This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.

HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).

HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.

DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.

On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.

HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).

HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.

DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.

On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.

HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).

HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.

DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.

On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.

HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).

HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.

DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.

On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.

HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).

HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.

DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.

On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

The Government is committed to ensuring that all children have access to arts and cultural attractions across the UK. That is why it encouraged Arts Council England to ensure that the public money it disburses is spread more equitably across the country, and why we are pleased to see a record number of cultural organisations receiving funding in more parts of the country than ever before, helping to bring world-class arts and culture closer to everyone.

Arts Council England funding supports a range of projects, programmes, and organisations which specialise in widening opportunities for young people, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The most recent annual survey of Arts Council national portfolio organisations showed that 509 organisations (61%) delivered specific activity for people with disabilities, with 71 reporting that this was a major focus of their work. 309 organisations in the portfolio delivered workshops or educational sessions for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

David Stanley is the Government’s Arts and Culture Disability and Access Ambassador. As founder and chief executive of the multi award-winning music education charity The Music Man Project, David is widely known for his experience and commitment to supporting people with special educational needs to access and participate in the arts. The Department is working closely with David to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, including children with special educational needs.

Arts Councils across the UK are also working with the British Film Institute to launch a free, UK-wide arts access scheme by early 2024. This scheme will operate across all arts and cultural venues, for seamless, barrier-free booking that is responsive to individual circumstances and needs.

Our work with the Department for Education on a new Cultural Education Plan, as committed to in the Schools White Paper, will build further on this important work.

At the current time, other European countries believe there will be enough capacity within the 470-694MHz band to meet the requirements of the Programme Making & Special Events industry so, other than the UK, there are currently no plans in other countries to allocate alternative spectrum for PMSE.

Analysis has shown that enough spectrum has been made available for PMSE to meet all demand. It is, therefore, up to industry to decide how they work within the constraints of the allocated spectrum and to plan their events accordingly.

DCMS has not made any formal assessment but has noted the analysis published by Ofcom in May 2014, and that since May 2014 additional spectrum has been made available for audio PMSE in the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz duplex gaps, for which equipment is already available.

Ofcom is working with manufacturers to encourage development of PMSE audio equipment for use in the 960-1164 MHz band.

The Government has heard Ofcom’s reasons for allocating the 960-1164 MHz band for PMSE rather than the 1525-1559 MHz band, as set out in Ofcom’s decision published on 10 March 2016. Ofcom’s assessment shows that the 960-1164 MHz band offers a better option for sharing spectrum as well as more long-term stability to PMSE users than the 1525-1559 MHz band.

Ofcom provides monthly updates to DCMS on its work to encourage development of equipment for use in the 960-1164 MHz band. DCMS and Ofcom are also holding meetings with PMSE representatives and equipment manufacturers.

DCMS has not made any formal assessment beyond noting Ofcom’s published analysis.

Ofcom has been very active in making representations to other administrations and regulators about the opportunities for utilising the 960-1164 MHz band. Ofcom has shared its analysis with the European Commission and the Conference of European Post and Telecommunications (CEPT) as well as making direct contact with spectrum regulators in France, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden.

DCMS has not made representations.

Ofcom has been very active in making representations to other administrations and regulators about the opportunities for utilising the 960-1164 MHz band. Ofcom has shared its analysis with the European Commission and the Conference of European Post and Telecommunications (CEPT) as well as making direct contact with spectrum regulators in France, Germany, Greece, The Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden.

A large number of arts and cultural organisations funded by Arts Council England work to ensure that all children get the opportunity to visit, experience and participate in arts and cultural activities. In 2012 –15, 65% of National Portfolio Organisations offered work for, by or with children and young people. During 2015-18 this number will increase to 82%.

In addition to this, the Arts Council provide £10 million a year to fund a network of Bridge organisations and recently launched the Cultural Education Challenge. Both of these initiatives aim to link up the cultural and education sectors, to give children and young people access to great arts and cultural opportunities.