British film and high-end television 2

Culture, Media and Sport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 15 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to continue work from the last Parliament examining the challenges faced by the British film and high-end television industry and how the sector and its workforce can be better supported. Previous Committee inquiry: British film & high-end tv The new inquiry will build … Read more
36 Recommendations
32 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
6 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
3 Jul
2025
Report published
10 Apr
2025
Report published
28 Jan
2025
Oral evidence
28 Jan
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
24 Jan
2025
Correspondence
24 Jan
2025
Correspondence
24 Jan
2025
Correspondence
24 Jan
2025
Correspondence
24 Jan
2025
Correspondence
7 Jan
2025
Oral evidence
7 Jan
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
11 Dec
2024
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
28 Jan 2025
View on parliament.uk
Alastair Jones · Department for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Roberts · British Film Institute (BFI) Jay Hunt OBE · British Film Institute (BFI) Sir Chris Bryant MP · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
7 Jan 2025
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Jane Featherstone · Sister
11 Dec 2024
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Benjamin Field · Deep Fusion Films Dr Mathilde Pavis Ed Newton-Rex · Fairly Trained Liam Budd · Equity Martin Adams · Metaphysic Nick Lynes · Flawless
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - British film and high-end television HC 328 10 Apr 2025 68 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
7 results
Clear
2 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Essential funding for film sector development needed to grow resilient production companies.
Development is the essence of R&D in the film sector. Funding it is essential for producers to develop valuable intellectual property, pay creative teams from the earliest stages of a project and maintain a consistent slate of films. This is … Read more
Government Response
The government, while not changing the R&D definition, will publish revised guidance in 2025 clarifying that arts activities contributing to scientific or technological advances are within the scope of R&D tax reliefs. This aims to support eligible interdisciplinary innovation.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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21 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Government lacks understanding of future studio space needs and business rates impact.
It is concerning that the Government does not know how much additional studio space the UK will need to support both inward investment and domestic production in the years ahead. Recent business rates revaluations also risked devastating inward investment in … Read more
Government Response
The government addresses concerns about business rates by highlighting a 40% reduction for eligible film studios until 2034, and stating it will publish an interim report on business rates reform this summer with further details by Autumn Budget 2025.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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23 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Require AVEC productions to report spending breakdown across UK nations and regions.
The Government should require productions claiming AVEC to report a breakdown of their spending across the nations and regions of the UK. This would improve data on the national and regional distribution of production spend and support the case for … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects requiring productions to report regional spending due to concerns about adding complexity to tax incentives, but agrees on the merits of better regional data and will engage with BFI and industry partners to explore voluntary reporting.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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34 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Ensure Growth and Skills Levy compatibility with film and HETV by addressing specific barriers.
The Growth and Skills Levy must be fully compatible with work in the film and HETV sectors by: (Recommendation, Paragraph 120) • Ensuring portability of apprenticeships between employers; • Supporting smaller companies with the overhead costs of delivering apprenticeships; • … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to refining the Growth and Skills offer for creative industries, including shorter apprenticeships from August 2025 and new short courses from April 2026, and will consider smaller employers' needs. It is exploring the portability of apprenticeships but has not yet fully committed.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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38 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Government and industry must increase support for film and HETV freelancers during unemployment.
The British film and HETV industry benefits hugely from the flexibility afforded by a predominantly freelance workforce, but in return both it and the Government need to do more to support freelancers when they are out of work. (Conclusion, Paragraph … Read more
Government Response
The government commits to appointing a creative freelance champion in 2025 and outlines ongoing work to strengthen rights and protections for the self-employed, including measures against late payments. However, it explicitly rejects introducing a guaranteed basic income for creative freelancers.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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39 Recommendation Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Set out specific measures to address pay precarity for creative industry freelancers.
In its forthcoming industrial strategy, the Government should set out specific measures to address pay precarity among freelancers working across the creative industries, such as a guaranteed basic income or minimum hourly wage. (Recommendation, Paragraph 136) Read more
Government Response
The government commits to appointing a creative freelance champion by 2025 and highlights existing measures to tackle late payments and introduce written contracts. However, it explicitly rejects plans to introduce a guaranteed basic income or minimum hourly wage for creative freelancers.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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41 Conclusion Accepted in Part
First Report - British film and hi…
Appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner to develop framework addressing industry pay and working conditions.
We repeat our predecessor Committee’s call for the Government to appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner, with appropriate powers and cross- departmental oversight. The Freelancers’ Commissioner should work with the film and HETV industry to develop a framework for addressing pay precarity, … Read more
Government Response
The government will appoint a creative freelance champion by 2025 to advocate for the sector, but states this is different from the recommended Freelancers' Commissioner role which would require more infrastructure and time to implement.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
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Government Response AI assessment · 66 of 36 classified
Accepted 16
Accepted in Part 7
Acknowledged 11
Deferred 11
Not Addressed 3
Rejected 18
Total 36 recs + 32 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
24 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from Mitchell Simmons, Vice-President, Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA, Paramount, regarding on skills spending, dated 6 December 2024
Parliament page
24 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from Benjamin King, Senior Director of Public Policy, UK and Ireland, Netflix, regarding on skills spending, dated 2 December 2024
Parliament page
24 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from Monica Ariño, Director of Public Policy, Amazon, regarding on skills spending, dated 19 December 2024
Parliament page
24 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from Gidon Freeman, Senior Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, NBCUniversal International, regarding on skills spending, dated 16 December 2024
Parliament page
24 Jan 2025 To committee Letter from Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, to Chris Bird, Director, Prime Video UK, Amazon, Benjamin King, Senior Director of Public Policy, UK and Ireland, Netflix, Mitchell Simmons, Vice-President, Public Policy and Government Affairs, EMEA, Paramount, and Gidon Freeman, Senior Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Affairs, NBCUniversal International regarding on skills spending, dated 19 November 2024
Parliament page
31 Oct 2024 To committee Letter from Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, regarding Independent Film Tax Credit, dated 9 October 2024
Parliament page