Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to incentivise local film makers to produce television in their own parts of the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government incentivises television production across the UK through competitive tax reliefs, and generous support for studio infrastructure. Our public service broadcasters are also subject to regional production quotas, which encourage production activity in the nations and regions of the UK.
In recognition of the importance of this issue, the Secretary of State has challenged broadcasters and other commissioners to commission and produce more television content outside of London and the South East, with local creatives and producers given more opportunities to tell local stories that reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK. This will ensure that more people see themselves reflected on screen and as part of our national story. We have been clear that broadcasters and producers alike should be providing opportunities to local creatives and members of the local production workforce.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will support initiatives to connect books with (a) TV, (b) film and (c) gaming franchises to engage children and young people with reading.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government recognises the importance of reading for children’s development and of reading for pleasure. All children should have the opportunity to access books and other resources to support their learning and enjoyment. Many recognisable British stories start out as books before finding new audiences told through film, TV and video games adaptations, with production supported by the Government’s stable, efficient and reliable creative tax reliefs. The government is always supportive of the creative industries working together to enhance access of children to reading and literacy.
Arts Council England provides funding to literature organisations, writers, and independent publishers through National Portfolio funding and project grants. This includes grants for literary festivals, and support for organisations like BookTrust, which in addition to getting millions of children reading each year, works with school children until the age of 13 to showcase the very best in children’s literature. Moreover, Into Film and their partners have developed a course “Teaching Literacy through Film” which supports the use of film in classroom settings to improve speaking, listening, comprehension, and writing attainment. Many resources are provided from Oliver Twist to How to Train Your Dragon which combine the best of film and literature to provide excellent learning outcomes.
The government has also established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The review seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and maths, and a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. This includes creative subjects such as art and design, music and drama. The Review Group has now published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which highlights the successes of the current system, making clear that the most trusted and valued aspects of our system will remain, whilst setting a positive vision for the future. The government will respond to the final recommendations in autumn.
In addition to the role that industry can play, public libraries are an important resource for teachers, parents and children to engage children and young people with reading.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on promoting reading through (a) song lyrics, (b) fan fiction and (c) social media content.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Secretary of State has not held specific discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the areas listed. However, the Secretary of State speaks regularly to the Secretary of State for Education and fully supports that department's ambitions for a rich and broad curriculum that values creativity.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the number of listed buildings; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on tourism.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Heritage is a devolved matter and there are currently around 370,000 listed building entries on the National Heritage List for England.
There is no overall objective to increase the number of listed buildings; however, buildings are added to the list in England when they meet the criteria in the published Principles of Selection for Listed Buildings. Additions may follow an application or be as a result of thematic listing assessments to address gaps in the list, focusing on certain types of heritage or locations that are not well represented.
The link between Heritage and Tourism is well established and while no formal assessment has been made of the specific impact of increasing the number of listed buildings on tourism, heritage is a significant driver of visitor interest. According to VisitBritain, historic buildings and landmarks are among the top motivations for international tourists visiting the UK.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support her department will offer to the creative industries in the next year.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
At the Creative Industries Growth Summit in January, DCMS Secretary of State announced £40 million of funding for the creative industries over the financial year 2025/26 – supporting start-up video game studios, British music and film exports, and creative businesses outside of London.
The Creative Industries is a key growth-driving sector and one of eight selected to be included in the Government's new Industrial Strategy. Support beyond the financial year 25/26 will be set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, to be published later this year.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with his US counterpart on the future of Hollywood-funded film production in the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We are in active discussions with the top of the US administration and we are clear that the deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual benefits to both countries. This is a fluid situation, and we will continue to take a calm and steady approach.
We are engaging closely with industry and we are absolutely committed to ensuring our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of US tariffs on film production in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We continue to engage with industry, including representatives from all nations and regions, to ensure our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
We will continue to take a calm and steady approach to this fluid situation.
Trade is a reserved matter.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the VAT exemption cap for repairs on listed places of worship.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department has no plans to reconsider the £25,000 cap. Based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by the change.
Future Government spending is a matter for the Spending Review.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the tourism sector in urban areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to the tourism sector maintaining its competitiveness. VisitBritain launched its latest ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign in January, which will harness the powerful draw of Film and TV to drive inbound tourism towards UK’s cities and regions.
DCMS has announced a new Visitor Economy Advisory Council that will see industry and government work together to work towards the creation of a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, set to be launched in autumn, mapping out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry.
The Government is implementing the most significant overhaul of regional destination management in a generation, creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in partnership with VisitEngland, including those in urban areas such as London and Manchester.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the economic benefits of the (a) motorbike road racing season and (b) Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting economic growth in the sport sector, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.
DCMS has not made an assessment of the economic benefits of the motorbike road racing season or the Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland specifically. However, the motorsport road racing season has an impact on the economy directly with live races, including at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, the North West 200 and others, as well as the indirect impact it makes via R&D advancements. These events are a highlight for many local communities, doing so much to make the UK the home of motorbike racing.
In September 2024, DCMS published the Sport Satellite Account. The results estimated that the sport sector as a whole contributed £53.6 billion directly to the UK economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total UK Gross Value Add in 2021).
The Sport Satellite Account estimated that the sport sector contributed £1.2 billion directly to the Northern Irish economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total Northern Irish Gross Value Add in 2021).