Politicians discuss gig booking fee shake-up

The House Of Commons has been the centre of discussions involving the issue of booking fees for concert tickets.

Labour politician Ben Chapman said music fans need much clearer information about the booking fees that are added to the final price of concert tickets, especially in the case of popular artists.

Speaking of the current system, Chapman highlighted the "powerful position" venues and agencies now find themselves in, BBC News reports.

Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Hodge added that current regulations would be strengthened by the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive in 2008, which would require consumers to be able to make an "informed purchasing decision".

In a statement, Ticketmaster UK managing director Chris Edmonds said, "We provide our customers a convenient, reliable, safe and authorised service for those consumers who choose to use us to purchase tickets."

Meanwhile, fellow ticketing organisations have blamed the real problem on unofficial ticket agencies and touts.