“The ultimate goal has to be to create an environment where the content industries, working with the ISPs and the technology companies, can build what will be sustainable businesses in the online world,” Sharkey told Tweetminster afterwards.

“What we need right now is a respite, a bit of support from government, because we’re finding it difficult to cope with free, and to compete with free, and to make an investment in a business when you’ve got no guarantee of return.”

No surprises there. But does this add up to support for Mandelson’s recent amendment to Digital Britain, when he proposed quicker action against filesharers, possibly suspending their accounts and making ISPs pay half the costs for managing the process? That proposal went out to a consultation that ends Tuesday.