The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons has published the Government’s response to its report on British film and high-end TV.

The report, which was published in April 2025, urged the Government to step up the assistance it provides for all elements of British film and high-end television. It also called for tax breaks and a streamer levy to be considered as a package of support for the UK’s quality drama sector.

Committee Chair Dame Caroline Dinenage will make a statement on the Government’s response July 3rd in the House, following Business Questions and the Health ministerial statement.

In its response, the Government said it welcomed the report, noting the significant time and commitment dedicated by the current Committee and its predecessor Committee in the last Parliament. “We fully support the fundamental tenets of the report: that our vibrant UK film and HETV industry makes a vital economic, social and cultural contribution to the UK, and that it requires active support to thrive,” it stated.

“The government’s commitment to this industry is absolute. We want the UK to be the best place in the world to make films and HETV, which is why film and TV has been identified as a priority for growth within our Creative Industries Sector Plan, which itself is a key component of the government’s Industrial Strategy. We have, with the Committee’s permission, delayed our response to the Committee’s report, so as to be able to incorporate key aspects of the Sector Plan into our response,” it noted.

“In short, we want a healthy, mixed film and TV landscape, where public service broadcasters provide an engine room of creativity; where a strong independent sector creates more UK IP, producing and distributing British content seen at home and around the world; and where major inward investment continues to inject money into the economy, create jobs and nurture our creative and technical skills excellence.”

Among the Committee’s recommendations was that all subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) platforms that operate in the UK pay a 5 per cent levy on their UK subscriber revenue into a cultural fund administered by the BFI to support domestic HETV production. “The industry should establish this fund on a voluntary basis; however, if it does not do so within 12 months, or if there is not full compliance, the Government should introduce a statutory levy,” it said.

The Government said it was committed to supporting and strengthening the domestic sector, and recognised the challenges this part of the sector, including UK producers, have experienced. “We want to see the sustained production of culturally relevant UK content, and to ensure the right conditions for domestic producers to benefit from the IP they have created. We want a healthy, mixed film and TV ecology and we welcome inward investment, including from SVoD services. One of the benefits of a mixed ecology is that producers can strike deals both with streamers, which typically involve higher upfront fees, and with PSBs, whose terms of trade mean that secondary rights normally remain with the producer. Investment from SVoD services contributes to the success of our domestic sector, from creating jobs to investing in the skills pipeline through training programmes such as Amazon’s Prime Video Pathway, direct investments such as Disney’s contribution to the new National Film and Television School expansion, and opportunities to learn on the job on some of the biggest productions in the world. This is not to mention the economic benefits, from Barbie contributing £80 million to the UK economy, to Bridgerton contributing £275 million to the UK economy and supporting 5,000 local businesses over the past five years.

“We are mindful, therefore, of the importance of enabling strong inward investment given the benefits it provides for our domestic industry and wider economy, and we have no plans to introduce a levy on SVoD services. In line with our objective to support a mixed ecology, we will however continue to engage with major SVoD services, with the independent production sector and with PSBs on how best to ensure mutually beneficial conditions for all parties,” it confirmed.

ScreenSkills CEO Laura Mansfield said the body welcomed the Government’s recognition of its five year strategy, and looks forward to continued collaboration

“The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting our talented film and high end-TV industry.,” she noted. “We now need to work with the Government to make sure this leads to growth and quality jobs across the sector.

“As an ambitious organisation we are committed to building upon our successes and confronting the challenges that face the industry right across the UK. The Government has recognised the work ScreenSkills already delivered under its new five year strategy Powering Skills, including the publication of Sizing Up: Workforce Composition and Capacity in the Screen Industries report in April.

“As the screen sector’s skills body, we are leading across the creative sector by way of the industry-approved Training Passport, now in its second phase. As the lead delivery partner for Discover! Creative Careers, we welcome plans to deliver a refreshed UK-wide £9 miillion creative career service.”

“We are proud to represent the industry, and we value the commitment and trust the industry has placed in us. Our HETV Skills Fund’s income increased from under £2 million from 90 productions in 2017 to a record £9.4 million in 2024/25 from 192 productions, and in 2024/25, our Film Skills Fund received its highest contribution to date, with just under £2 million being paid into the Fund from productions filmed in the UK. This highlights the support and shared vision we have with industry to support skills development,” she suggested.

“ScreenSkills is uniquely placed to identify, support and develop skills and training initiatives across the UK screen sector. In 2024/25, our programmes supported almost 30,000 people at every career stage – 67 per cent of them based outside London.”

“We have a vast wealth of resources to both support bodies such as Skills England as well as individuals across the sector. Our suite of industry-approved checklists includes 100-150 jobs in scripted and unscripted departments which have been co-developed and consulted with industry, unions, guilds etc.

ScreenSkills is responsible for developing, reviewing and maintaining 32 different suites of National Occupational Standards, each covering the skills, knowledge and tasks required within a separate department within film, TV, VFX, animation, post-production, games – or in cross-creative areas like theatre and heritage (where there is no longer an industry skills body able to take on this role).”

“We are committed to working in partnership to meet the sector’s skills challenges and ensure the UK continues to be one of the best places in the world to make film and television,” she confirmed. “This first year of our new strategy lays foundations for a future-ready workforce. Our ambition is to lead on skills, drive long-term impact, and ensure the industry has the talent it needs to thrive.”

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Tags: Culture Media and Sport Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, HETV, svod