Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the job roles successful applicants have qualified under when applying for a global talent visa in order to work in the video games industry.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Applicants with skillsets utilised by the video games industry could potentially qualify under the criteria for multiple Global Talent endorsing bodies, including Tech Nation, Arts Council England and Pact. The visa does not tie individuals to a specific job role or employer.
As a result, the Home Office do not record the number of Global Talent applicants granted who are intending to work in the video games industry. Applicants are not endorsed on the basis of a particular job role they intend to take up in the UK and while the endorsement application form asks if they are intending to work in a particular job for a specific employer, it is not recorded on Home Office caseworking systems.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were granted a global talent visa in order to work in the video games industry in each year since 2020.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Applicants with skillsets utilised by the video games industry could potentially qualify under the criteria for multiple Global Talent endorsing bodies, including Tech Nation, Arts Council England and Pact. The visa does not tie individuals to a specific job role or employer.
As a result, the Home Office do not record the number of Global Talent applicants granted who are intending to work in the video games industry. Applicants are not endorsed on the basis of a particular job role they intend to take up in the UK and while the endorsement application form asks if they are intending to work in a particular job for a specific employer, it is not recorded on Home Office caseworking systems.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the online gaming industry on its impact on the economy.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
DCMS estimates the UK video games sector generated £4.4bn in GVA in 2024, a 5.1% increase from 2023 when adjusted for inflation.
We are aware that these figures may not fully capture the impact of video games, and DCMS has worked closely with the Office for National Statistics on the UK Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes, which have now been updated to better reflect the games sector.
In terms of the consumer market, UK consumers spent £8.76 billion on video games in 2025, a 7.4% increase on the previous year. Digital console spending rose 9.2% to £2.49 billion, spending on mobile games grew 7.9% to £2.07 billion, and digital PC software reached £1.15 billion.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The decision to retire physical media is ultimately a commercial decision for Sony Interactive Entertainment, but we encourage all businesses to consider the impacts of such decisions on consumers, including young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds Central and Headingley)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure future online safety regulation does not have unintended consequences for the online gaming industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Proportionality is a core principle of the Online Safety Act and is in-built into its duties. Ofcom must consider the size and risk level of different types of services when recommending steps providers can take to comply with their duties.
Ofcom has communicated with in-scope services about Act regulations, including working with them to ensure compliance is as easy as possible. Ofcom is providing support resources and tools to online services to make it easier for them to understand – and comply with – their responsibilities under the Act.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners; and what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of that acquisition on the UK video games sector and the data security of UK players.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The department has not assessed the impact of the acquisition or discussed it with the CMA. Responsibility for investigating the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition falls to the Competition and Markets Authority to determine independently.
The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK video games sector. In April we launched the £30 million Games Growth Package, doubling funding to invest in UK games businesses and develop future talent.
The UK General Data Protection Regulation applies to all companies that offer goods or services to individuals in the UK.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe complies with UK law, following its decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers but has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
This is a commercial decision for Sony to make. Consumers are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to businesses directly. This encourages businesses to adapt and compete fairly based on demand.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers but has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact on high street retailers of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
This is a commercial decision for Sony to make. Consumers are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions to businesses directly. This encourages businesses to adapt and compete fairly based on demand.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
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 the proposed acquisition of Electronic Arts on the level of employment in the video games sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK video games sector. In April this year we launched the £30 million Games Growth Package, doubling funding to invest in UK games businesses, create new opportunities and develop future talent.
Under competition law, responsibility for investigating the impact of mergers and acquisitions on competition falls to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s independent competition authority sponsored by the Department for Business and Trade. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers and expertise to investigate the benefits and risks of mergers in relation to competition, including those that may impact the video games sector.
Asked by: Ben Goldsborough (Labour - South Norfolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure the curriculum is encouraging young people to consider careers in the video games sector.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
To ensure that children and young people are equipped with the essential knowledge and skills required for the future, this government is taking decisive action to modernise digital education.
Following the final report of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we are reforming the computing curriculum to strengthen digital literacy and digital creativity, including the creation of digital media. The report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-final-report-government-response.
Furthermore, we are considering where digital literacy can be incorporated within other relevant subjects such as Art and Design.
These reforms are intended to help ensure that more young people develop the capabilities needed for careers across the digital economy. There will be opportunity to provide views on draft proposals for curriculum and GCSE subject content (those in the first phase) during the public consultation this September.
The National Centre for Computing Education also facilitates industry-led events for pupils, to raise awareness of digital careers, including within the video game sector.