Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw spent an hour answering questions on the challenges facing the creative industry, such as file sharing and paying for creative content, during a webchat.
At the end of October, business leaders from across the creative sector will come together at the Government’s first Creativity and Business International Network event - a high level forum designed to foster international dialogue about the creative economy. To find out more, visit www.cabinetforum.org
Read the transcript
Moderator says: Ben’s just arrived and we’ll be starting the webchat in the next few minutes.
Jackie Schneider: A recent poll showed 91% against children being influenced by product placement. Given that nearly 70% of the time children watch TV is out of childrens TV hours how do you plan to protect them? Will placement of junk food on popular shows undermine the work of change4life?
Ben replies: Hello
This is something we’ll need to take careful consideration of during the consultation which will begin shortly. There are already robust safeguards in place around children and harmful activity. It should be possible to devise a system with the necessary safeguards while allowing UK programme makers this valuable source of income their competitors already enjoy.
Steven Stone: It was recently commented that is easier to get a “multi-million pound movie made in hollywood then it is to get a small, cheap independant movie in the UK”. What is your response to this and is there any plans to change this?
Ben replies: The UK film industry is doing really well: ‘Slumdog Millionnaire’ won 9 Oscars and on Saturday night I went to see the brilliant British film ‘Fishtank’, part funded by the British Film Council and the BBC. Next week the London Film Festival opens with the UK film ‘The Fantastic Mr Fox’. Total UK spend last year reached £192 million, a 21% increase in one year. Part of British films success is down to the tax regime the Government introduced: 31% of cinema takings go to British films and 20% of tax relief goes on small budget films.
David L Gardner: The BBC is a great British and European champion for quality broadcasting, independent first class balanced online and on air news and for innovation and creativity. How will you ensure it has the stability, certainty and support to continue to thrive.
Ben replies: I agree. We want to see a strong, independent BBC continuing as the centre of our broadcasting landscape. We will not sacrifice the values of quality, impartiality and diversity on the altar of freemarket dogma. But as the BBC itself accepts it needs to change and adapt to the digital future.
David Roberts: If I wanted to share my record, film collection with a group of like minded people for a non profit motive. What is the problem ? So now you have to regulate what people can and can not let others share because Mandelson has been on holiday with some Media Execs. Please set your time machine for the 21st Century as you obviously in the wrong century.
Ben replies: David, maybe if you’d written or produced the song or made the film and were unable to create any value as a result of your efforts you might feel differently about it. British musicians lost £180million last year because of illegal file sharing. You are right that the industries need to find new and novel ways of charging for on-line content, but we can’t go on doing nothing to defend our creative individuals and businesses that make such an important contribution to our culture and economy.
Olav Bergo: What will your government do, to ensure the continued financial basis for local news reporting, when local and regional newspapers struggle to survive?
Ben replies: We have changed the guidance to make it easier for local newspapers to merge. We are also looking at what more we can do about the impact on local papers caused by local authority free newspapers. A number of regional newspaper groups have expressed a strong interest in bidding to run one of the new regional news franchises on ITV, which will given them an opportunity to broaden their digital platform and enter fruitful partnerships with existing or new broadcasters. That should help revitalise quality news and current affairs in the regions.
Helen Warwick: Musicals are very important for the creative industries and tourism and they need radio microphones. Does Mr Bradshaw know about Ofcom’s plans to sell the frequencies and what is he doing about the implications for radio microphones and theatre?
Ben replies: This is because Europe has agreed a common spectrum plan to use this frequency for next generation mobile broadband. That is good for British and European industry because it creates a big market but we recognise the potential impact on theatre and community microphones and we are supportive of OFCOM’s proposals to find a new band where people can carry on using those microphones and to compensate current users whose equipment will no longer be usable on the new band.
sangeeta: Can you tell me a bit about digital Britain?
Ben replies: Digital Britain is the major policy document the Government published in June about how Britain can make the most of the digital revolution. It covers a whole host of areas including broadcasting, broadband networks, training, investment, regulation, and making government more accessible to people online. The best way of finding out more is to take a look at the Digital Britain Report.
Marie: Primary school children are being given fewer and fewer opportunities to develop their creative skills and passion for arts due to examination pressure. With them being at an age where they are so easily influenced, surely this will affect the future of our creative industries… what can be done about this?
Ben replies: We are absolutely committed to giving children the opportunity to discover their creative potential. Just as we’ve increased the amount of quality sport in school to 2 hours a week and will extend it further to 5 hours by 2012 we want to do the same for cultural and artistic activity. We are currently running 10 pilots around the country to do this under the label (find your talent). This follows on from the incredibly successful Creative Partnership Scheme. We are also doing more than ever to invest in grass roots community cultural artistic and musical opportunities because we recognise the potential of this to transform people’s lives. You will be seeing a big increase in this in the run up to the Olympics as we are determined to ensure that the Games leave a cultural as well as a sporting legacy.
Alice Ross: Dear Mr Bradshaw, What does the government plan to do to help this year’s creative graduates find work and continue developing their skills? Also, what grants and funds will the government be making available to creative industries in the next few months? And finally, does the government believe that the recession has cost the UK its preeminence on the world design stage? What steps is the government taking to keep the UK at the top of the world design scene? Thanks in advance. Alice Ross Digital Arts .
Ben replies: Britain’s creative economy has continued to grow in spite of the global downturn. More people than ever are attending films, concerts, festivals, museums and theatres than ever before - a great vote of confidence in Britain’s cultural scene. As part of the Government’s drive to minimise unemployment and provide maximum opportunities to young people the creative and cultural sectors are providing 10,000 new jobs, training places or apprenticeships. More information can be found on the Building Britain’s Future website.
Rich Sutcliffe: Given the number of policy changes that have taken place since Stephen Carter delivered Digital Britain, is it fair to say the whole thing was a waste of time and money?
Ben replies: What changes? The only change was to a detail in the consultation on illegal file sharing.
Toni Harrison: Given the importance of the creative industries in terms of GDP and job creation, will more support be given to business incubation for this sector to support and develop the job and wealth creating firms of the future?
Ben replies: Building Britain’s Future, the Government’s major industrial strategy published this summer made clear that the digital and creative sectors would have priority for future investment and incentives. We are also holding later this month a major conference for the digital and creative industry - c&binet - to examine what more we and the creative industries can do to nurture and grow our creative economy. Learn more about c&binet at www.cabinetforum.org
Gareth Abbit: Tracey Emin has threatened to leave the UK over the 50p tax. She also said that France appreciates the arts more. Regardles of her political allegiances, does she have a point about France respecting “culture” more than UK?
Ben replies: Britain’s cultural, arts and creative scene is much more vibrant and successful than France’s.
Anna Winston: Architecture has been one of the worst hit industries in the country during this recession - if public funding is cut, what extra support will there be for the practices who depend on public projects?
Ben replies: The economic stimulus and the Government’s continued capital programme has been a vital lifeline to our architectural sector during the downturn. Britain’s architects lead the world in their design and business acumen. I am hoping shortly to be at the opening of David Chipperfield’s restored New Museum in Berlin as part of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Wall celebrations. Thanks for the questions - sorry we haven’t managed to squeeze you all in.
Moderator says: Thank you to everyone for taking part. Look out for more details of our forthcoming webchat with Hilary Benn later this month.
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