Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on establishing an alternative to Creative Europe.

This Government recognises the great value of the UK’s arts and cultural sectors. We have provided £1.57bn through the Cultural Recovery Fund, ensuring record breaking support is available to support the cultural sector through the COVID-19 crisis.

The Government decided not to seek continued participation in the Creative Europe programme as part of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU but to look at other ways of supporting the UK’s arts and cultural sectors. The Spending Review announced £7m in funding for a pilot year of the Global Screen Fund. The Fund will support the UK independent screen sector, in particular UK independent film content, to remain competitive in the international market and help ensure the continued stability of the independent screen sector as a whole.

We understand the role international cultural partnerships and networking play in driving forwards the very best in leading contemporary practice. The Government will continue to assess the needs of the sector through the continued impacts of COVID-19 and in establishing our place on the world stage outside of the European Union.