Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Hunt and Giles Watling

Tuesday 19th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Giles Watling (Clacton) (Con)]

1. What fiscal steps he is taking to support creative industries.

[The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Jeremy Hunt)]

At the spring Budget, the Government announced a package of tax reliefs for our world-leading creative industries worth £1 billion over the next five years, including a 40% relief on business rates for eligible film studios in England and enhanced tax reliefs for visual effects.

[Giles Watling]

As we know, the UK’s cultural offer is world-beating and, particularly through the performing arts, the UK projects soft power across the globe. While welcoming the progressive tax breaks for our incredible film industry, it would appear that our far-reaching, high-end television offer has been left behind in the recent Budget. Does my right hon. Friend have plans to redress this deficit to ensure that the UK remains first on screens around the world?

[Jeremy Hunt]

No one knows more about high-end TV than my hon. Friend. Whoever said that politics is showbusiness for ugly people was absolutely wrong in his case. I will take away what he says and consider high-end television as a potential future Budget measure.