OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS POETRY LIST

Early day motion 107, tabled 9 December 1998 by Derek Wyatt (Labour). Signed by 67 members.

That this House deplores the decision by Oxford University Press to abandon publishing contemporary poetry; notes the remarkable quality of OUP's poetry list, built up by John Stallworthy and Jacqueline Simms; understands that OUP has not lost money through publishing modern poetry, which in any case represents a minute proportion of OUP's turnover of ú282 million; further notes that OUP subvented the University of Oxford over the last five years to the tune of ú53 million; is astonished that the Delegacy (the academic board) have countenanced such a policy by the Press; and considers this an act of philistinism, with no plausible justification.

Signatures by party: Labour 51, Liberal Democrat 8, Labour/Co-operative 5, Conservative 3.