Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increased commissioning concentration among a small number of global studios and streamers on (a) employment conditions, (b) rate stability and (c) workforce sustainability within the UK screen industries.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport recognises that the freelance workforce is crucial to the success of the UK's world-leading creative industries, including the screen sector, but we understand that many self-employed workers in the creative industries desire greater job security.

We committed in the Creative Industries Sector Plan to increase the productivity, resilience and diversity of the creative workforce, including through the appointment of a Freelance Champion, who will advocate for the creative sector’s freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. Building on the Sector Plan, we are developing a sector Jobs Plan which will provide a clear direction of travel for government and industry to develop the domestic workforce together. The Creative Industries Jobs Plan will be published later this year.

For film and TV specifically, the global market is evolving quickly, creating significant opportunities for the UK. We remain an open and highly attractive destination for international investment, including £5.8 billion in inward screen investment in 2025 and record film production spend, and this has helped deliver some of our most successful content. Major global studios and streamers are investing directly in UK skills and talent, including through support for the National Film and Television School (NFTS) and initiatives like the Prime Video Pathway. This investment strengthens our workforce and we want it to continue.

We are pairing global investment with strong public action to build resilience across the sector. Through the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are delivering a £75 million Screen Growth Package to scale up domestic production, £10 million for the NFTS to create 2,000 new trainee and apprenticeship places, and £150 million through the Creative Places Growth Fund to expand film and TV activity across the regions. These measures sit alongside competitive tax reliefs, including the Independent Film Tax Credit, modernised co‑production treaties and expanded finance via the British Business Bank.

We have also strengthened terms of trade through the Media Act and have asked the Competition and Markets Authority, supported by Ofcom, to consider how market developments, including convergence, should inform future competition assessments. Through the BBC Charter Review and ongoing engagement with streamers, independents and Public Service Media (PSM) providers, we will continue to ensure that commissioning practices support a sustainable workforce and a thriving UK screen sector.