Media and Creative Industries: Funding
Thursday, 12 November 2026
Contributions
Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)Conservative
2. If she will ensure that place-based funding for media and creative industries in the regions does not negatively impact London’s media sector.
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)Labour
Lifting the full potential of our city regions and clusters across the UK is a core objective not just of our modern industrial strategy, but of our plan for growth in every postcode. Place-based funding is helping to ensure that our city regions and high-potential clusters are able to unlock more growth, create more good jobs and continue producing world-class creative content. London is a global creative industries super-cluster, and we are committed to supporting its continued success as one of the 12 priority super-clusters identified in the creative industries sector plan.
My constituent Simon has built a media company in the heart of our creative sector in London, but at a recent surgery he told me that the Culture Secretary’s regional funding drive is destroying the creative industry in London and the south-east. Simon and his business partner employ 25 people, and they pay rent, business rates and service charges on top of their wage bill. We should be supporting this industry, not stripping it. What is the Minister doing to support the creative industries in the south of England?
I congratulate Simon on setting up his business. It is true that 67% of all creative industries activity happens in London alone, and an extra 18% in the south-east. The region is a super-cluster, and this Government are doing all we can to ensure that we support the industry right across the United Kingdom. The BBC has built hubs across the country, including in Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, and they provide the ecosystem that allows companies to thrive. London will remain one of our super-clusters, and the funding that we are putting into the creative industries goes right across the country.
Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)Labour
To get growth in every postcode, surely we must junk the Tories’ crude anti-London formula that saw the whole of the capital disadvantaged, including Ealing Studios—the home of comedy—and Acton’s Versa Studios, where “Big Brother” is made. Can Ministers start the rebalancing by introducing an unscripted tax credit? It has worked wonders in Ireland, where it is at 20%.
I do not know whether that was a question to me or a challenge to the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford), who asked the original question. The Government are fully committed to funding the creative industries wherever they are across the country. The Prime Minister has challenged all of us in the Government to create growth in every postcode, but in order to do so we need creativity in every postcode, because we know that there is talent everywhere, but not opportunity.
Source: UK Parliament Hansard API. Debate ID: 5436628.