(BERR) Final curtain call for rogue agencies

The Government today begins a consultation designed to crack down on entertainment and modelling agencies that exploit aspiring actors and models.

One proposal being examined is a ban on allowing agencies to charge up-front fees to people who think they might be the next big thing. There is a concern that some agencies are charging exorbitant amounts without any likelihood of securing castings or work for the aspiring performer.

Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden said:

"Last year we introduced a cooling-off period for up-front fees, but we are still receiving reports that models and entertainers are being exploited. So now we propose to go further to stop young people being ripped off.

"I don't want to tread on anyone's hopes or dreams, but I don't want to see these hopes and dreams exploited by unscrupulous agents and that's why we are bringing forward these proposals."

Ben Seale, Managing Director of Spotlight said:

"Spotlight fully supports BERR's attempts to tackle the abuse of upfront fees in the entertainment and modelling sector. We will work closely with them to develop measures that stop the rogue operators, while allowing legitimate industry directories to continue with their vital role in the casting process."

This broad-ranging consultation will also consider whether there is any unnecessary red-tape that can be removed to help honest businesses. Guy Bailey, Senior Policy Advisor on Employment issues at the Confederation of Business and Industry said:

"The CBI welcomes measures to remove unnecessary burdens on employers; when economic growth returns, removing avoidable employment costs will help employment growth to resume more quickly."