Written question asked by Eric Forth (Conservative) on Monday, 23 January 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 25 January 2006. It was answered by James Purnell (Labour) on Monday, 30 January 2006 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Film Council

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria the UK Film Council uses to determine eligibility for financial assistance to film-makers.

Answer: The UK Film Council provides financial assistance to film projects to help deliver a consistent flow of high quality and culturally significant films. All film projects are selected according to an assessment of their cultural and creative merits. Funding will generally be given only to projects that are wholly or substantially capable of certification as a ‘British' film. However, the UK Film Council is able to exercise discretion and may still elect to finance a film if there are other strong cultural reasons for doing so. Full details of the eligibility criteria for individual funding schemes are available on the UK Film Council website at www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk

Secondary information