Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK Film and Television Industry

Thursday 6 January 2022 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government's actions have helped the UK film and TV industry recover from the pandemic, supporting over 88,000 jobs through a 500 million production restart scheme.
  • The Minister assured that specific regard is being given to small and medium-sized businesses in constituencies across the north of England who rely on Channel 4 for their first entry into network television.
  • The current BBC licence fee funding model is fixed until 2027, but all options are being considered during the review period before the next charter period.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mark Eastwood
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The question arises from the need to ensure that the UK's film and TV industry continues to thrive post-pandemic, building on existing recovery efforts.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to help support the UK film and television industry. I am concerned about the viability of current funding models and their ability to sustain the industry in today's modern society.

Answer from Julia Lopez

The Government's actions helped the film and TV industry bounce back from the pandemic, with production now stronger than ever. Our support includes the £500 million production restart scheme, supporting over 88,000 jobs, and the cultural recovery fund, supporting over 200 independent cinemas. We have also built on the UK global screen fund. The current licence fee funding model is fixed for the rest of the charter, until 2027, but we will be reviewing the model well in advance of the next charter period.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments or timelines regarding alternative funding models were not provided.

How: No Decision Has Yet Been Taken

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Q2 Andy Carter
Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

The question follows a discussion on the impact of potential changes to Channel 4, with concerns about how this might affect smaller businesses that rely on it.

Question

Could I take the Minister back to the point raised earlier about Channel 4? Can she reassure me that specific regard is being given to the small and medium-sized businesses in my constituency and across the north of England who rely on Channel 4 for their first entry into network television commissions? What steps is she taking to ensure they are not disadvantaged?

Answer from Julia Lopez

I would like to provide him with those reassurances. That is very much on my mind, and that of the Secretary of State, as we look at this issue. I read with interest my hon. Friend's piece in The Times on Channel 4 and levelling up, and the contribution that the broadcaster makes in that regard. In so far as we are minded to sell—no decision has yet been taken—it would be done in order to secure the future of the broadcaster and looking at the wider sector.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific measures or reassurances were provided for small businesses reliant on Channel 4.

How: No Decision Has Yet Been Taken

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Q3 Mark Eastwood
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Concerns about the sustainability and relevance of the current funding model for the BBC in light of the availability of numerous commercial and subscription channels.

Question

I appreciate the support given to our TV industry. However, a big question remains on the viability of the BBC licence fee in today's modern society. With hundreds of commercial and subscription channels currently available, I urge the Minister to look at the possibility of phasing out this outdated payment model and to consider other options for the BBC to be able to fund itself.

Answer from Julia Lopez

The current licence fee funding model is fixed for the rest of the charter, until 2027, but we will be reviewing the model well in advance of the next charter period. We are considering all options.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No concrete steps or timeline were provided for changing the funding model.

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