Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the film industry, in the context of President Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs in the US on films produced in the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Although an authorisation for the Dept of Commerce to introduce tariffs on films produced outside the US was announced on 5 May, no such tariffs have so far been introduced.
The deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual economic and cultural benefits to both countries as film production is an inherently international business with global audiences. .
The UK agreed a landmark economic deal with the US on 8 May, and we are committed to maintaining our strong partnership.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the value of the film industry to the UK economy, and what proportion of this figure can be attributed to companies that are headquartered in the USA.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2023 the film, TV, video, radio and photography industry had a GVA of £21.2 billion.
In 2024 production spend on film and high-end TV reached £5.6 billion, of which £4.8 billion was inward investment, the majority of which came from US studios. The value and success of our film industry is owed to a collaborative mix of inward investment and our domestic industry. Inward investment projects stimulate growth, good jobs and training across our nations and regions.
The deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual benefits to both countries. Productions are by their very nature international partnerships, which are often developed and created across different countries and locations. The UK and the US both benefit when the likes of Star Wars and Mission Impossible are partly filmed in the UK, just as we both benefit from the close working relationship between our producers, talent and crew.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of European co-productions to the UK film industry, and what steps they are will take to promote European co-productions in the future.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Co-productions are integral to the success of the UK film industry, not only providing varied sources of funding and broadening audience reach, but allowing filmmakers to collaborate creatively with diverse partners from across the globe.Our film sector has strong ties with partners across Europe and a rich history of co-production both under the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-production and through unofficial collaborations.
To further stimulate international exposure of the UK film industry the government has committed an additional £7 million for the UK Global Screen Fund for 2025/26. In addition to offering support for business development and distribution of UK films internationally, this fund offers specific support to promote international co-productions.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with his US counterpart on the future of Hollywood-funded film production in the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are in active discussions with the top of the US administration and we are clear that the deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual benefits to both countries. This is a fluid situation, and we will continue to take a calm and steady approach.
We are engaging closely with industry and we are absolutely committed to ensuring our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of US tariffs on film production in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We continue to engage with industry, including representatives from all nations and regions, to ensure our film and TV sector can continue to thrive and create good jobs across the UK.
We will continue to take a calm and steady approach to this fluid situation.
Trade is a reserved matter.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) music, (b) film and (c) book publishing industry on the impact of generative AI.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DCMS Ministers have met on numerous occasions with stakeholders from across the creative industries, including the music, film and book publishing industries, to discuss the impact of generative AI and the government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence.
AI is increasingly being used as a tool in the creative process, from music and film production to publishing, architecture and design. As of September 2024 more than 38% of Creative Industries businesses said they have used AI technologies, with nearly 50% using AI to improve business operations. It may foster innovation and efficiency but may also disrupt the sector. We are working with the creative sector and committed to ensuring our brilliant artists benefit in working with the AI sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides. In addition, we are aware that several publishing houses have licensed their content with AI companies.
Asked by: Yuan Yang (Labour - Earley and Woodley)
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 the adequacy of the recovery of the film and TV industry since the strikes in 2023.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The current market is very challenging for the film and TV sector, including broadcasters and independent producers, but we have high ambitions for the industry and are already taking steps to incentivise production activity.
We have brought in a 5% tax relief uplift for UK visual effects costs in film and high-end TV, confirmed the 40% business rates relief for film studios until 2034, and brought in the 53% independent film tax relief to support British filmmakers. This is in addition to our existing audio-visual tax reliefs; our investment in infrastructure; and investing £7 million to continue the UK Global Screen Fund for 2025/26.
Film and High End TV production spend in the UK reached £5.6 billion in 2024. Whilst this was down on the peak of £6.3bn in 2022 when post-Covid demand was surging, it shows a promising level of recovery following the US Guild strikes of 2023 when spend dipped to £4.3bn. https://www.bfi.org.uk/news/official-bfi-statistics-2024
As part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, eight ‘growth-driving’ sectors have been identified, including the Creative Industries. DCMS will produce a Creative Industries Sector Plan, which will be published in late spring alongside the Industrial Strategy and aligned to the Spending Review. Film and TV are sub-sectors of the Creative Industries with strong growth potential and therefore will be a focus in the forthcoming Sector Plan which will inform next steps for the sector and its sustainability for the coming years.
Asked by: Lord Houchen of High Leven (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider their inheritance tax reforms in order to protect the future of family farms.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government’s reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 achieve the right balance between supporting farms and fixing the public finances in a fair way. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992.
These reforms are being introduced in a broader context of significant existing support for the farming industry in the wider tax system, which the Government is maintaining. The existing rules already provide considerable support for the agricultural sector beyond the general support for businesses. This includes the exemption from business rates for agricultural land and buildings, the ongoing entitlement for vehicles and machinery used in agriculture to use rebated diesel and biofuels, and the exemption from the plastic packaging tax for the plastic film used by farmers to produce silage bales. Furthermore, farmers are able to claim to add together their profits from farming for two years or five years and be taxable on the average of those profits.
The Government’s commitment to farmers and the vital role they play in feeding our nation remains steadfast. The Government’s decisions at Autumn Budget 2024 provide £5 billion over two years for farming and land management in England which will restore stability and confidence in the sector, strengthening food security alongside nature’s recovery. This is the largest ever budget directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in our country’s history. Despite the difficult fiscal inheritance, funding has also been prioritised for the Farm Recovery Fund to support farmers with the impact of severe wet weather over the last year.
Asked by: Nesil Caliskan (Labour - Barking)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the equitability of film tax relief schemes.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government is committed to supporting the creative industries, and film and TV companies benefit from a number of generous and equitable tax reliefs, ranging from a rate of 34% for the standard Audio Visual Expenditure Credit to 53% for the Independent Film Tax Credit.
The credits are available to all companies that meet the eligibility criteria, which are outlined in the BFI’s Creative Sector Expenditure Credits and Tax Relief guidance. The criteria ensure that the credits meet their objectives of incentivising investment in culturally British film and TV productions and support the domestic industry. As with all taxes, the government keeps the film and TV reliefs under review.
The government also provides significant funding for the film and TV sector and has included the creative industries in its Industrial Strategy. A £60 million package of support for the creative industries announced in January included including £7 million for the Global Screen Fund and funding to 6 Mayoral Authorities to help develop creative clusters. The British Film Institute (BFI) administers the Global Screen Fund on behalf of government and follows the BFI Diversity Standards for all BFI funding.
Asked by: Oliver Dowden (Conservative - Hertsmere)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the film industry in (a) England and (b) Hertsmere.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government’s Industrial Strategy will prioritise the creative industries.
We will ensure that the sector can continue to drive growth, boost opportunities and help people to fulfil their creative potential across the UK, including in Hertsmere. Our support includes:
Providing £1 million in funding for 2025/26 for the British Film Commission, which has previously provided support for both Elstree Studios and Sky Studios Elstree in Hertsmere;
Expanding the global reach of independent content through with a further £7 million for the UK Global Screen Fund in 2025/26;
Building on the success of the screen sector tax reliefs, by introducing the enhanced Independent Film Tax Credit, and a new 5% uplift on the rate of relief for visual effects.
Opportunities to drive growth in our screen sectors exist across the whole of the UK, with seven established film production hubs and many more areas brimming with potential and ambition. The film industry also benefits from two major UK Research and Innovation programmes run by the Arts and Humanities Research Council: the £75.6 million CoSTAR programme and the £56 million Creative Industries Clusters programme
In addition, the British Film Institute has committed £34.2 million National Lottery funding over 2023-2026 for education and skills programmes. This includes £9 million to develop skills clusters, one of which has been set up to cover the Metro London area, which includes Hertfordshire, led by Film London.