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1352527

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what dates (a) he and (b) officials across Government have had discussions and meetings with (i) global media companies, (ii) UK broadcasters and (iii) financial institutions on the possibility of their purchasing Channel 4.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41830
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government is consulting on whether an alternative ownership model for Channel 4 (but one where it retains a public service remit) may be better for the broadcaster, and better for the country.</p><p>We want Channel 4 to continue to be a public service broadcaster, and we want it to continue to contribute socially, economically and culturally to life across the UK. But all linear TV broadcasters are facing significant challenges in today’s changing media landscape and Channel 4 is uniquely constrained in its ability to meet these challenges while it remains under public ownership - particularly because its access to capital and ability to pursue strategic partnership opportunities is limited.</p><p>Moving Channel 4 into private ownership could allow it to access new capital, take advantage of international opportunities, and create strategic partnerships only available through the private sector.</p><p>Consulting on the broadcaster’s future is therefore about ensuring that Channel 4 can continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting for years to come, and how we ensure its ownership model best supports this aim.</p><p>The Government has not decided whether to sell Channel 4, or how Channel 4 may be sold. Ministers and DCMS officials are meeting with a broad range of stakeholders to discuss our ongoing consultation. Their views and evidence will inform our policy-making and a final decision.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 13/09/2021 16:15:35 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352528

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of delivering the Government’s objectives for Channel 4 by increasing the broadcaster's investment and commissioning more content under the corporation’s current ownership model.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41831
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government is consulting on whether an alternative ownership model for Channel 4 (but one where it retains a public service remit) may be better for the broadcaster, and better for the country.</p><p>We want Channel 4 to continue to be a public service broadcaster, and we want it to and continue to contribute socially, economically and culturally to life across the UK. But all linear TV broadcasters are facing significant challenges in today’s changing media landscape and Channel 4 is uniquely constrained in its ability to meet these challenges while it remains under public ownership - particularly because its access to capital and ability to pursue strategic partnership opportunities is limited.</p><p>Moving Channel 4 into private ownership could allow it to access new capital, take advantage of international opportunities, and create strategic partnerships only available through the private sector.</p><p>Consulting on the broadcaster’s future is therefore about ensuring that Channel 4 can continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting for years to come, and how we ensure its ownership model best supports this aim.</p><p>No decisions have been made yet - the government, through its consultation, is seeking evidence from a wide range of stakeholders to inform its policy-making and a final decision on the ownership model of the channel.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 13/09/2021 16:17:24 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352529

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will conduct and publish the results of an assessment of the potential impact of revising Channel 4’s publisher-broadcaster model on (a) the UK production sector as a whole, (b) small and medium-sized production companies and (c) UK production companies based outside of London.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government is currently consulting on issues around the channel’s publisher-broadcaster restriction, its contribution to levelling up, and its remit.</p><p>We will use the responses to our consultation, and evidence received through it, to inform our decision-making. As such, it would not be appropriate for us to carry out an impact assessment until we have considered the responses and answered the questions set out in the consultation - until then, we do not know what specific impacts we are assessing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale grouped question UIN 41835 41840 question first answered 13/09/2021 16:24:28 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352530

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to ensure that a potential change to Channel 4’s publisher-broadcaster model will not negatively effect businesses and employment in the UK’s production sector.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government recognises that Channel 4 has consistently delivered on its remit in the decades since being established, including supporting the UK’s independent production sector.</p><p>Forty years on, this sector is now flourishing. Independent production is increasingly less reliant on income from UK public service broadcasters, and will continue to be in demand for the high-quality, differentiated, distinctively British content it produces. In the 10 years between 2008 and 2018, the contribution of PSB commissions to sector revenue fell from 64% to 42%, due in large part to the growth of international revenue.</p><p>Potential reform of the publisher broadcaster restriction could enable Channel 4 to achieve greater financial diversification that will support its growth and long term sustainability, therefore increasing its ability to invest in UK content and the creative industries.</p><p>We are consulting on this so the government may take into account a broad range of evidence and views to shape its policy-making. Both officials and Ministers have also met regularly with key stakeholders from within the production sector, including PACT.</p><p>Whatever decision we make, it will not compromise this Government’s commitment to the independent production sector and wider creative economy. Our support for the UK film and TV industry has helped it bounce back from the impact of the pandemic when it had to shut-down in March 2020. For Q4 2020 the UK film and TV industry had the second highest production spend for any quarter on record - at £1.19 billion.</p><p>Last year, the government invested over £1 billion through the creative sector tax reliefs which support the UK screen sectors. In High-End TV, the UK has seen a production boom worth over £4 billion since a dedicated tax relief was introduced in 2013.</p><p>More than 600 productions have been supported by the government’s UK Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, protecting over 55,000 jobs and securing £1.9 billion of production spend.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale grouped question UIN 41834 question first answered 13/09/2021 16:22:16 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352531

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television: Privatisation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have had with UK production companies on the potential impact that privatising Channel 4 may have on the future of the production sector.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41834
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government recognises that Channel 4 has consistently delivered on its remit in the decades since being established, including supporting the UK’s independent production sector.</p><p>Forty years on, this sector is now flourishing. Independent production is increasingly less reliant on income from UK public service broadcasters, and will continue to be in demand for the high-quality, differentiated, distinctively British content it produces. In the 10 years between 2008 and 2018, the contribution of PSB commissions to sector revenue fell from 64% to 42%, due in large part to the growth of international revenue.</p><p>Potential reform of the publisher broadcaster restriction could enable Channel 4 to achieve greater financial diversification that will support its growth and long term sustainability, therefore increasing its ability to invest in UK content and the creative industries.</p><p>We are consulting on this so the government may take into account a broad range of evidence and views to shape its policy-making. Both officials and Ministers have also met regularly with key stakeholders from within the production sector, including PACT.</p><p>Whatever decision we make, it will not compromise this Government’s commitment to the independent production sector and wider creative economy. Our support for the UK film and TV industry has helped it bounce back from the impact of the pandemic when it had to shut-down in March 2020. For Q4 2020 the UK film and TV industry had the second highest production spend for any quarter on record - at £1.19 billion.</p><p>Last year, the government invested over £1 billion through the creative sector tax reliefs which support the UK screen sectors. In High-End TV, the UK has seen a production boom worth over £4 billion since a dedicated tax relief was introduced in 2013.</p><p>More than 600 productions have been supported by the government’s UK Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, protecting over 55,000 jobs and securing £1.9 billion of production spend.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale grouped question UIN 41833 question first answered 13/09/2021 16:22:16 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352532

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make and publish the results of an assessment of the potential effect that a change in Channel 4’s ownership model may have on the levelling up of the UK’s creative sector outside of London.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>The government is currently consulting on issues around the channel’s publisher-broadcaster restriction, its contribution to levelling up, and its remit.</p><p>We will use the responses to our consultation, and evidence received through it, to inform our decision-making. As such, it would not be appropriate for us to carry out an impact assessment until we have considered the responses and answered the questions set out in the consultation - until then, we do not know what specific impacts we are assessing.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale grouped question UIN 41832 41840 question first answered 13/09/2021 16:24:28 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant

1352533

registered interest
date	03/09/2021
answering body	Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept id	10
answering dept short name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
answering dept sort name	Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
hansard heading	Channel Four Television: Arts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking in relation to securing the contribution that Channel 4 makes to the UK’s creative economy through its (a) regional offices and employees, (b) 50 per cent commissioning spend outside of London and (c) investment in skills and apprenticeships across the country.
tabling member constituency	Maidstone and The Weald
tabling member printed	Mrs Helen Grant
uin	41836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/09/2021 answer text <p>We value Channel 4’s contribution to the UK’s creative economy, and the consultation clearly states that we consider a continued and renewed commitment to it will be appropriate to any potential change of ownership.</p><p>We have also been clear that whatever Ministers decide, Channel 4 will continue to have a Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) remit. Currently all national PSBs, including those that are privately owned, have quotas for content outside of the M25.</p> answering member constituency Maldon answering member printed Mr John Whittingdale question first answered 13/09/2021 16:23:56 answering member 39 label Biography information for Sir John Whittingdale
tabling member	4018 label Biography information for Mrs Helen Grant