Select Committee · Culture, Media and Sport Committee

British film and high-end television 2

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 15 Jul 2025 36 recommendations 32 conclusions 1 report

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is to continue work from the last Parliament examining the challenges faced by the British film and high-end television industry and how the sector and its workforce can be better supported. Previous Committee inquiry: British film & high-end tv The new inquiry will build on the successes of the …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
First Report - British film and high-end television HC 328 10 Apr 2025 68 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

11 items
33 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Government must ensure the Growth and Skills Levy fully benefits film and HETV sectors.

We welcome the Government’s plans for a Growth and Skills Levy that meets the needs of the film and HETV sectors, and wider creative industries. The rollout of shorter apprenticeships is welcome, but the Government must now go further to ensure the industry maximises its use of levy funds and …

Government response. The government committed to scaling up the UK Global Screen Fund from £7 million to £18 million per year as part of a new £75 million Screen Growth Package. However, this action relates to a different fund and did not …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
49 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Independent cinemas require ongoing organisational and capital funding for their vital cultural roles

Independent cinemas need and deserve organisational and capital funding to continue to perform their vital cultural roles in the heart of communities. Without it, there is a risk that the Culture Recovery Fund’s investment in independent cinemas will have been for nothing. However, supporting this part of the sector should …

Government response. The government states it is actively considering the recommendation and highlights that broader programmes like the Plan for Neighbourhoods offer £1.5 billion to towns, which *could* be used to support local cultural offerings, including cinemas.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
50 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Fund BFI proposals to deliver core and capital funding for independent cinemas

The Government should fund the BFI’s proposals to deliver core funding, similar to Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation model, for independent cinemas. This should include a capital funding pot to upgrade cinemas’ infrastructure and improve their energy efficiency. (Recommendation, Paragraph 178) 107 Impact of Artificial Intelligence

Government response. The government states it is actively considering the recommendation to fund BFI proposals for core funding for independent cinemas. It also highlights broader government programs like the Plan for Neighbourhoods that could potentially support cultural offerings, including local cinemas.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
54 Conclusion First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Opt-out data mining regime risks UK’s creative industries and copyright reputation

Getting the balance between AI development and copyright wrong will undermine the growth of our film and HETV sectors, and wider creative industries. Proceeding with an ‘opt-out’ regime stands to damage the UK’s reputation among inward investors for our previously gold-standard copyright and IP framework. (Conclusion, Paragraph 193)

Government response. The government is considering 11,500 consultation responses and will provide an economic impact assessment and a report on copyright and AI training within nine months of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Royal Assent, establishing working groups and a …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
55 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Require AI developers to license copyrighted works before training AI models

The Government should abandon its preference for a data mining exception for AI training with rights reservation model, and instead require AI developers to license any copyrighted works before using them to train their AI models. (Recommendation, Paragraph 194)

Government response. The government is considering 11,500 consultation responses and will provide an economic impact assessment and a report on copyright and AI training within nine months of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Royal Assent, establishing working groups and a …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
58 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Legislate to prevent historical contract waivers from allowing AI use of recorded performances

The Government should legislate to prevent historical contract waivers from being interpreted to allow the use of recorded performances by AI tools. (Recommendation, Paragraph 207)

Government response. The government states it keeps legal frameworks under review and has committed to a report on copyright and AI training, but cannot commit to specific legislative action now as it is undertaking further analysis on ratifying the Beijing Treaty.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
59 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Conduct a review of copyright and GDPR to prevent unlicensed data use for AI.

Within the next six months the Government should also conduct a review of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the UK’s GDPR framework to consider whether further legislation is needed to prevent unlicensed use of data for AI purposes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 208)

Government response. The government states it keeps legal frameworks under review, has committed to publishing a report on copyright and AI training within nine months of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Royal Assent, and is undertaking further analysis on the …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
60 Conclusion First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Implement the Beijing Treaty, extending moral rights to audiovisual performances, within six months.

We repeat our predecessor Committee’s calls for the Government to implement the Beijing Treaty within the next six months, including extending unwaivable moral rights to audiovisual performances. (Recommendation, Paragraph 209) The work of the BFI

Government response. The government is undertaking further analysis on ratifying the Beijing Treaty and will announce its intended approach when complete, but cannot commit to implementing it or taking legislative action within the six-month timeframe.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
62 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Ensure screen sector tax incentive changes increase BFI Certification Unit grant-in-aid settlement.

At each Spending Review, the Government should ensure any recent or upcoming changes to the screen sector’s tax incentives, including but not limited to the addition of new forms of expenditure credit, are reflected in a commensurate increase in the grant-in-aid settlement for the BFI’s Certification Unit. (Recommendation, Paragraph 217)

Government response. The government's response broadly committed to supporting the domestic screen sector, including through public service media and business rates reform. However, it did not address the specific recommendation to link changes in screen sector tax incentives to a commensurate increase …
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
67 Conclusion First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Develop a degree-level apprenticeship standard for film preservation and provide dedicated funding.

The Government, in collaboration with the screen heritage sector and education providers, should develop a degree-level apprenticeship standard for film preservation and presentation within the next 24 months. To enable education institutions to deliver apprenticeships with small student cohorts, the Growth and Skills Levy should provide dedicated funding to make …

Government response. The government redirected the recommendation, stating that apprenticeship standards are developed by employer-led trailblazer groups and Skills England would consider any new proposals, while the BFI would work with industry on such proposals.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
68 Recommendation First Report - British film and high-en… Deferred

Create a National Screen Heritage Strategy with BFI covering funding, skills and infrastructure.

Within the next 12 months, the Government should work with the BFI and wider screen heritage sector to create a National Screen Heritage Strategy, including in the areas of funding, skills and infrastructure. The strategy should be reviewed and renewed periodically, to maintain focus on the needs and resilience of …

Government response. The government deferred the recommendation, stating it will consider it with the BFI but cannot commit to undertaking the project without a resource assessment, also suggesting the BFI is better placed to lead.
Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
28 Jan 2025 Alastair Jones · Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Ben Roberts · British Film Institute (BFI), Jay Hunt OBE · British Film Institute (BFI), Sir Chris Bryant MP · Department for Culture, Media and Sport View ↗
7 Jan 2025 Jane Featherstone · Sister View ↗
11 Dec 2024 Benjamin Field · Deep Fusion Films, Dr Mathilde Pavis, Ed Newton-Rex · Fairly Trained, Liam Budd · Equity, Martin Adams · Metaphysic, Nick Lynes · Flawless View ↗

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
24 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from Mitchell Simmons, Vice-President, Public Policy and Government Affa…
24 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from Benjamin King, Senior Director of Public Policy, UK and Ireland, Ne…
24 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from Monica Ariño, Director of Public Policy, Amazon, regarding on skill…
24 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from Gidon Freeman, Senior Vice-President, Government and Regulatory Aff…
24 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair, Culture, Media and Sport Committe…
31 Oct 2024 To cttee Letter from Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Spo…