Recommendations & Conclusions
16 items
6
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The UK Global Screen Fund delivers excellent value for money, but is insufficient in level and scope to provide the support that our independent film sector requires. (Conclusion, Paragraph 32) 100
Government response. The government agrees the UK Global Screen Fund is insufficient and has committed to scaling it up from £7 million to £18 million per year as part of a new £75 million Screen Growth Package (2026–2029).
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
7
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The Government should increase the budget for the UK Global Screen Fund in line with the BFI’s Spending Review bid to provide certainty and maximise the potential return on investment. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33)
Government response. The government agrees and has committed to increasing the UK Global Screen Fund budget from £7 million to £18 million per year as part of its new £75 million Screen Growth Package (2026–2029).
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
10
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
Culturally British domestic HETV is vital to the UK’s identity, national conversations and talent pipeline, but it is under threat. Without urgent intervention, history will repeat itself and the problems that have been seen in independent film will extend to our once vibrant domestic television sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 47)
Government response. The government fully supports the report's premise about the vital contribution of UK film and HETV, acknowledging the need for active support and outlining existing competitive tax incentives, business rates relief, and new measures from its Creative Industries Sector Plan.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
18
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The Government is right to commit to maintaining the competitiveness of the UK’s tax incentives, and changes must be balanced with stability. Yet the production sector is much more agile than Government, and the time it took to reform expenditure credits for VFX shows that policymaking and implementation needs to …
Government response. The government states it has already shown commitment to keeping AVEC competitive by providing additional support for independent films and introducing a 5% uplift for VFX costs from April 2025, and will continue to work with stakeholders.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
22
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
In delivering its promised reform of business rates, the Government should prioritise growth sectors such as film and HETV and ensure reforms support, rather than undermine, investment in them. (Recommendation, Paragraph 81)
Government response. The government has accepted the recommendation, stating it is transforming business rates in co-design with creative sectors and has already introduced a 40% reduction for film studios until 2034. It will publish an interim report on business rates reform this …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
29
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
We are not convinced ScreenSkills is up to the challenge of delivering meaningful action on skills and training. It has been slow to grasp the urgency of the situation, to identify its priorities and performance indicators and ultimately to tackle the root causes with confidence and authority. (Conclusion, Paragraph 107)
Government response. The government agrees public funding for ScreenSkills must be linked to effective delivery, stating that current grant funding for the Creative Careers Programme is already tied to specific outcomes and ScreenSkills is delivering new work under its five-year strategy.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
30
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
We recommend that the Government link any future public funding for ScreenSkills to specific, measurable outcomes based on it publishing and meeting ambitious and robust performance indicators. (Recommendation, Paragraph 108)
Government response. The government agrees that public funding for ScreenSkills should be linked to effective delivery and notes that 2025/26 grant funding for the Creative Careers Programme is already tied to specific, measurable outcomes.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
35
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
Skills will be vital to the ability of the film and HETV sectors to contribute to the Government’s industrial strategy, but the Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not have enough of a stake in driving the skills agenda across Government. It is relying on the goodwill of the …
Government response. The government commits to refining the Growth and Skills offer with industry, introducing shorter and flexi-job apprenticeships from August 2025, and launching new short courses from April 2026 to address specific skills needs in the creative industries. It is also …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
36
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The range of roles required to make film and HETV means entire cohorts of sixth-form students could find jobs in the industry that fit their skills and interests, and building awareness of career opportunities is essential to attracting new talent into the industry. However, there remains a clear need to …
Government response. The government agrees on the need to convince young people about viable careers in film and HETV, highlighting existing initiatives like the Creative Careers Programme, an upcoming £3 million creative careers service from 2026, and the scaling up of the …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
37
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The Government and BFI should launch a national awareness campaign highlighting the employment opportunities offered by film and HETV, and the range of skills the industry requires. (Recommendation, Paragraph 127)
Government response. The government commits to a communications campaign as part of the Creative Careers Programme, launching a refreshed £3 million per year creative careers service from 2026, and scaling up the BFI Film Academy to promote employment opportunities in film and …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
40
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
The film and HETV industry will continue to lose workers if it does not address systemic issues with working conditions, and the Government should hold it accountable for doing so. The prioritisation of the predominantly freelance creative industries in the industrial strategy, and the Government’s wider commitment to employment rights, …
Government response. The government accepts the need for a dedicated freelance voice and will appoint a creative freelance champion within DCMS by 2025 to advocate for the sector. It also highlights broader measures to strengthen rights and protections for the self-employed.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
42
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
It is in the film and HETV industry’s interests to tackle bullying and harassment through effective self-regulation. Yet for the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA) to operate effectively, the industry must see supporting it financially and ideologically to be a fundamental part of operating in the UK. That has …
Government response. The government states the Secretary of State has unequivocally supported CIISA and reserves the right to intervene if the industry does not provide forthcoming support, thereby sending a strong message to compel industry backing.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
45
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
We recommend that the BFI significantly increase the number of funded short film schemes in the nations and regions. This could be rapidly delivered though BFI Skills Clusters by targeting funding to schemes giving the next generation of filmmakers the chance to develop their skills and professional reputations. (Recommendation, Paragraph …
Government response. The government welcomes the recommendation and highlights the BFI's existing NETWORK programme, which supports early career filmmakers across the UK. It states the BFI regularly reviews its offer and will continue to champion new filmmakers, but does not commit to …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
51
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
Industry guidelines based around protecting human creativity in the use of generative AI are welcome, but the film and TV sectors are calling out for help to embrace the growth potential of generative AI in a way that is fair, responsible and legally compliant. (Conclusion, Paragraph 185)
Government response. The government commits to appointing an AI Sector Champion and is considering the case for regulation on labelling generative AI outputs, having recently held a Copyright and AI consultation, to help the sector embrace AI fairly and responsibly.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
52
Recommendation
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
At the Spending Review, the Government should fund the BFI’s development of an AI observatory and tech demonstrator hub to enable it to provide effective leadership around the industry’s use of AI. (Recommendation, Paragraph 186)
Government response. The government is investing £25 million in five new CoSTAR research and development labs and two showcase spaces, which will include a tech demonstrator and other capabilities, and will work with the BFI to deliver this proposition.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
61
Conclusion
First Report - British film and high-en…
Accepted
Too often the BFI’s responsibilities have been expanded by the Government without a commensurate, long-term increase in the grant-in-aid support available to it. That has put the UK’s reputation with inward investors at risk and could undermine the growth of the vital sectors under its remit. (Conclusion, Paragraph 216)
Government response. The government has provided a £1 million increase in the BFI’s Grant-in-Aid for 2024/25 and 2025/26, committing to continue this funding into the next Spending Review period (2026–2029) to provide stability for the Certification Unit.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport