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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the trends in the level of freelance employment in creative industries in the next five years; whether her Department is taking steps to help support growth in freelance employment in the sector; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of introducing social security programmes to help support freelance employees in the sector.

The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.

A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.

Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.

Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.