Tax credits for the video games industry are set to create and save hundreds of Scottish jobs in a sector that is thriving in Dundee.
Richard Wilson, from trade body Tiga, predicts that games tax relief (GTR) will create more than 260 studio jobs over five years in Scotland and protect a further 140 that might otherwise be lost.
But he called for more companies in Scotland to claim GTR, which was introduced last year after Chris Law, the Dundee West MP, raised concerns the money was not being spread evenly enough across the UK.
Mr Law asked the minister Ed Vaizey at a Westminster committee last week if the Government would look into offering larger rates of relief for places like Dundee so they can compete with the likes of London.
Mr Vaizey said it was up to bodies like UK Trade and Investment and the British Film Institute to “bang the drum” for all areas of the UK to boost regional competitiveness.
He added the success of GTR is down to it being easy to understand and added: “If we went down the road of trying to vary the tax credit I think it could end up causing an element of confusion.”
Mr Law has pushed the Government to do more to boost the uptake of GTR after Chris van der Kuyl from Dundee developer 4J said money generated by the creative industries “will make North Sea oil look like a drop in the ocean”.
As well as increasing uptake in the GTR and the creation of a Creative Content Fund to provide loans for small businesses, Mr Law says UK immigration policy is restricting the ability of companies to recruit those with the best skills.
Mr Wilson said repealing the relief, which allows companies to claim back tax if they can prove the games they develop contribute to British culture, would cost 660 jobs in total across the sector and supply chains.
He said he did not know if Dundee was getting its fair share of the relief because data is not collected on a regional level, but he added: “What we do know is that every games company in Scotland should be trying to apply for GTR and indeed research and development tax relief as both measures essentially reduce the cost and risk of games development.”