Siân Berry

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

The Managing Partner of the Sovereign AI Fund has been appointed following a three-month, competitive, five-stage recruitment process involving over 60 candidates. The individual was judged to be the strongest candidate on merit against the skills and experience required. This is a Civil Service appointment. Ministers were not involved in the recruitment process and had no decision-making authority over the outcome.

Ministers will set the Fund’s mission, budget and risk appetite, and are accountable to Parliament for the Fund. Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee, chaired by the Managing Partner, will have delegated authority from the BTI Board to make individual investment and funding decisions to a set limit. The Sovereign AI Investment Committee will report monthly to the British Technology Investments Limited board on investment decisions and wider portfolio performance, and to the Sovereign AI Strategy Board which provides strategic oversight of the whole programme.

As is standard practice, the Managing Partner is recused from decisions which may cross with any real or perceived conflicts in relation to personal or financial interests. These mitigations were discussed in detail and agreed with the DSIT Permanent Secretary.

Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically significant AI companies in the UK, mobilising private capital, and strengthening the wider UK AI ecosystem, alongside standard public money controls and financial oversight.

Equity Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The BTI Board will review the Fund’s performance and the Sovereign AI Strategy Board will provide strategic oversight of the overall programme. The vast majority of individual investment decisions will be taken by an independent Investment Committee with delegated authority from BTI Board. Exceptional cases may be decided on by the BTI Board.

Delivering value for money for taxpayers is central to the Sovereign AI Fund. This will be assessed through robust monitoring and evaluation against the Fund’s strategic objectives, including its effectiveness in growing and anchoring strategically significant AI companies in the UK, mobilising private capital, and strengthening the wider UK AI ecosystem, alongside standard public money controls and financial oversight.

Equity Investments by the Sovereign AI Fund will be delivered through DSIT’s existing Government-owned company, British Technology Investments (BTI) Ltd and its governance structures. The BTI Board will review the Fund’s performance and the Sovereign AI Strategy Board will provide strategic oversight of the overall programme. The vast majority of individual investment decisions will be taken by an independent Investment Committee with delegated authority from BTI Board. Exceptional cases may be decided on by the BTI Board.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes information on the number of vacancies at UK-level, by industry, and by size of business as part of the vacancies and jobs in the UK release. Using that data, we see that in August to October 2025 there were 15,000 vacancies in arts, entertainment and recreation, 33,000 vacancies in information and communication and 76,000 vacancies in accommodation and food service activities. Parts of these industries are included in DCMS sector definitions.

Compared to August to October 2024:

• Arts, entertainment and recreation vacancies are down 14.0%

• Accommodation and food service activities vacancies are down 16.5%

• Information and communication vacancies are down 13.5%

DCMS uses a more granular industry classification (4-digit Standard Industrial Classification codes) to define our sectors and ONS vacancy data is not publicly available at this level.

DCMS publishes official statistics in development estimating the number of vacancies, alongside skills shortages and skills gaps, based on the Department for Education’s (DfE) Employer Skills Survey. Two regular data releases have been published so far: DCMS Sectors Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps: 2019 and DCMS Sector Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps: 2022, UK, as well as additional analysis for the Creative Industries. The 2022 data showed that 25.5% of DCMS Sectors businesses in the UK had at least one vacancy open at the time of the survey. This was significantly higher than All Sectors (23.2%).

Further insights into labour demand are provided in the ONS’s Labour demand volumes by Standard Occupation Classification (SOC 2020), UK dataset, which includes official statistics in development sourced from Textkernel data. DCMS has published additional estimates by SOC code for the Creative Industries using the DfE’s Employer Skills Survey.

Grassroots music venues are vital to the UK’s music culture, offering emerging artists a platform and supporting local economies and creative jobs.

This Government wants to enable new developments such as housing to co-exist with cultural infrastructure, including music venues. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that new development should be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities, such as music venues. Existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of development permitted after they were established.

MHCLG intends to consult on the National Planning Policy Framework, including the agent of change principle, this year. DCMS are working with MHCLG to consider how the agent of change can be implemented as effectively as possible as part of this review, to ensure the principle works well for music venues.

In August 2025, the joint industry and HM government licensing policy sprint taskforce recommended stronger guidance or a mandatory requirement for licensing authorities to ensure that the agent of change principle is considered when making licensing decisions. The Government is reviewing the findings of the taskforce and the recent call for evidence on licensing, to inform how the agent of change principle could be considered in licensing.

The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the Government. Therefore, the Government cannot intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations including on editorial matters.

Decisions on who to include in international events and competitions are for the organisers to take, within the framework of their own rules and regulations. It is for the EBU, in consultation with its members, to decide which countries are allowed to participate in Eurovision.

The Government is committed to supporting the growth of a more sustainable and resilient tourism sector. We are in the process of developing a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy with the Visitor Economy Advisory Council which will map out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry. This will address continuing to work with Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) to promote regenerative tourism practices and an approach where residents are involved in decision making and benefit directly from tourism.

We have no plans to do so, nor are Ministers in discussions with the Royal Collection Trust, which is an independent charity, with control over its own collections, policies and management. The public can enjoy the Royal Collection across official royal residences, former royal residences, and through an extensive lending and touring exhibitions programme. Over 280,000 object records in the Collection can be accessed via the Royal Collection Trust website.

The government is taking decisive action to make the student loans system fairer. We are capping Plan 2 and Plan 3 interest rates for 2026/27 to protect borrowers from the risk of inflation shocks; future-proofing maintenance loans by increasing them in-line with forecast inflation every year; and reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year from 2028/29, funded by a new levy on providers for international students.

Maintenance grants will be available to students studying subjects that support the government’s missions and the Industrial Strategy, in-line with our ambition to deliver a more sustainable, more specialised and more efficient higher education sector, better aligned with the needs of our economy.

We are continuing to look at ways to make the system fairer for students, graduates, taxpayers and the sector, while keeping our higher education system financially sustainable so it can deliver now and for future generations.

Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application including, but not limited to, GOV.UK, where students can access the student finance calculator, Student Loan Company (SLC) guidance and university prospectus.

Students can also access The Student Room webpage, where SLC provide articles on student loans and staff from SLC are available in the online forums to answer direct questions from individual students five days a week.

Access to this information up-front ensures that prospective students can weigh up the likely overall costs and benefits to them of undertaking higher education, alongside the financial cost of repayment across the length of the loan period. Additionally, for those who may still be unclear about the long-term commitment of a student loan, a potential borrower may seek other independent advice before accepting the terms and conditions.

The government is capping the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and 3 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year. It does not resolve all of the issues with the Plan 2 system, which was designed and implemented by previous government. We are considering how to make the system fairer, but to be fiscally responsible we must consider how any change would be funded.

Prospective students have access to a wide range of information across a range of platforms before they submit their loan application including, but not limited to, GOV.UK, where students can access the student finance calculator, Student Loan Company (SLC) guidance and university prospectus.

Students can also access The Student Room webpage, where SLC provide articles on student loans and staff from SLC are available in the online forums to answer direct questions from individual students five days a week.

Access to this information up-front ensures that prospective students can weigh up the likely overall costs and benefits to them of undertaking higher education, alongside the financial cost of repayment across the length of the loan period. Additionally, for those who may still be unclear about the long-term commitment of a student loan, a potential borrower may seek other independent advice before accepting the terms and conditions.

The government is capping the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and 3 student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year. It does not resolve all of the issues with the Plan 2 system, which was designed and implemented by previous government. We are considering how to make the system fairer, but to be fiscally responsible we must consider how any change would be funded.

The Individual Support Plan (ISP) is intended as a clear and consistent record of a child or young person's needs and the support they receive, helping settings and families understand what support is being put in place, track outcomes and determine whether support is improving these.

​Where there are concerns about provision, the proposals are that parents and young people will be able to resolve this directly with the setting, including making use of the improved schools complaints process if necessary. The department will seek to strengthen the school complaints system with the inclusion of an appropriate, independent special educational needs and disabilities specialist on the complaints panel.

The use and quality of ISPs will be considered in Ofsted inspections, with clear routes for parents to raise concerns, and we expect governors will sample ISPs. The department will update relevant guidance for governors and trust boards to provide further information.

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Our reforms are still proposals and not final decisions. The government's consultation on 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. We are reviewing consultation responses alongside feedback from over 200 engagement events we held over 12 weeks.

The government is committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students who make a positive contribution to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK HE sector. These data are shared with the department and include a wide range of information on UK HE providers, such as the income they receive through tuition fees.

Between the 2020/21 and 2024/25 academic years, HE tuition fee income that is attributed to international students in the UK steadily increased from £8.81 billion to £12.40 billion.

The average tuition fee income per international student at UK HE providers increased from £14,700 in the 2020/21 academic year to £18,100 in the 2024/25 academic year. More information on international tuition fee income is available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/finances/table-6.

The department produces estimates of UK revenue from education-related exports and transnational education activity. The latest available estimates are for 2022.

International students generated £21.06 in HE exports in 2022 through tuition fees and living expenditure. In 2018, they generated £14.93. More information on total HE education exports is available in the table below.