Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support children’s programming.

The government is committed to supporting high-quality, UK-made children’s TV and video content, and the diverse benefits it brings. The government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available.

Through the Media Green Paper we are also working with industry to promote voluntary arrangements to make content from our public service media providers, including children’s content, more prominent on video sharing platforms. We want all parts of the sector to work together to meet audiences where they are and ensure high-quality programming is easily accessible. The government has not ruled out the use of legislation in the event voluntary solutions are not realised.