Chris Evans MP elected as All Party Writers Group Chair
Today the All Party Parliamentary Writers Group (APWG) has been re-established at its Annual General Meeting, electing Chris Evans MP as its new Chair. Additional new officers are Rt Hon Sir John Whittingdale, Alison Hume MP and Pete Wishart MP.
Originally formed in 2007, the APWG aims to represent the interests of all writers; to safeguard their intellectual property rights; and to ensure they receive a fair level of recognition and reward for their contribution to the economy and society as a whole.
New Chair Chris Evans MP said: “Government is expected to consult shortly on AI and IP regulations, and writers, given their fundamental role in providing much of the resources and works needed to train AI foundation models, should be listened to and their concerns reflected in any legislation or regulation. To inform and support this work, we look forward to seeing the results of the extensive survey carried out by ALCS, gathering authors’ views on AI and its impact on their existing and future work.
Writers are vital to our world beating creative industries and beyond, and this group will provide a voice within Parliament for those authors, journalists, poets, academics and screenwriters.”
Over the past year, the APWG have been campaigning for better rights for freelance creatives including calling for a Freelancer Commissioner who would represent freelancers at a parliamentary level, as well as the Smart Fund, a proposal that will ensure creators and performers are paid fairly for their work when it is accessed, distributed and stored on digital devices.
Find out more about the APWG’s work at All Party Writers Group
