Written question asked by Seema Malhotra (Labour) on Thursday, 9 January 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 January 2020 (named day). It was answered by Nigel Adams (Conservative) on Tuesday, 14 January 2020 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Actors: Women

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with British TV and film production companies on increasing the number of female actresses in lead roles in television and film.

Answer: The Secretary of State regularly meets with film and television representatives from a range of backgrounds as part of her role. However, due to the confidential nature of many of these meetings, we are unable to give details of such engagements. Increasing screen diversity is a priority for government, and we continue to work with our arm’s length body the British Film Institute (BFI) to improve representation both on and off screen, including through supporting the wider adoption of their world-leading Diversity Standards.

Secondary information