that is still doing quite well. Does the Irish economic cycle need a continuation of out-of-control current expenditure now? I think not. Even if the Vat cut is pushed out, the extent of the easing of the personal tax burden will be miniscule. We should have learned from the past We should have learned our lessons from the pro-cyclical policies of the past. The summer economic statement projects planned expenditure of €108.7bn this year, which is €3.3bn higher than planned in Budget 2025, and it is likely to turn out even higher than this latest projection. Not surprisingly, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council is not happy and has justifiably accused the Government of 'poor planning and budgeting.' Obviously, the ability of the two ministers to deliver the proposed budgetary package, and indeed to deliver the ambitious, but detail lacking, revised National Development Plan, will be heavily contingent on the future performance of the economy, and especially the actions of Donald Trump. Downward creep in projections There is not a lot of detail in relation to economic assumptions in the summer economic statement, but it is interesting to note that for 2025 the Department of Finance is projecting growth of 2% in modified domestic demand (MDD), down from 2.5% in April, and 2.9% in Budget 2025 last October. For 2026, MDD is projected to grow by 1.8%, down from 2.8% in April, and 3% in Budget 2025. There is downward creep occurring in Ireland's economic projections, which seems logical in the context of Trump-induced uncertainty. In relation to the National Development Plan, it is quite amazing that we must await detail on the projected spend until close to budget time. What in the name of God has been happening since January? The aspirations outlined in the revised plan — such as energy, water, housing, transport infrastructure, and climate change — are difficult to argue with, but delivery on time and on budget will be essential. One hopes there will be greater control, transparency and accountability in relation to National Development Plan delivery than we have seen with major infrastructure projects such as the children's hospital and the infamous bicycle shed.
