The new Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMSC) is to continue the work of the previous one in attempting to revamp British film and high-end TV via what it has described as a “sequel” to the previous inquiry.
The previous inquiry was responsible for pushing for the new 40% indie film tax relief along with tax relief for VFX, the latter of which the Labour government rubberstamped in yesterday’s budget and brought forward by three months.
While the newly-assembled CMSC didn’t have to carry on this work under a new government, the committee has the same chair in Caroline Dinenage and she confirmed today that work will continue under the new committee, which features a new set of lawmakers, mostly from the ruling Labour Party.
“The predecessor committee’s work in the last Parliament featured some blockbuster successes, securing tax incentives from the Treasury to support independent film and visual effects and raising awareness of the huge importance of the industry to the UK’s economy and culture,” said Dinenage. “While the general election left a real cliffhanger for the sector, I’m delighted it is now lights, camera, action once again.”
The previous inquiry called forward experts including Bend it Like Beckham auteur Gurdina Chadha, Slow Horses director James Hawes and the bosses of BBC Film and Film4. More on who will feature in front of the new committee is incoming.
Yesterday’s budget threw bones to the film and TV industry in the shape of the rubberstamped VFX relief, additional funding for the BBC World Service and a £25M ($32M) cash injection for Fulwell 73’s new studio in the north east.