Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UK-India Cultural Co-operation Agreement

Thursday 22 May 2025 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The programme of cultural co-operation between the UK and India is expected to create skilled jobs and opportunities for young people across both nations.
  • The agreement is designed to reach a market of over 1.4 billion people in India, creating significant opportunities for the UK's cultural sectors.
  • The Minister dismissed rumours about the future of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, stating that the department and its associated Select Committee will remain intact.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Deirdre Costigan Lab Ealing Southall
Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

The UK and India have signed a cultural co-operation agreement to enhance collaboration in various cultural sectors. This includes the film industry, which has historical ties with Ealing Southall.

Question

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cultural co-operation agreement between the UK and India on economic growth in the UK? The Liberty cinema in my constituency of Ealing Southall was the first cinema to regularly show Bollywood films, and Southall has been a backdrop for many Bollywood movies. I welcome this agreement but what more can the Government do to encourage cultural partnerships?

Answer from The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism (Chris Bryant)

The programme of cultural co-operation creates significant opportunities for the UK’s cultural sectors to reach a market of over 1.4 billion people in India. We expect this agreement to create skilled jobs and opportunities for young people from Southall to Kolkata over the next five years.

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Q2 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Rumors are circulating that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport may be dissolved. This would have a significant impact on the UK's cultural and creative industries.

Question

While the Secretary of State is AWOL today, rumours abound that the whole Department for Culture, Media and Sport is for the chop. The Minister must see that this sends a terrible message to those sectors about how little their Government value the power of those industries. Will he take this opportunity to put that rumour to bed?

Answer from The Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism (Chris Bryant)

If we were to get rid of the Department, one of the worst consequences would be our having to get rid of the Select Committee as well. Secondly, I am not going to put this rumour to bed—I am going to bury it. I am absolutely certain that in a year’s time we will be able to sing, in the words of Stephen Sondheim from the musical “Follies”, “I’m still here”.

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