Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made on developing a sector skills plan for the creative industries.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, the government outlined our ambition to build a resilient, skilled workforce fit for the future. As part of this, we set out to develop a high quality and responsive education, skills and training offer, meeting the sector’s workforce requirements, and develop a long-term government and business partnership to support all stages of the skills pipeline. This includes delivering greater flexibility for employers and learners via the new growth and skills offer; working with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum; and delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service.
To build on this, we are developing sector Jobs Plans with industry for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy. This will be published later this year.
Asked by: Baroness Caine of Kentish Town (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to give the role of the creative freelance champion, announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, published on 23 June, to a relevant minister or an external appointee.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The appointment process is still to be determined, though we plan for the role to go to an external appointee, not a minister. We will work with industry to develop Terms of Reference.
The Freelance Champion will be a role appointed by DCMS which will give freelancers a voice within government. We envisage that the role will help represent the interests of creative freelancers in areas such as the development of the Plan to Make Work Pay, the Small Business Commissioner, the Fair Work Agency, and the Department for Business and Trade’s Small Business Growth Forum.