I was in the House of Commons for Culture, Media and Sport Questions on today to ask Secretary of State Karen Bradley whether the Government agreed that the UK’s creative industries are best served by investment in local talent pools rather than EU funding or other channels of foreign investment.
This followed a recent visit that I made to Belfast with the Culture, Media and Sport select Committee to investigate the impact of Brexit on the UK’s creative industries. On the visit, Committee Members were given a tour of the Game of Thrones set, and I said in my question that “EU funding was neither mentioned as an enabler or an inhibitor of TV production”, and it was actually access to strong local talent pools that was seen as the key to success. The Secretary of State wholeheartedly agreed that investment in British talent was essential.
I am reassured that the Government is committed to investing in British talent for British creative projects. I saw for myself the success that this creates in Northern Ireland and it is encouraging to hear that the Secretary of State recognises this. When we leave the European Union we will be less able to rely on its funding in the creative sector, which adds impetus to the Government’s push to broaden and strengthen British talent pools. I look forward to enjoying for myself the great British television, film, theatre, music and art that such investment will help to flourish.