Select committee: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Conclusion 41
First Report - British film and high-end television
Published 10 Apr 2025
Addressed to Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee British film and high-end television 2 All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We repeat our predecessor Committee’s call for the Government to appoint a Freelancers’ Commissioner, with appropriate powers and cross- departmental oversight. The Freelancers’ Commissioner should work with the film and HETV industry to develop a framework for addressing pay precarity, hours, working conditions and behaviours that is published within 12 months of their appointment. (Recommendation, Paragraph 142)
From: Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, First Report - British film and high-end television (HC 328), 10 April 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 3 July 2025 (deadline 10 July 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "fully support[s] the fundamental tenets of the report" and sets out responses to each recommendation, agreeing with some, declining others and keeping several under consideration.
- On the UK Global Screen Fund the government says "We agree" and has committed, within a new £75 million Screen Growth Package (2026–2029), to scaling it up from £7 million to £18 million per year.
- It does not plan a specific review of the Enterprise Investment Scheme changes, has "no plans to introduce a levy on SVoD services", and does not plan to rejoin Creative Europe.
- On freelancers, DCMS "will appoint a creative freelance champion", with a champion appointed in 2025, rather than a commissioner, which it says would take longer to implement.
- On AI and copyright, the government is "keeping an open mind" and will set out an economic impact assessment and a report within nine months of Royal Assent of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.