Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Graham Allen and Sajid Javid

Thursday 26th February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North) (Lab)]

T9. Will the Secretary of State welcome tomorrow’s meeting in Nottingham between “Get Creative”, from the BBC, and “What Next?”, which is organised locally? Will he also underline the strong commitment that he gave me at the last Culture, Media and Sport questions that he considers arts, culture and heritage just as important for the outer cities as for the often oversubscribed inner cities?

[Sajid Javid]

I wholeheartedly agree. The hon. Gentleman has teamed up with two excellent organisations, and I wish him well.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Graham Allen and Sajid Javid

Thursday 15th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

My hon. Friend is right to say that tourism is vital for local economies, and I have a big ambition to get more people out of the cities and visiting our fantastic countryside. He will be pleased to know that one week from today we will launch the Countryside is Great campaign in New York, with the fantastic Katherine Jenkins performing. That will help make clearer to international tourists exactly what our fantastic countryside has to offer, including in Wales.

[Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North) (Lab)]

2. What steps he is taking to encourage the development of creative industries to help regenerate outer-city estates.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Sajid Javid)]

Economic estimates for the creative industries published this week have shown that the sector plays a leading role in our long-term economic plan. The figures estimated that in 2013 there were 84,000 jobs in the creative industries in the east midlands, and the Government continue to work closely with the sector so that it can produce further jobs and growth across Britain.

[Mr Allen]

Welcome as those figures are, does the Secretary of State agree that there is sometimes an imbalance with the creative industries necessarily being located in the inner cities, city centres and business districts for tourism, heritage and media, and that very few go to the outer-city estates and working-class areas of the sort I represent? I chair the Rebalancing Nottingham North charity. Will he find some time in his busy diary to meet me and discuss how we can balance the expansion of creative industries so that everyone can benefit?

[Sajid Javid]

The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight that important point, and I commend his excellent work in taking forward the Rebalancing the Outer Estates Foundation. He will know that the Arts Council supports many regions around the country and helps with that rebalancing effort, but there is always more we can do, and I or the Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy would be happy to meet him to take that issue forward.