Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
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 proposals to harmonise tax rates on gambling on jobs in horse racing.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Future proposals on gambling duties are a matter for HMT. Should changes to the tax regime be announced in the Autumn Statement, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HMT, as is standard practice.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Independent Game Developers’ Association on the adequacy of the level of the Games Expenditure Credit for smaller studios.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector. DCMS have engaged with The Independent Game Developers Association, including through the industry-led UK Video Games Council, to discuss proposals for enhanced tax relief support for lower budget productions.
There are a multitude of factors to consider when deciding on new tax reliefs beyond return on investment and sector impact, and the government is committed to ensuring that all public money is spent and targeted effectively across the creative industries and wider economy.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of potential impact of the UK Games Fund on (a) employment, (b) investment, (c) studio formation and (d) IP development over the next 12 months.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
DCMS commissioned an independent evaluation of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) by Alma Economics which was published on 18th July 2025. This evaluation assessed the fund’s impact between April 2022 and March 2025, as well as previous iterations of the programme since 2015.
The evaluation found that:
UKGF was estimated to contribute around 430 additional FTE jobs in the video games sector during the three years evaluated.
UKGF-funded companies surveyed leveraged an additional £18.2m in funding, which exceeds the total £13m invested into the fund.
On IP development, 74% of beneficiaries agreed or strongly agreed that their prototype or video game would not have been completed without UKGF support, which was associated with an eight-percentage-point increase in the probability of beneficiaries having developed a prototype or video game after one year of funding, compared to those who did not receive UKGF support.
The evaluation did not measure the fund’s impact on studio formation but, in response to interviews, some applicants commented that UKGF was well-targeted to smaller studios early in the development process, noting it as a critical funding source for games studios that had not yet made a game in full.
As part of the recently published Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government announced the £30 million Games Growth Package, including an expansion of the UKGF over the next three years. While we do not have an assessment of the fund’s impact over the next 12 months, it is anticipated that the programme will achieve greater impact with its increased funding.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussion she has had with the video games industry on the availability of business training for entrepreneurs in that sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The then Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism met with the newly formed Video Games Council in September where the availability of business training for entrepreneurs in the video games sector was discussed.
As noted in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Video Games Skills Strategy is being developed and published in 2025 by a sector-convened UK Games Skills Network. This will build on findings from the Creative Industries Council Skills Audit, giving video games skills organisations and delivery partners a clear remit for tackling persistent skills gaps.
The Government looks forward to this important piece of industry-led work to assess sector needs, including in business training for entrepreneurs.
Currently, businesses are able to access Business & IP Centres, coordinated by the British Library, that provide businesses and entrepreneurs with access to IP knowledge, market intelligence, and support services, with locations across the UK.
As outlined in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government will also work with industry to support sector training pathways through a new DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what grant funding is available to help support training in small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games development sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK Games Fund (UKGF) provides grant funding to small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector for development of new intellectual property, as well as development programmes for new graduate talent. As part of the recently published Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government announced the £30 million Games Growth Package, including an expansion of the UKGF over the next three years.
Since its inception in 2015, the UKGF has supported 440 companies with grant funding, and over 200 teams through talent development programmes Tranzfuser and DunDuv.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector have also benefited from other support provided by DCMS and its arms-length bodies. This includes through the Create Growth Programme, which supports high-growth creative businesses to scale up and become investment ready.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many video games studios have been supported by the UK Games Fund.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The UK Games Fund (UKGF) provides grant funding to small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector for development of new intellectual property, as well as development programmes for new graduate talent. As part of the recently published Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government announced the £30 million Games Growth Package, including an expansion of the UKGF over the next three years.
Since its inception in 2015, the UKGF has supported 440 companies with grant funding, and over 200 teams through talent development programmes Tranzfuser and DunDuv.
Small and medium-sized enterprises in the video games sector have also benefited from other support provided by DCMS and its arms-length bodies. This includes through the Create Growth Programme, which supports high-growth creative businesses to scale up and become investment ready.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of Video Games Expenditure Credit on levels of inward investment into the video games industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Video Games Expenditure Credit was introduced in 2024 to replace the Video Game Tax Relief, modernising the reliefs and ensuring they continue to work as intended to support the video games industry.
As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector. My department engages regularly with His Majesty’s Treasury on a range of issues to deliver this objective, including the Video Games Expenditure Credit.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to intervene in negotiations on the Horserace Betting Levy to (a) increase the rate to 11.5% and (b) include overseas races within the scope of that levy.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Horserace Betting Levy is vital for the financial sustainability of horseracing.
The Government believes a voluntary deal is the fastest path towards delivering appropriate funding for the sport.
We continue to encourage the betting and racing industry to resume negotiations and reach a new agreement in the best interests of horseracing.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release of 15 May 2025 entitled Media law reforms to boost press sustainability and protect independence, whether a company (a) wholly owned by and (b) under the majority control of the Chinese government would be permitted to buy a stake of up to 15 per cent in a UK newspaper.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The new foreign state intervention (FSI) regime, set out in the Entreprise Act 2002, seeks to preserve the freedom of the press. It applies to all foreign powers that may seek to acquire control or influence a UK newspaper or news periodical and will be applied case by case based on the facts presented.
Our assessment on the potential impact of foreign states investing in UK Newspapers can be found in my Written Statement Ministerial of 15 May 2025 - Official Report Vol 767 Col 17WS.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Draft Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the partial ownership of UK newspapers by foreign governments on (a) democracy and (b) national security in the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The new foreign state intervention (FSI) regime, set out in the Entreprise Act 2002, seeks to preserve the freedom of the press. It applies to all foreign powers that may seek to acquire control or influence a UK newspaper or news periodical and will be applied case by case based on the facts presented.
Our assessment on the potential impact of foreign states investing in UK Newspapers can be found in my Written Statement Ministerial of 15 May 2025 - Official Report Vol 767 Col 17WS.