Thangam Debbonaire – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 8 of the Culture White Paper, published in March 2016, when his Department will require funded bodies in the arts and culture sectors to publish their strategies for increasing diversity.

Mr Edward Vaizey

Government believes that diversity is essential to the success of the cultural sectors. Arts Council England (ACE), as a funded body of the DCMS, published their Equality Action Plan in the summer of 2015. They also publish equality data annually. All National Portfolio Organisations and Major Partner Museums have submitted equality action plans to the Arts Council.

In addition, ACE launched their Creative Case for Diversity that requires National Portfolio Organisations to evidence how they contribute to diversity. This information will be used to assign a performance rating. Management agreements for other funded bodies are being renegotiated presently and will take into account the Government’s aspiration on diversity.