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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support her Department provides to support the creative industries in (a) Kirklees and (b) Yorkshire.

Government recognises the role played by creative businesses, including media, right across the UK in local economic growth. Government supports this growth via tax credits, regional development programmes, relocation of Arms Length Bodies associated with the sector, rebasing of public sector broadcasters and putting ‘place’ at the heart of the Industrial Strategy. The department does not collect data on creative industries investment on a region-by-region basis.

DCMS funds Arms Length Bodies that have regional objective and invest in arts and culture, which develop future skills and talent for the Creative Industries. According to Arts Council England and British Film Institute data, Kirklees has received grant-in-aid and lottery support of almost £17m, since 2012. Yorkshire and the Humber received over £396m in the same period.

Employment in Yorkshire and the Humber’s film and TV industries increased by 40 per cent in 2016, outstripping every other UK region. A driver of this growth is Screen Yorkshire’s ‘Yorkshire Content Fund’, a public-private investment fund for the TV, film, video games and digital sectors, The fund is open to producers either based in Yorkshire or wishing to film or establish a base in the region. Screen Yorkshire has worked extensively with the British Film Institute and received regional support for its Screen Hub, which is also supported by 14 local partners, including 8 local authorities and 6 universities.