Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) secondary schools, and (2) Further Education colleges, offer (a) GCSEs in film and media, (b) A levels in film and media, and (c) Level 3 Qualifications in film and media, broken down by region; what percentage of the total numbers of each institution this represents; and how this is broken down by region.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department does not hold data on the subjects offered by schools and colleges.

School and college data on the number of entries in each subject is published in the ‘Qualification and subject data’ found on the Compare school and college performance website, available on GOV.UK.

This includes schools and colleges which had entries in GCSE, A level and Level 3 film and media qualifications, their institution type and local authority.

The number of schools and colleges with entries in film and media subjects by region and institution type are provided in the tables below.

Number of schools and colleges with entries in GCSE film and media subjects:

Number of schools and colleges with entries in A level film and media subjects:

Number of schools and colleges with entries in all Level 3 qualifications in film and media subjects:

GCSE figures relate to entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ GCSEs by pupils at the end of key stage 4. A level figures relate to entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ A levels by students at the end of 16 to 19 study.

Level 3 qualifications include entries in ‘Film Studies’ and ‘Media/Film/TV Studies’ A levels, AS levels, and other Level 3 academic qualifications, and ‘Multimedia’ and “Film/Video/Television Production” Applied General and Tech Level qualifications by students at the end of 16 to 19 study. Each school and college are counted once only, regardless of whether they offer multiple courses.

Teaching began on the ‘Media, Broadcast and Production’ T Level pathway in September 2024. Provider level data will be published for the first time in spring 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the evidential basis for their decision to support high-cost STEM courses and cut high-cost creative courses, as set out in the letter from the Secretary of State for Education to the Office for Students on 6 July.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department recognises the cultural and economic value of performing and creative arts courses. However, given the fiscal constraints, our approach is to prioritise funding for subjects with the highest delivery costs and where there is stronger evidence of current and future skills shortages.

Creative arts subjects already attract lower rates of funding than the science and technology subjects in price groups A and B, with Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) funding representing only a relatively small proportion of their overall funding when fees are taken into account. For 2025/26, the SPG funding rate for performing and creative arts courses was £130.54 per student full time equivalent. This is just over 1% of the total funding for these courses including tuition fees that are supported by subsidised student loans.

Performing and creative arts courses will, like other subjects, benefit from future inflationary increases to tuition fees.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Media, Journalism and Publishing courses identified by Skills England as the key route to filling priority growth occupations in the creative industries in the 2026 Annual Sector Skills Assessment of the Creative Industries, published on 1 June, are now eligible to apply for the 2026–2027 Strategic Priorities Grant for HE funding, after having been made ineligible in 2005–2006.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We recognise the cultural and economic value of media, journalism and publishing courses. However, given the fiscal constraints, our approach is to continue to prioritise funding for subjects with the highest delivery costs (and hence Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) funding) and where there is stronger evidence of current and future skills shortages.

Media, journalism and publishing were subjects that previously attracted lower rates of funding than the science and technology subjects in price groups A & B, with SPG funding representing only a relatively small proportion of their overall funding when fees are taken into account. For 2024/25, the SPG funding rate for these courses was £130.54 per student full time equivalent. This was just over 1% of the total funding for these courses including tuition fees (that are supported by subsidised student loans).

Media, journalism and publishing courses will, like other subjects, benefit from future inflationary increases to tuition fees.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 30 July (HL2186), whether they will now answer the question put, namely whether Media, Journalism and Publishing courses identified by Skills England as the key route to filling priority growth occupations in the creative industries in the 2026 Annual Sector Skills Assessment of the Creative Industries, published on 1 June, are now eligible to apply for the 2026–27 Strategic Priorities Grant for HE funding, after having been made ineligible in 2005–06.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Funding for high-cost subjects through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is allocated on a formulaic basis, not through a competitive application process. Media, journalism and publishing courses do not attract high-cost subject funding through the SPG in the 2026/27 academic year.

Previous funding for media, journalism and publishing courses until 2024/25 inclusive, and other creative and performing arts subjects until 2025/26 inclusive, represented just over 1% of total funding once tuition fees are taken into account. Funding rates for these subjects were lower than for subjects in price groups A and B, which had previously been evaluated to have higher costs. These courses, like others, continue to benefit from increases to tuition fee limits.

The department is working with the Office for Students to review and reform the SPG. The reform will ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy, as well as ensuring funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students in accessing and participating in higher education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 30 July (HL2188), whether they will now answer the question put, namely what was the evidential basis for their decision to support high-cost STEM courses and cut high-cost creative courses, as set out in the letter from the Secretary of State for Education to the Office for Students on 6 July.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Funding for high-cost subjects through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) is allocated on a formulaic basis, not through a competitive application process. Media, journalism and publishing courses do not attract high-cost subject funding through the SPG in the 2026/27 academic year.

Previous funding for media, journalism and publishing courses until 2024/25 inclusive, and other creative and performing arts subjects until 2025/26 inclusive, represented just over 1% of total funding once tuition fees are taken into account. Funding rates for these subjects were lower than for subjects in price groups A and B, which had previously been evaluated to have higher costs. These courses, like others, continue to benefit from increases to tuition fee limits.

The department is working with the Office for Students to review and reform the SPG. The reform will ensure that high-cost subject funding is more effectively targeted towards priority provision that supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy, as well as ensuring funding is targeted towards the most disadvantaged students in accessing and participating in higher education.

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This inquiry will examine whether the Online Safety Act has begun to make online services safer for UK users. The Committee will consider Ofcom's implementation and enforcement of the Act's provisions, the changes made by regulated online services, and what further action may be needed to improve the UK's online safety regime.