What assessment he has made of the contribution of the creative industries to the economy.

Estimates published in October 2007 indicate that the creative industries accounted for at least 7.3 per cent. of gross value added in 2005, equivalent to £60.8 billion.

A few weeks ago, the Government announced that they would launch a creative industries strategy. Where exactly is the financial boost to the creative economy that we all expected? After two years, does not the Minister think that the creative industries expect a little more than rehashed ideas and old announcements?

I am sorry that the hon. Lady feels so negative about the strategy that we published, which has been warmly welcomed by most of the people in the sectors that we represent. The strategy is not a one-off attempt to respond to the issues that face the creative industry, but part of a continuing dialogue. Global competition and the fast-changing information technology environment mean that we must continuously revisit the strategy. The 26 practical and pragmatic recommendations in the document are all relevant to the industries and are not old, as she suggests.

Does the Minister accept that the success of the creative industries depends heavily on their continuing to be able to benefit from copyright? Will she therefore give the Government's support to Commissioner McCreevy's proposal that the term of copyright protection for performers should be extended, as was unanimously recommended by the Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport?

Copyright is a key issue across many of the sectors in what we have defined as the creative industries. There are two strategies. One is to do all that we can to protect existing copyright, but equally, all the industries have to think about new business models, which will enable them to prosper in a fast-changing environment, with convergence and all the new methods of communications. That said, we are looking with interest at the proposition that the European Commission has put forward. The hon. Gentleman will know that we have so far been guided by what Gowers said in his review, based on evidence. However, we treat such matters with an open mind and look forward to debates in Europe and elsewhere, as we reconsider the evidence that is around.

The creative industries are doing well for Britain, both economically and culturally, and one that does really well for us is our orchestras. The Minister is not going to believe this but she was apparently quoted as attacking one of the greatest British institutions where those orchestras have an opportunity to shine, which is the Proms. I am sure that she is keen and eager to get to the Dispatch Box to put the record straight and back the Proms.

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his creativity. I do not expect that he has read what I said in what was a complex argument about the role of our cultural institutions in building British identity. It was not an attack on the Proms, but the way it was portrayed, being trivialised and sensationalised by the media, undermined the debate. I should like to quote, if I may, from what I said:

"But all too often our sectors aren't at their best when embodying common belongings themselves. The audiences for many of our greatest cultural events—I'm thinking in particular of the Proms, but it is true of many others—is still a long way from demonstrating that people from different backgrounds feel at ease in being part of this. I know that this isn't about making every audience"— [Interruption.]

If hon. Members listen, I will explain.

"I know that this isn't about making every audience completely representative, but if we claim great things for our sectors in terms of their power to bring people together, then we have a right to expect that they will do whatever they can wherever they can. I know that many organisations have made great strides"— ][Interruption.]

Order. I think that the rest can go in the Library.

The Minister understands the importance of the creative industries and I am glad that she has given them a thumbs up. One important aspect of the creative industries is the teaching of media studies, which we debated in the House when she was Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education. Will she ensure that much more rigorous media studies degrees are offered in our universities by doing her little bit to bring together experts from the creative industries to ensure that the curricula are much more robust?

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. He will know that people who undertake media studies are more likely to get a job than those who undertake many other disciplines studied at university. Nevertheless, it is hugely important to ensure that the content of what is studied meets the needs of people in the industry. One of the propositions in our strategy is that Brighton university should undertake a review to see whether we can build a closer relationship between the contents of the curricula in media studies courses and the needs of employers.