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Category: Culture

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Connected Futures Conference

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Connected Futures Conference

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 12 October 2023.

    Thank you to the Youth Futures Foundation for inviting me to be part of this Connected Futures Conference.

    Days like today are a real opportunity to explore how we best go about supporting disadvantaged young people into education, employment and training.

    I’m pleased to be able to share with you some of what we’re doing in Government to help our young people achieve their potential.

    Changing young people’s lives and giving them the best start in life is the reason I entered into politics.

    Because, as all of you in this room will know, how we help and support young people can make a phenomenal difference.

    Every bit of support we give, makes a difference to an individual and I wanted to start with a story of a girl, called Shamza.

    Earlier this year I took part in a roundtable with young people who had taken part in a national citizens service programme.

    Around the table was a group of young adults, inspiring young people who were confident and engaged with their communities.

    This hadn’t always been the case.

    Many of them were disadvantaged, a significant proportion were carers.

    Amongst them was an inspiring young woman called Shamza.

    Shamza told me that she came to the UK 3 years ago and when she came she didn’t speak any English.

    But despite this obstacle, she carried with her a dream of one day working for the police.

    She signed up to the NCS, she’s now fluent in English and last month she started her journey into the police as an apprentice.

    She grasped the opportunities that came with the NCS programme and used that programme as a springboard to start her new life in the UK.

    Her story is one that speaks to the power of youth services and what they should be about – opening doors for young people and creating chances where they didn’t previously exist.

    And that’s why this kind of event is so important.

    Because it brings together all of you.

    Think tanks. Local Government. National Government. Businesses. Delivery partners.

    From Blackpool FC Community Trust, the British Chambers of Commerce and the University of Central Lancashire to KPMG, PWC and Virgin.

    The huge range of organisations we have here today reflects the fact that young people are not just the responsibility of governments – we all have a role to play.

    And while you may all be here from different organisations, you all have one thing in common: you are invested in the future of our young people.

    You share our ambition of giving young people the tools they need to realise their untapped potential.

    As a Government, we recognise how important all of your organisations are, and we’re grateful for everything you’re doing collectively to improve outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    YFF, in particular, has used Dormant Assets Funding to really unpick and find solutions to some of the challenges facing young people today.

    And – by bringing together the youth sector, local authorities, schools, parents, and the private sector – your focus on building the evidence base is already helping to make a difference to how we help more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into education, into employment and into training.

    And I know that the Connected Futures Programme is exactly about this sort of work.

    Fostering local partnerships to address challenges, to share best practice and to drive greater quality of youth provision at a local level.

    Now, as many of you may know, this is one of the areas of my portfolio I am most passionate about – investing in maximising the potential of young people across the country.

    I believe that we should ensure that every young person should have more opportunities than their parents.

    And to achieve that I think every young person needs someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go.

    It’s an issue I’ve been passionate about throughout my time in Government.

    When I was on the education select committee, when I was a justice minister responsible for youth justice and now as Secretary of State with some responsibility for youth policy.

    I’d like to just touch on why these 3 things are so important and measures I have recently announced that build on them.

    When it comes to giving young people someone to talk to, I know millions of young people across the country were just as lucky as I was.

    Many have parents and grandparents to lead them on their journey.

    Some people find teachers.

    So last month, we announced our plan to work with the Youth Futures Foundation to support young people at risk of falling out of education, employment or training after 18.

    So, through the £15 million Building Futures programme, funded by the Dormant Assets Scheme, as many as 5,000 young people aged 14 to 16, will be offered intensive mentoring and wraparound support.

    We have high hopes this programme will provide a leg up to those young people who need it most, with personalised guidance, career coaching, and mental health support, and at the same time, it will help really build up the evidence base for what works.

    And I know YFF will be setting out details later in the year on the structure of the programme and the locations for support.

    Secondly, turning to somewhere to go;

    We know that young people don’t want to hang around the streets and fall into the wrong crowd.

    We know that giving them somewhere to go where they can socialise, make new friends, develop new skills, and become more rounded individuals makes a massive difference.

    And that aim is at the heart of our Youth Investment Fund, where 87 organisations across the country have already received Youth Investment Fund grants with over 200 more to come so we can provide more safe spaces for young people.

    At the same time, we’re continuing to deliver the Million Hours Fund, which we run in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund.

    The fund is injecting £22 million directly to youth organisations in wards across England that are identified as having high rates of anti-social behaviour.

    Each ward will then be able to provide additional hours of any youth activity that is ‘open to all’.

    And finally, young people need something to do.

    We’ve teamed up with a number of the expert organisations in this area to launch programmes tailored to reach different groups.

    To begin with, we’ve extended the Adventures Away from Home Fund.

    Through this Fund we are providing bursaries for around 7,500 young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, across England, to access outdoor trips.

    I’ve been fortunate to see first hand how much of a difference these projects and trips can make to people’s lives in igniting their passions.

    I recently visited the Avon Tyrrell outdoor learning centre in the New Forest and had a brilliant conversation with one of their Senior Outdoor Instructors, Jake.

    Jake entered the outdoor industry through an apprenticeship with Avon Tyrrell, after attending a Prince’s Trust residential work placement trip to the outdoor centre.

    He told me about how that work placement, and that experience, made him fall in love with the outdoors and instilled in him a determination to help other young people discover that same love.

    On top of this scheme my Department, with the Youth Endowment Fund and Youth Futures Foundation is going to be launching a new Summer Jobs Programme for up to 2,600 young people, across England.

    To make sure this programme is really targeted where it’s needed most, we’ll be working with local agencies, for example, pupil referral units, local authorities to ensure it reaches those most at risk of becoming involved in youth violence and crime.

    These young people will be offered employment placements for up to six weeks, helping them to not only have something engaging to do, but to improve their life chances on the other side of the placement and help them choose the right path in life.

    As well as both of these schemes, we’re supporting the UK Year of Service, alongside the National Citizen Service Trust.

    The UK Year of Service is about helping those young people who are ready to take their first step into work, but who need some additional support to take it.

    This programme is going to provide meaningful 9 to 12 months work placements to at least 100 young people, across the United Kingdom with the aim of setting them on a positive path towards long-term employment, education or training.

    Once the placements are available later this year, young people will be able to apply directly to roles that inspire them and that they can contribute to the most.

    All these programmes offer something slightly different, but all of them will give young people more of the ‘something to do’ in future.

    We want to give more, more Jake’s and more Shamza’s the chance to thrive.

    And I believe, taken together, we’ve been able to make a huge amount of progress in a relatively short amount of time.

    But I know, and all of you know, that there is a long way to go.

    I’m confident that all of you here today and all of us in Government share the same purpose and are pulling in the same direction.

    You recognise the value of youth services and the sense of belonging they create among young people.

    It is this sense of belonging and the social networks that come with these experiences and these programmes that is vital to improving the life prospects of young people in all parts of the country.

    I am looking forward to working with you all to give young people a fair shot at maximising their potential, now and in the years ahead.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to Conservative Party Conference

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in Manchester on 2 October 2023.

    Conference, it is fantastic to be with you here today in Manchester.

    The home of Media City, Oasis, the Stone Roses, Take That, United and City.

    Manchester is one of our capitals of culture.

    I say that as a proud Northerner.

    Albeit from Leeds.

    Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool.

    These cities have so much culture, creativity and potential.

    Today I want to talk to you about the huge potential of our cultural and creative industries and how this potential has been harnessed by Conservative government after Conservative government.

    And I want to talk about how we can, and will, continue to maximise this potential in the years to come.

    And for me believing in the power of potential, believing in our country, in our people, in our industries, that’s why I am a Conservative.

    And just to illustrate that I wanted to begin with a story of a brilliant woman called Yetta who understood the importance of potential.

    And maximising it.

    Her parents were Russian, and they came to this country as refugees, fleeing persecution.

    And despite many drawbacks of that age, being Jewish, the daughter of immigrants and a woman.

    She succeeded.

    Yetta ignored obstacles and focussed instead on the opportunity she had been given to be brought up here in the UK and in her very own extensive potential.

    She became the first female barrister in Leicester and practised at the bar until she was 80.

    Yetta, was my grandmother, and on every visit she reminded me of the line from a Robert Browning poem.

    ‘A man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for’.

    It’s a line about believing in our ability to succeed.

    Not just settling for the status quo.

    About maximising opportunity and potential.

    Which summed up her life.

    And like her, I want to maximise the potential of all those sectors that I represent.

    Right now, we are in a Golden Age for British Culture.

    We unambiguously dominate in all forms of our creative industries, globally.

    In Television, UK Programmes are being exported across the world.

    We’ve had 74 British Oscar winners since 2010.

    Musically Adele, Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles continue to dominate the global charts.

    Last month an executive at Warner Bros told me that when he meets others from the music industry aboard they say ‘how do we be more like the UK’.

    Football is a major global export. I challenge any of you in this room to tell me that on their holidays abroad you haven’t met a waiter, a taxi driver or a tourist on a beach who hasn’t shared their support for an English team – and it’s not always United.

    Last holiday I met someone who supported Grimsby Town.

    Conference, this success is no accident.

    It’s the result of the hard work and ingenuity of our creative industries and the talent of many impressive individuals…

    It’s also a result of consecutive Conservative Governments, who have recognised this potential.

    Since 2012 we have supported the success of these industries with tax reliefs across the board

    …from film to animation to video games to theatre…

    …these tax reliefs have helped to attract significant global investment into the UK.

    And when times were really hard – we stepped up.

    During Covid a Cultural Recovery Fund – £1.57 billion which supported nearly 220,000 jobs and 5,000 organisations and protected our cultural heritage and creative industries

    … our Film and tv restart scheme supported over 1,000 productions, over 100,000 roles for cast and crew and over £3 billion of production expenditure…

    We know that this cumulative support has driven success.

    High End Television saw a total production spend in the UK of £4.3 billion in 2022…

    Up from just under £390 million pounds in 2013 the year the tax relief was introduced.

    That’s a tenfold increase.

    Jobs that would not have been filled. Stories not told. Creativity taken elsewhere.

    Without that Conservative support.

    But Conference we cannot rest on our laurels.

    Our mission as a government is to grow the economy, creating better jobs and opportunity right across the country.

    We are making the necessary long term decisions to get the country on the right path for the future.
    The Creative Industries are one of the five high-growth tax sectors we’re targeting.

    And we have set lofty ambitions:

    ● Growing the creative industries by an extra £50 billion

    ● Creating one million extra jobs – all over the country –

    ● And delivering a creative careers promise that builds a pipeline of talent

    ● All by 2030

    And we have a plan to deliver this – The Creative Industries Sector Vision…

    …published in June and backed by an initial £77 million of funding which we expect to bring in £250 million of private investment.

    With further support coming down the track.

    …and we will ensure that young people who want a career in the creative or cultural industries can develop the necessary skills.

    And Conference this just simply wouldn’t have happened under Labour.

    They are always focused on the short term.

    They talk the talk, but they never deliver.

    They talk about supporting creativity but let’s look at their actions when they have actually had an opportunity to deliver.

    They talk about growth but Labour voted against the introduction of every single one of our creative industries tax reliefs

    They talk about creativity in education but it was a Labour Education Secretary, David Blunkett, who slimmed down the statutory curriculum for creative education and told teachers to teach fewer arts subjects.

    Today we only need to look to Wales to see what would happen if Keir Starmer got into power.

    Cutting spending to the arts despite receiving the largest settlement from the UK Government in the history of devolution.

    Conference, for me ensuring we maximise the potential of our industries is critical.

    Because this is maximising our opportunities for the future

    Creativity in our schools, jobs for everyone, culture in our towns and cities.

    But whilst our potential is important

    So is our past,

    …our history, our culture and our heritage.

    In recent years the very essence of our history and the values that attach to this

    Have come under threat.

    There are some that want to cancel – those who seek to erase our history

    …Shutdown a view they disagree with, rather than argue against it.

    Those who would apply a two dimensional filter of moralist outrage on actions or statements, rather than understanding the nuance of language, or the context of history.

    These people cast Churchill as villain, not as the man who kept Britain free.

    Unlike some of those in the Labour Party, I am not ashamed of our great country’s culture, its people or its past. I do not want to bring down our statues or our monuments,

    I believe in the British people.

    What some call culture wars, I say, is standing up for our principles.

    pride, tolerance, understanding, learning

    Respect, fairness and common sense…

    That’s why the Sports Strategy we published in July sets out a common sense approach to trans inclusion in women’s sports – protecting women and the integrity of women’s sport, with fairness at its core.

    That’s why this week I wrote about my opposition to publishers sanitising books

    For not erasing our history…

    And it’s why I will be shortly publishing new guidance on retain and explain for statues – so that rather than tearing down our history we can understand it.

    Conference, I believe that we are lucky to live in the greatest country in the world.

    A country rich in history

    Where those within it have an innate and unlimited potential

    It is our job in Government to harness that.

    And we have, and we will continue to do so.

    Because it is only through belief in our country, pride in our people, optimism for what lies ahead, that we can deliver a better future for our children.

    Conference, I believe that the best is yet to come.

    Because as Yetta would have said ‘what’s a heaven for’.

  • John Whittingdale – 2023 Speech at Connected Britain 2023

    John Whittingdale – 2023 Speech at Connected Britain 2023

    The speech made by John Whittingdale, the Minister for Digital Infrastructure, in London on 20 September 2023.

    Good afternoon and thank you to Connected Britain for inviting me to speak and for convening an event that is more interesting and important than ever.

    I’m delighted to be here in the Docklands today – there are few better places to celebrate the things which keep us connected.

    Because for centuries, it was the Docklands around us that brought Britain to the world – and the world to Britain, bringing growth, prosperity and opportunity for millions.

    Today, connectivity matters just as much – the economy of the future won’t be powered by sail or coal, boat or barge – it will be powered by digital infrastructure.

    Because it is only with connectivity that we can deliver on our ambition to build the most innovative economy in the world.

    Embedding innovation in our economy must deliver real benefits for each and every British person. For that very reason, this government is on a mission to ensure that communities and businesses up and down the country have the secure, reliable and high-quality connectivity they need.

    That connectivity is, and will continue to be, an engine of economic growth – creating jobs, and delivering the kind of bold new discoveries which will put the UK right at the cutting edge of science and technology.

    Our plan to make that mission a success is clear, comprehensive, and unapologetically ambitious.

    First and foremost, we remain relentlessly focused on working with the telecoms industry to drive the deployment of fixed and wireless broadband, to deliver the connectivity which British people need today.

    But even as we do that, we’re looking ahead to tomorrow, by investing in the technologies that will transform the telecoms industry and the global economy.

    And finally, we’re ensuring at every stage that our telecoms networks are secure and resilient.

    So I want to take today as an opportunity to talk through this 3-step plan for success, and what it means for you.

    Extending fixed and wireless coverage

    Driving the deployment of fixed and wireless broadband is a centrepiece of the government’s work.

    We have set an ambitious goal to ensure future proof and resilient gigabit broadband to 85% of the UK by 2025 and to over 99% by 2030 and we continue to make progress towards meeting this ambition. Working in partnership with industry and Ofcom, our policies have helped us collectively increase gigabit broadband to 77% up from just 6% in 2018, largely driven by competition.

    We remain firmly committed to wholesale competition in the broadband market being the best strategy to meet our strategic objectives.

    And so we continue to establish an environment which encourages competition and investment by removing practical barriers to deployment and reducing regulatory barriers to investment and innovation where necessary.

    The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act, passed last year, sets out a number of measures that will make a real difference in the pace at which apparatus can be installed, upgraded and shared.

    A number of the provisions have already come into play and we are firmly committed to implementing all provisions in the Act before the end of 2024.

    We are funding a further trial of a more flexible permitting system for street works in England, giving fixed line operators more freedom when installing fibre in the ground. Launching in early 2024, these new ‘flexi-permits’ could significantly accelerate broadband rollout.

    Through the government’s Geospatial Commission, we are also working with asset owners, to build a digital map of the pipes and cables beneath our feet.

    The National Underground Asset Register is revolutionising the way we install, maintain, operate and repair our buried infrastructure and will deliver at least £350 million per year of economic growth, whilst also improving worker safety.

    The emerging service has been launched in parts of England with plans to extend it to the rest of England this autumn, and to Northern Ireland in spring. If you’re not yet taking part – I’d urge you to join others like CityFibre, Virgin Media O2, COLT, Gigaclear and Nynet by getting involved as soon as possible.

    We continue to deliver on our mission to bring fast and reliable connectivity to hard-to-reach places across the UK. Under the £5 billion Project Gigabit, we already have 39 procurements and contracts underway, making over £2 billion of funding available to improve broadband connections for up to 1.1 million premises.

    In addition, our voucher scheme has already benefited communities across the country; with the help of our partners, we recently passed a major milestone: 100,000 vouchers have now been used to fund gigabit broadband connections for people in rural places from the Scottish Highlands to the Jurassic Coast.

    We are trialling satellite connectivity and other innovative technologies to provide faster and reliable connectivity to the most remote areas of the UK.

    Earlier this year the government announced an £8 million fund to provide capital grants to further promote new satellite connectivity to the most remote 35,000 premises.

    On the deployment of mobile connectivity – through the Shared Rural Network, the government and industry are jointly investing over £1 billion to increase 4G mobile coverage to 95% of the UK’s landmass by the end of the programme, up from 93% today and 91% when the SRN deal was signed back in March 2020.

    We also want to ensure that all parts of the UK benefit from 5G. Basic non-standalone 5G has been made available to outside 85% of premises.

    But this is only the start of the UK’s 5G future. Widespread adoption of 5G could see up to £159 billion in productivity benefits by 2035.

    We recognise that the deployment of basic, non-standalone 5G, will not be enough to unlock these benefits.

    Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April this year, announced an ambition – backed by the industry – to deliver high-quality, standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030.

    But we recognise that operators will continue to face challenges when investing in 5G. Through the Strategy, we have set out how we will improve the investment climate for 5G by reducing costs, increasing revenues, and making sure that regulation is not a barrier to innovation.

    To support this, we have asked Ofcom to review its approach to setting spectrum licence fees to ensure they continue to promote the efficient use of spectrum and support a strong investment environment. We are also working closely with Ofcom as it updates the net neutrality guidelines to provide clear and up to date guidance for industry.

    We will also continue with our work through the Barrier Busting Task Force to tackle the barriers preventing the fast, efficient and cost-effective deployment of gigabit-capable and 5G networks.

    Supporting rural communities and businesses to access high quality connectivity is a [personal] priority for both myself and the Secretary of State.

    Our 10 point plan for rural connectivity restated our commitment to ensuring that rural economies benefit from the opportunities that come with better connectivity.

    To support this plan, is the appointment of Simon Fell MP as Rural Connectivity Champion. I know Simon has already met many of you here today. He will report to DSIT and Defra Secretaries of State next year on how government can continue to support rural communities to access and adopt advanced wireless connectivity.

    Earlier this year, we launched our 5G Innovation Regions programme, which will invest up to £40 million to help local and regional authorities realise the benefits of 5G and advanced wireless connectivity. Each 5G Innovation Region will develop a framework to stimulate the adoption of 5G-enabled technologies and services. I am looking forward to announcing the successful regions later in the autumn.

    Accelerating 5G adoption will be key to unlocking additional growth and productivity gains.

    I am pleased to say that today we are announcing the winners of our Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme. The winning local authorities are Cambridgeshire County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, North Ayrshire Council, Westminster City Council Tees Valley Combined Authority, and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

    The 6 winning pilots authorities will share £1.3 million of funding to procure and test smart multi-purpose street columns for wireless coverage and other uses, such as electric vehicle charging and environmental monitoring. – We are thoroughly looking forward to seeing how the successful local authorities can make a difference.

    Looking ahead, we know that upgrades are a critical element of modernising our telecoms networks. We are working closely with Ofcom and the industry to ensure consumers and sectors are protected and prepared for the Public Switched Telephone Network switch off and the sunsetting of 2G and 3G mobile services.

    Connectivity is essential for full participation in society and we know that the recent rise in the cost of living has been difficult for many households across the country.

    I want to recognise the great work of the industry in ensuring that households, including low income families are able to get and stay online. There are now 27 providers of social tariffs and government continues to work in partnership with Ofcom and industry to support those who are struggling to pay.

    Connectivity for the future

    As well as delivering connectivity today we are also looking ahead to focus on the opportunities that telecoms will bring to the UK tomorrow.

    The government has identified future telecoms as one of the 5 critical technologies that will underpin the transformation of modern British society and our economy.

    The next generation of telecoms, including 6G, should see a huge leap in digital transformation. From the expansion of satellite communications to provide near universal coverage and reducing the rural connectivity divide – to the use of drones in networks to provide energy efficient and flexible deployment.

    We will build our existing strengths in foundational research and early-stage innovation to ensure that new discoveries benefit the British public and put us at the heart of the global telecoms market, delivering our ambition to be a science and tech superpower.

    Earlier this year, we announced our plans to initially invest up to £100 million to support innovators and ensure the UK is a pioneer in future telecoms and 6G research and development. We expect competitions to launch in early October and welcome the robust enthusiasm from the sector to-date! I’m excited to see the pioneering work the winners will be working on over the next few years.

    We also continue to ensure the UK has a leading voice on the global stage and the opportunity to work closely with international partners to shape the rules and standards that govern global telecoms networks.

    We are already delivering on our 6G strategy, most recently at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in June, by ensuring that national priorities such as coverage, sustainability, security and interoperability are recognised internationally as a minimum expectation for 6G.

    And at the heart of all of this work to ensure advanced connectivity is the effective management of Spectrum which we set out in our Spectrum Statement earlier this year which sets out our plans to ensure that spectrum supports growth while protecting critical services and that we will also continue to advocate for the UK at key international fora, including this year’s World Radio Congress.

    A key element of this work is to develop and enhance spectrum sharing in the UK. Ofcom’s 2019 spectrum sharing framework was a ground-breaking step, but industry let us know that more can be done to improve the framework and help us to get more out of this finite resource. We’re working closely with Ofcom on options for spectrum sandboxes and we’re looking forward to the introduction of automation across shared spectrum bands early next year.

    Security and resilience

    As connectivity becomes more central to our lives and to the economy, so does the importance of secure and resilient digital infrastructure.

    I am pleased that, thanks to new laws, we now have one of the strongest telecoms security regimes in the world. We have introduced a robust new telecoms security framework, through the Telecommunications Security Act and subsequent regulations. The Act placed new obligations on telecoms operators and also created new national security powers, which we have used to issue directions to telecoms operators to control their use of Huawei’s goods and services within the UK’s telecoms networks.

    As technologies grow and evolve, we are firmly committed to protecting our networks, shielding our critical national infrastructure and understanding how we should ensure new telecoms networks are designed, built and managed securely.

    Following the government’s decision to remove Huawei from UK 5G networks and the need to mitigate the risks of long-term consolidation in the telecoms equipment market, our 5G Supply Chain Diversification Strategy sets out a plan to ensure the UK has a healthy and competitive telecoms supply chain market.

    The strategy is backed by the £250 million Open Networks R&D Fund which will accelerate the adoption of OpenRAN technology, allowing more suppliers to provide equipment and help diversify the market.

    I was delighted to announce last week 19 new projects which will be recipients of funding through the Open Networks R&D Fund. These projects were successful in applying for the Open Network Ecosystem (ONE) competition. With £88 million of funding, the ONE projects will help boost the technical capabilities of the UK’s open telecoms ecosystem. The UK will see trials of new mobile tech designed to increase the resilience of the UK mobile network.

    To further strengthen our network resilience, we have set an ambition, jointly with the mobile operators, for 35% traffic to be carried over OpenRAN by 2030.

    We are strengthening our collaboration with international partners to shape and stimulate the global market, putting the UK at the forefront of the global debate.

    I was pleased to open the UK’s first International Telecoms Conference in June, where we announced a new Memorandum of Understanding to deepen our cooperation with Australia. We are also working closely with partners in industry and academia to help ensure the standards shaping our networks are fit for purpose and enable the open and interoperable technologies that we need.

    So as the government creates the right policy framework for digital connectivity across the UK, we need to work together to use this as a springboard to drive investment, adoption and innovation, to really level up and boost our economy across the union.

    We can only build an economy that delivers for communities across the country together.

    With this 3-step plan, I am confident that we will.

    Thank you.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to the Royal Television Society

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to the Royal Television Society

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in Cambridge on 20 September 2023.

    Good afternoon, thank you for the introduction Alex.

    I thought today, I might share a secret from my past.

    When I was about 7 I used to dream about creating and presenting my own TV show.

    After school I watched Tony Hart transform Morph on my screen and imagined my future on the TV.

    The fact that I was absolutely hopeless at art never appeared to me to be a barrier to my prospective career.

    And then, one day, I nearly got my breakthrough.

    When I was about 8 I attended a dance class (and i was just as bad at dance as I was art) and the whole class auditioned to be in a TV advert.

    Unbelievably I reached the final round.

    And my glamorous future flashed in front of me.

    But that inevitable tap on the shoulder asking me to leave the stage quickly ended my not yet burgeoning career.

    And my dreams of the starry world of film and TV came to a crashing end when I started my law degree.

    And I know that millions of people across the country, young and old, share that dream about being involved in what is one of our most exciting and glamorous industries.

    And where better a place to have that ambition?

    Here in the UK, our TV is genuinely world leading.

    And it has been world-leading for years – from the days of four to five channels, to the current all-you-can-eat world of television we’re in now.

    Today, in 2023, we produce the best of the best.

    Many of the most celebrated shows of this golden era have been made here in the UK, written here in the UK, and shot here in the UK.

    Shows like Sex Education, The Crown and Luther that have become huge hits not just in this country, but all over the world.

    And with imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, many of our great TV shows and formats have spawned remakes all over the world – from Love Island and The Office to Bake Off and Ghosts.

    You have created a great environment for our TV excellence.

    One which discovers and nurtures outstanding talent.

    One where creativity is given licence to flourish, every day.

    Everyone should take a quick look at IMDb’s top 100 TV shows voted for by users, 26 were first shown on British screens.

    British-produced shows like Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl and David Attenborough’s nature documentaries all featured in the top 10.

    Our PSBs have been able to bring the same levels of creativity to their programming as streaming services backed by some of the biggest businesses in the world.

    You see in countless programmes from Happy Valley and Unforgotten to Taskmaster and Derry Girls.

    Meanwhile companies like Netflix continue to underline the dominance of our TV and film industry in Europe.

    Spending $6 billion making TV shows and films in Britain over the past 4 years.

    Investment that has given us zeitgeist-defining shows from The Crown and Top Boy to The Tinder Swindler

    But despite all this excellence, it would be foolish to ignore the enormous challenges that you all face in remaining competitive.

    I know that the ongoing strikes in the US are having a significant impact on many working in the industry in the UK.

    The government is committed to our film and high-end TV sector, and we want to ensure that it’s in the best possible position to bounce back once the US strikes are resolved.

    At the same time, we know that new technologies are, and will continue to drive changes in users’ habits and impact the market landscape.

    You only need to look at a handful of Ofcom’s figures to appreciate the seismic scale of change.

    They show the number of TV programmes pulling in 4 million or more viewers has halved since 2014.

    They show live programmes, like news shows or soaps, are seeing steep declines in viewer numbers across the board.

    They show that TikTok, for the second year in a row, was the fastest-growing source of news in the UK.

    We know that Artificial Intelligence is already beginning to transform the way we create and consume media and content.

    The Government has an interest in this – because your success is success for our economy, with the jobs and growth you support – and your success is also success for our society, because the content you create helps to entertain, challenge, console, educate.

    So it is our job, in Government, to support you to ensure in this changing landscape, we protect, preserve and enhance the existing ecosystem that you have all created here in the UK.

    And so I see my role as three fold.

    First, Maximising the potential of the creative industries including TV, helping you to grow your revenues, invest and spur growth across the UK.

    Secondly, giving you the support you need to navigate this changing world,

    And thirdly, ensuring that at all times that we champion media freedoms.

    Today’s theme in this conference is about choice.

    I see choice as opportunity.

    I want to talk about these three priorities within this context, to enable you seize the opportunities that are available.

    And I want to expand on those three roles.

    So first, potential.

    Since I was appointed as your Culture Secretary 7 months ago I have sought to maximise the potential of the creative industries, which includes TV.

    In February I worked with the Chancellor to ensure we not only continue the High-End TV tax relief and other creative tax reliefs, but actually increase them, in the form of the new Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC).

    And, in June, I published our Sector Vision – which is a collaboration with the industry – in particular the Creative Industries Council.

    This vision set out our ambition for the creative industries as a whole.

    An ambition to grow the sector by £50 billion, create a million new jobs and a pipeline of talent, all by 2030.

    And I am now working with the industry to deliver on that commitment.

    Through the funding of Creative Industries Clusters across the country like TV in Leeds, gaming in Dundee and Bristol.

    Backing innovation in the TV industry – with funding for collaborations like the one between we’ve just announced between the National Television and Film School, Royal Holloway University of London and Pinewood for the development of green screens.

    And investing in developing the pipeline of talent, with approval for BRIT School North in Bradford in August, to help us bring through the next Tom Holland or the next Amy Winehouse.

    These are just three examples of how we are investing over £300 million since the last Spending Review.

    And they build on years of support by the Government.

    Building on the tax reliefs that support and incentivise culturally British production, like the high end TV tax relief and the audio visual and cultural reliefs.

    Direct funding through initiatives like the Global Screen Fund.

    As well as the significant support we gave throughout Covid through the £1.5 billion Culture Recovery Fund and the hugely successful Film and TV Restart Scheme that supported more than 100,000 jobs for cast and crew on more than 1,000 productions.

    I am proud that the Government has, for years, recognised the importance of our TV industry.

    Secondly as I highlighted we need to make sure you have the framework in which to remain globally competitive in this changing world.

    That is why we’re bringing forward the Media Bill, which we have already drafted and consulted on.

    This Bill updates the system in which public service broadcasters operate, future proofs it and levels the playing field.

    It ensures that we sustain both public service broadcasters and the radio sector.

    It does this by making sure public service broadcasters’ apps like BBC iPlayer and ITV X, as well as STV Player in Scotland, the Channel 4 app, My5 and S4C’s Clic in Wales are always easy to find and watch, whether you’re on a smart TV or using a streaming stick.

    The way we’ve approached this Bill has been in a consultative fashion, but I do recognise some concerns remain, including about extending content regulation to video on demand services.

    But what we are saying is this – is that when you are watching TV, the same rules that apply to a new Channel 4 series or a new Sky documentary should be the ones applied across the board.

    The Bill is about ensuring we have the right playing field in place for all parts of the TV ecosystem to thrive.

    This is part of our work to help bring TV into the digital age but we recognise there is more to do.

    Because we recognise that internet provided TV is growing,

    74% of homes now have a smart TV connected to the internet.

    And this has spawned hundreds of new, mostly internet-based TV channels which have created yet another innovative way for audiences to enjoy their favourite shows.

    But while this shift is an exciting one, it’s our job to look at those channels that fall outside our existing regulations and to make sure people are not left behind by this move to digital.

    That’s why we are going to consult on whether we need to extend regulation to these unregulated channels and Electronic Programme Guides. And if so, how?

    And, my starting point in looking at this will always be that any change to regulations must strike a balance between protecting people – particularly the young and vulnerable while protecting freedom of speech, and not unduly burdening the TV industry.

    I know that this challenge of the move to internet TV is something that you are thinking about with the announcement of Freely earlier this week.

    As we focus on the future, our attention must also be on making sure people are not left behind.

    Because new ways of consuming TV should not come at the expense of those who still enjoy terrestrial television.

    Free to view television is a vitally important part of our television landscape, and this Government wants to encourage the sector to keep embracing innovation and technological development, but we’re not going to pull the rug from under the devoted audiences of Freeview channels.

    We want terrestrial television to remain accessible for the foreseeable future.

    At the same time, we really want to build a clear picture of what the future of TV looks like.

    So today I can confirm that we’re launching a new programme of work on the Future of TV distribution, alongside a call for evidence from Ofcom – which it will publish later in the autumn.

    My department will undertake a six-month research project, looking at changing viewing habits and technologies that will impact how shows are brought to our screen, both now, and in the decades to come – acknowledging always the importance of access.

    I recognise that the future of TV is not just about pipes and wires, the way it appears on our screens, and how people access it.

    We are also working within my department, with industry and with Ofcom to consider the impact of specific new technologies like AI and to shape an evidence base that can guide future policymaking.

    It is our job to ensure we strike the right balance between supporting innovation and protecting rights holders.

    As part of that, we’re engaging closely with the Intellectual Property Office and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure we strike that right balance.

    While it’s clear that AI is a rapidly developing technology, I want to assure you all that one of my priorities is to make sure we protect and maintain the integrity of our high quality news output.

    In the coming weeks, we’ll be growing that evidence base with a number of roundtables on AI to discuss what it means for our media and for our creative industries.

    And finally, why this is all so important, and that’s because your work retains and enhances our media freedom.

    TV is an enormous industry. Together with film it brings in more than £18 billion for the UK economy and supports almost 300,000 jobs across the UK.

    It’s an industry that is there to entertain and inform.

    But it is also so much more than that.

    A television industry which is able to broadcast, to produce and distribute fearless truth telling in its news, uncomfortable issues in its documentaries, or produce dramas that highlight challenging real life issues.

    Is one that reveals behind it a strong democracy that is the mark of a free country.

    We all know the playbook in countries that are not free.

    The first thing a dictator does is take control of the airwaves.

    Because these leaders know that if you succeed in stifling universal debate, you can control the narrative.

    That is why you’re all so important to our present, and to our future.

    Media freedom is central to our values as a country, and to mine as your Culture Secretary.

    And that is partly why I’ve always enjoyed watching the political dramas that you make – whether that is House of Cards, the Politicians Wife, Road Kill, The Diplomat – A Very British Scandal.

    They are all so brilliant.

    And I don’t even mind that all these programmes often have as their theme a Tory politician, always unscrupulous, who inevitably ends up booted out of office, in prison or dead.

    Because that is one of the things that makes our country great.

    The freedom you have to make programmes.

    I should say that I have noticed in most of these there is a female heroine, often political (sometimes a lawyer), who always outwits the men.

    Which is probably the real reason I have enjoyed them all.

    Now, before I close, I do want to address the serious allegations that came to light over the weekend concerning Russell Brand.

    Those allegations are deeply shocking and it’s right that the police are encouraging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward.

    It’s also right that organisations involved in his employment conduct transparent investigations into whether complaints were made or concerns raised – and what action, if any, was taken.

    The nature of these allegations means it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage, but I do want to briefly touch on the wider culture within our film and TV industry.

    This is an industry that young people – like 7 year old me – grow up dreaming of working in.

    One where the sky’s the limit for talent.

    It is incumbent on all of us to make sure that this industry is synonymous with talent, opportunity and inclusivity – not the scandals of MeToo.

    TV studios, production facilities and offices need to be places where people feel safe.

    Places where working cultures are responsible and accountable, and do not allow for possible abuses of power.

    Places where everyone feels able to speak up, no matter how junior, and where leaders never turn a blind eye.

    I would urge all of you, as leaders in your industry, to look hard at the cultures and processes in your own organisations and lead change, if change is needed.

    But I’d like to finish properly by thanking you all for the work you’ve done, to build not just a world class TV industry, but a world-leading one.

    It is a testament to your talent, your ingenuity, and your commitment.

    The Prime Minister and Chancellor have identified the creative industries as one of the 5 priority sectors of growth which we will focus on as a government.

    And you’re an essential part of that.

    We want to work with you not just to retain our position but to build on it.

    And I as your Culture Secretary promise to be your champion in Government to support you to maximise your potential and thrive in this changing landscape.

    And I look forward to doing that with you in the months and years ahead.

    Thank you.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Letter to Sarina Wiegman and the Lionesses

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Letter to Sarina Wiegman and the Lionesses

    The letter sent by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 20 August 2023.

    Text of letter (in .pdf format)

  • Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the School Games National Summit

    Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the School Games National Summit

    The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, on 13 June 2023.

    Thank you for inviting me to your event today and apologies that I can not be there in person.

    This government is committed to increasing access to opportunities for sport and physical activity, particularly for children and young people.

    School sport is a key part of a child’s development journey, with that first encounter with sport being truly transformative.

    It’s where they learn about themselves, build resilience and understand the importance of practice and persistence.

    Part of that includes being given opportunities to compete and excel, part of it is nurturing the habit of being up and active.

    That is why earlier this year in March, the Government announced a £600 million package to boost opportunities in and outside of school.

    This included the confirmation of funding for the PE and Sport Premium and School Games Organisers programmes over the next two academic years.

    And outlining our desire for schools to offer a minimum of two hours of curriculum PE and equal opportunities for girls and boys.

    Continuing to support the School Games Organiser Programme and the great work you do is a priority for me.

    We want to ensure that all children, regardless of their background, have the chance to be active and to get the best start in life.

    You all play a vital role in creating these opportunities

    But more importantly you understand how best to reach these communities and the their particular needs

    We highly value the work the School Games network is doing to strengthen links locally and identifying key partners to coalesce around a shared focus on physical activity.

    As a network, you possess the best knowledge about what the real challenges are for children and what works most effectively at a local level.

    So I want to say a huge thank you for all the work you do.

    Moving forward, we will shortly be publishing a new sport strategy that will set the long term strategic policy direction for sport in the country.

    This new strategy will build on the success of the previous strategy, Sporting Future,

    And will have a specific focus on addressing inactivity levels, the barriers that stop people from participating in sport and making the sector more sustainable for the future.

    A healthier nation relies on tackling the low levels of children’s participation in sport and physical activity.

    To do this, we must ensure that we support all young people to enjoy being active, make sport sociable and improve access to opportunities.

    We have already made important strides in this area with our recent funding announcement and the role of programmes such as the Opening School Facilities programme.

    But there is a continued need to go further and our strategy will set out our plans to do so.

    To sum up, the government wants to see more children physically active

    That means having a positive school sport experience, having opportunities in their local community to be active and ultimately having the confidence to throw themselves into it, in whatever form that takes!

    School Games Organisers are a crucial part in achieving our ambitions and I thank you again for all that you do to support children up and down the country.

  • Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the English Football League Annual Conference

    Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at the English Football League Annual Conference

    The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, on 8 June 2023.

    It is a pleasure to address all 72 EFL clubs today.

    You represent much more than 90 minutes on a pitch – you are the beating hearts of your communities and part of the fabric of our national identity.

    I want to start by thanking you for the incredibly positive impact that you have on the local communities you serve.

    This is underlined by the “EFL clubs and their Club Community” report published earlier this year.

    I was pleased to attend the launch of that report and enjoyed hearing from individuals who have led, supported, and benefited from the incredible work you do in local communities.

    I was also pleased to hear of the EFL’s partnership with the British Red Cross in which you are working together to tackle loneliness in our society.

    It was a fitting and timely intervention ahead of Loneliness Awareness Week taking place next week.

    This Government is proud to support the EFL.

    We have supported your work in the community, providing the English Football League Trust with £1.3 million through the Loneliness Covid-19 Fund, to make onward grants to its Football Club Community Organisations in 32 deprived locations across England, with the aim of connecting older people at risk of loneliness.

    Supporting the pyramid is crucial and this Government has already committed to invest £300 million of funding to support grassroots multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025. This is a key element of the Government’s upcoming sport strategy which will be published shortly.

    This year is a significant one for English Football.

    I am absolutely delighted to be backing our bid to bring EURO 2028 to the UK and Ireland.

    Our incredibly inspiring and talented Lionesses, the reigning European Champions, will be taking on the world at the FIFA Women’s World Cup this summer.

    The recent success of the Lionesses has accelerated interest in the women’s game, with more people now watching, attending and playing women’s football than ever before.

    The Review of Women’s Football which we launched in September and is being Chaired by Karen Carney, is looking at how to deliver bold and sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots levels.

    This was the first recommendation taken forward from the independent Fan Led Review, and I look forward to seeing the findings published this summer.

    And of course, we started this year by publishing our Football Governance White Paper in response to that Fan Led Review.

    This included the groundbreaking commitment to establish a new statutory and independent regulator for English football.

    Despite the phenomenal success of football at home and abroad, we have seen too many examples of the devastating impact the failure of a beloved club can have on a local community.

    Since the Premier League was created in 1992, there have been 64 instances of clubs collapsing into administration.

    Historic clubs have been lost, taking with them chunks of our history and heritage, and leaving huge holes in their communities.

    Bury Football Club was one example. A club that, just a few years ago, would have sat alongside you at today’s conference.

    Over its proud 134-year history, Bury managed to survive world wars and countless economic cycles. But it was driven to the wall by financial mismanagement, which damaged the local economy and left behind a devastated fan base.

    But I am pleased to say that a vote to unify Bury FC and Bury AFC passed last month and Bury Football Club will be playing once again at Gigg Lane next season!

    But it is not just Bury that has been affected.

    The same is true of Macclesfield Town, another century-old club, and Rushden & Diamonds. Countless others, such as Derby County, have been driven to the brink after stretching far beyond their means.

    And we know there are a number of clubs across the EFL that are in real distress today.

    This is where our proposals for an Independent Regulator come in.

    The Regulator will have a clear focus, centred on ensuring that English football is financially sustainable and resilient for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve.

    The Regulator will operate a licensing system for all clubs in the top five tiers of English football.

    The Regulator will be independent of industry and Government. This will be set out in law.

    The model we have set out is proportionate and flexible, allowing English Football to continue being a global-success story, while tackling harms where they exist.

    Where clubs are already well run and risks are low, the Regulator will not look to intervene unless necessary, nor will the Regulator impose an extra layer of requirements to burden clubs with.

    Under the Regulator’s regime…

    We will legally strengthen the owners’ and directors’ tests, to protect clubs and their fans.

    These new tests will reduce the likelihood of unsuitable custodians.

    We will give fans more of a voice on the running of their clubs.

    This will include stopping owners from changing vital club heritage, such as names, badges and home shirt colours, without approval from the fans.

    Likewise, clubs will have to seek regulator approval for any sale or relocation of the stadium, and fan engagement will be a crucial part of that process.

    And we will give the Regulator the power to block clubs from joining closed-shop breakaway leagues, such as the European Super League.

    We want a thriving football pyramid, and more money must flow through the game to make this happen.

    On financial distribution, it remains our firm belief that the best solution is a football led one. If one is not found the Regulator will have a backstop power to intervene and force a solution.

    I am optimistic that discussions between the Premier League and EFL will find a solution on this urgent issue.

    I am hopeful that the resolution will be found soon. I would urge both sides to reach a deal as soon as possible. It is in the game’s interests to avoid the risk of further financial uncertainty.

    In short, we are protecting the long-term success of our national game, and restoring fans’ position at the heart of how football is run.

    Since the publication of the White Paper in February, we have been consulting with the football industry on our proposals.

    This is a crucial step in ensuring that we develop effective regulations that deliver positive outcomes for football, while minimising the harms identified in the game.

    I would like to thank the EFL and many of its member clubs for your support throughout this process as we look to further develop and refine our policy.

    The Government intends to publish its response to this initial period of consultation in the coming weeks.

    This will represent the latest step in our ongoing commitment to support, promote and protect the national game, as well as ensuring that fans are placed at the heart of it.

    We remain committed to bringing forward legislation when parliamentary time allows.

    I would like to finish by encouraging you to continue progressing with your valuable work in communities across England and Wales, as well as moving forward with much needed reform.

    Fans were able to have a major say in this White Paper. Football does not need to wait for an Independent Regulator to be in place before it can introduce improved governance practices. You can act now!

    I want to finish by thanking the EFL for inviting me to speak at this year’s Annual Conference. I thank Rick and Trevor for their continued engagement on these important issues.

    I appreciate our continued collaboration and look forward to hearing the outcome of discussions from the panel session.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to the Enders Media & Telecoms Conference

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech to the Enders Media & Telecoms Conference

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, in London on 18 May 2023.

    Good morning,

    Today I want to set out my reflections on three key parts of my portfolio as Culture Secretary.

    They are Potential. Opportunity. And Freedom.

    That is:

    Unlocking the potential that exists in the industries my department represents, including the creative industries

    Ensuring DCMS and Government as a whole support and create opportunities for young people.

    And highlighting the challenges to press freedom and identifying the principles by which we need to resolve those challenges

    Before I turn to these thoughts I want to talk about delivery

    As you will know we have a Prime Minister who is laser-focussed on delivery.

    And he appointed me 100 days ago to deliver

    On a number of projects that affect our communities

    And I have taken that challenge to deliver very seriously.

    And in that time I have brought to fruition a number of previous commitments

    These include:

    A draft media bill with reforms to level the playing field for our public service broadcasters

    A Football White Paper to protect our beautiful game

    A Gambling White Paper that delivers for the smartphone age

    Millions of pounds to support Youth facilities across the country

    100m to support our charities and 60m to upgrade our swimming pools

    An international summit setting out our opposition to Russian and Belarusian participation in international sporting events

    As well as working with my department, the Royal Family and the BBC to deliver the coronation and the events surrounding it as well as Eurovision, where we worked closely with Liverpool

    And now that I’ve delivered on these commitments , I want to lay out a clear agenda for the months ahead.

    One centred around potential, opportunity and freedom.

    And I wanted to start by telling you a story about a brilliant woman called Yetta who understood the importance of freedom, opportunity and potential.

    Her parents were Russian, and came to our free country as refugees fleeing persecution.

    And despite a number of potential drawbacks of that age – being Jewish, the child of immigrants and a woman.

    She succeeded.

    Yetta ignored obstacles.

    And focussed instead on the opportunity she had been given to be brought up here in the UK and in her very own extensive potential.

    My grandmother, Yetta Frazer, became the first female barrister in Leicester and practised at the bar until she was 80.

    And on every visit I made to see her, she reminded me of a line in a poem by Robert Browning.

    ‘A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for.’

    It’s a line about believing in your ability to succeed and taking advantage of the opportunity to realise your potential.

    It totally summed up her life

    and it is my guiding principle in this role.

    I think my Department – gets to represent some of the very best of Britain.

    Musicians and songwriters like Adele and Ed Sheeran. World-class footballers.

    Budding young writers and producers, video game creators and fashion designers.

    To my mind, DCMS is the Department for talent and opportunity.

    And our industries are truly world-class.

    I represent so many companies that have understood their potential and done everything possible to maximise it.

    Taking just 2 examples from companies here in this room.

    Sky who launched in 1989 in a prefab structure in an industrial park on the fringes of west London.

    Today Sky is among our leading entertainment companies, with 23 million subscribers.

    Or Netflix who were founded as a mail order rental firm in the 90s and have evolved into a business that has spent £4.8bn in the UK since 2020 making TV shows and films here and kickstarting long-term studio leases at Shepperton, Longcross, and a new London HQ opening last year.

    Indeed our creative industries are world class. They generated £108 billion in 2021 and employ over two million people across the country.

    And to put things in perspective they are worth more than our life sciences, automotive manufacturing, aerospace and the oil and gas sectors combined.

    We are in the global age of the silver screen.

    We rival any country in the world at sound and visual effects, and are on track to double UK film stage space by 2025.

    And the world over, there is demand for high-end British productions not just because of our fantastic actors and our great locations, but because of our tech know-how and production skills.

    The imagination of our designers, our producers, our content creators, our writers and artists is spearheading growth right across our economy.

    But it’s also owed, in-part, to how the Government and industry have worked together to back talent in this country and make Britain one of the best places in the world to be creative.

    And I am here to continue to maximise that growing potential.

    This Conservative Government has shown what can be achieved when we work with and listen to all of you working in industry.

    It is that same model of public-private partnership that gave us:

    A world-class vaccine development programme and rollout across the country.

    A £1.5bn covid relief package during Covid that helped protect our cultural and creative industries.

    A highly successful Film and TV Production Restart Scheme that ensured the industry was able to keep making great new content despite the lack of commercial insurance to cover Covid risk

    And tax reliefs that have been a huge catalyst for growth for our creative industries.

    I have no doubt that we in Government can do more to support our creatives.

    But we cannot simply rely on the formula for that past success.

    We face increasing global competition and we cannot afford to be complacent.

    By turbocharging growth and investment in sectors like video games, visual effects, music, fashion, film and television and more, we can retain our status as a creative industries superpower for decades to come.

    In order to do that we need to maximise potential. So I am committing to:

    Growing the creative industries by an extra £50bn by 2030.

    Creating a million extra jobs – all over the country – by 2030.

    And delivering a Creative careers promise that builds a pipeline of talent into our creative industries. And I want to work with you to deliver it.

    And I know we can. Because we are fortunate to have a PM and Chancellor who have identified this sector as one of 5 priority sectors for Government.

    And who have shown their commitment by taking action to support the industry.

    At the Budget the Chancellor backed our theatres, museums, galleries, orchestras, film, High-end TV and video games sectors by extending and reforming tax reliefs that create jobs, drive growth and support talent.

    Over the next few months we will be identifying how we can go further.

    First – growing these sectors by promoting skills from primary school children to those returning to the workforce.

    Whether that is in music at school or extracurricular activities, and working with the creative sector on maximising the opportunities of bootcamps and apprenticeships.

    Secondly we want to harness talent in clusters across the UK and support cannot be at the expense of London or detract from those places that are already thriving.

    It needs to build on what we have already seen across the country. Whether that’s video games in Dundee and Leamington Spa, or TV in Birmingham and Leeds.

    And thirdly, targeting specific support at different sub sectors, to unlock growth across the UK.

    And now I would like to turn to opportunity. Particularly for young people.

    Because we need inspired, empowered and creative young people to drive these industries forward in the future

    And I want to ensure that young people, wherever they are, and whatever their backgrounds are, have the opportunity to realise their potential, to fulfil their dreams, and reach, like Yetta did for something better than the probable destiny of their background.

    Before taking up this role in DCMS I was responsible for youth justice and met many young people who had, unfortunately, gone down the wrong path.

    None of them intending or really wanting to.

    I remember meeting John, who had struggled at school, then dropped out of school, and then been sent to a young offenders institution.

    He said to me ‘I don’t understand why no-one realised I was struggling and needed help, why no-one noticed me’.

    Through a mentoring support scheme, after he came out of prison he got back on track.

    And he himself became a mentor for other young children.

    We already have the National Youth Guarantee but I plan to expand that offer and make youth central to how we do things, as a Department.

    We need to offer all young children inspiration, aspiration, fulfilling education, hope and support.

    And finally freedom.

    As the descendant of someone who had to flee persecution for freedom, I appreciate what it means to live in a free society, and how dangerous it is when those freedoms are threatened.

    Organisations in this room today play a vital role in protecting both our democracy and our freedoms.

    We often talk about freedom of the press, but the reality is that it’s you, the media, who are helping protect the freedom of others.

    You who live up to the words of George Orwell, inscribed by his statue outside BBC Broadcasting House that ‘If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.’

    I recognise this basic right is under threat across the world.

    The New York Times chairman told Unesco earlier this month that ‘All over the world, independent journalists and press freedoms are under attack.’

    And he was right.

    You only need to look at the Russian arrest of a Wall Street Journal journalist to see that.

    I know that the challenges to free, fair and truthful reporting are coming from so many quarters: from the potential misuse of AI to mis and disinformation.

    And that is without even mentioning the speed of the changing media landscape.

    Staying competitive in a rapidly changing environment is a challenge for everyone. Challenger companies like BuzzFeed and Vice that were once the new kids on the block, are facing uncertain futures.

    As a government we are taking steps to increase press freedoms and make sure journalists can do their jobs effectively.

    With measures like the protection of public service broadcasters and prominence in the draft media bill and our commitment to the repeal of section 40 or the protection of journalists in the online safety bill, we are actively guarding your ability to uphold the rights of others.

    If we want a thriving media sector in the future – our focus has to be on a free press and a press that is free to grow.

    I know that is a major focus of your discussions today – looking at what the future looks like for companies big and small.

    And through our draft Media Bill we are updating a decades old regulatory framework to level the playing field and help guarantee the long term future of those first class Public Service Broadcasters.

    While also giving a broadcaster like Channel 4 even greater freedoms to produce, own and sell outstanding British content across the globe.

    No Government has all the answers to all the challenges the media faces, but what I can promise you is that my approach will be guided by the following principles.

    Protect our public service broadcasters.

    Stand up for independent voices.

    And nurture a thriving media landscape which upholds and champions fearless truth telling.

    To finish, I want to end with a thought.

    Last Saturday I enjoyed seeing the amazing cultural programme organised by Liverpool as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest which showcased Ukrainian artists. And I also celebrated with 7,000 others in the Liverpool arena at the Grand Final.

    Creative excellence, TV production at its finest, world class BBC output.

    I was sitting next to the Ukrainian culture minister.

    As the show started Russia bombed Ukraine. He turned to me and said ‘it’s surreal.’ He looked around at the glitter, the spectacle and the sparkle. And said ‘I am here. And my wife is in a bomb shelter in Ukraine.’

    Here in the UK we are lucky to have it all. Potential. Opportunity. Freedom.

    And we must embrace it.

    Because as my grandmother would have said, ‘what’s a heaven for’?

  • Adam Heppinstall – 2023 Report into the Appointment of Richard Sharp

    Adam Heppinstall – 2023 Report into the Appointment of Richard Sharp

    The report written by Adam Heppinstall, published on 28 April 2023.

    Text of Report (in .pdf format)

  • Lucy Powell – 2023 Comments on the Resignation of Richard Sharp

    Lucy Powell – 2023 Comments on the Resignation of Richard Sharp

    The comments made by Lucy Powell, the Shadow Culture Secretary, on 28 April 2023.

    I have this morning received the report of the investigation into Richard Sharp which Labour instigated. The report is clear: Mr Sharp breached the rules expected of candidates by failing to disclose his involvement in a personal loan to the then PM.

    As a result, this breach has caused untold damage to the reputation of the BBC and seriously undermined its independence as a result of the Conservatives’ sleaze and cronyism.

    This comes after 13 years of the Tories doing everything they can to defend themselves and their mates. From Owen Patterson to Dominic Raab, and now Richard Sharp, instead of doing what’s best for the country the Prime Minister was more interested in defending his old banking boss. The Prime Minister should have sacked him weeks ago. Instead it took this investigation, called by Labour, to make him resign.

    Rishi Sunak should urgently establish a truly independent and robust process to replace Sharp to help restore the esteem of the BBC after his government has tarnished it so much.