VIDEO GAMES industry lobbyists say they will keep lobbying for state support for the sector despite the Government’s decision not to give it tax breaks.

In this week’s emergency Budget, Chancellor George Osborne said the government was abandoning plans to offer tax relief to UK games developers

The move disappointed developers in Merseyside, where games companies such as Sony and Bizarre Creations employ hundreds of people.

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) now plans to lobby Government for other kinds of support.

ELSPA director general Michael Rawlinson said: “Our industry will be rightly puzzled as to how tax breaks can be lauded before an election, only to be seen as ‘poorly targeted’ and scrapped just six weeks later.

“We understand that this decision has been made in the context of the current economic climate. Yet the Chancellor spoke of the need for a more balanced economy. If this is to be attained the government must acknowledge that the creative industries are of vital importance.

“Therefore, in the absence of tax breaks, it is the essential that the government work with our industry to ensure that the policies which we have outlined – such as addressing the skills gap and better access to R&D initiatives – are implemented.”