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Regular evidence sessions · Opened 30 October 2024

The work of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport

From: Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Open61 documents2 evidence sessions

What this inquiry is asking

This inquiry examines how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is performing across its broad remit—from creative industries and heritage to sports governance and media regulation. The Committee is testing whether DCMS can manage its 42 arm's length bodies, balance budget cuts against sector demands, and address emerging crises in governance, workplace conduct, and international sports politics.

Status / emerging findings

  • DCMS secured flat £9 billion spending settlement but faces 2.5% real-terms cut; 75% of budget flows to arm's length bodies, limiting departmental flexibility
  • Systemic public appointments failures: half of all Commissioner for Public Appointments investigations involve DCMS bodies (S4C, Charity Commission, football regulator); high-profile crises at BBC, British Museum, British Library revealed governance weaknesses
  • Government reversed AI text-and-data-mining opt-out model after consultation backlash; establishing sector-specific working groups with creative industries instead of top-down approach
  • Secretary of State warned of statutory intervention if creative industries fail to address workplace harassment voluntarily; major producers like Banijay not funding industry-led CIISA body
  • On Afghanistan women's cricket: government opposes sport boycotts as counter-productive; backs ECB/MCC-led support initiatives and urges ICC to explain non-adherence to own membership rules

Why it matters

DCMS manages £9 billion in public funding across culture, sport, and media—areas central to national identity and soft power—yet repeated governance failures at arm's length bodies and budget pressure threaten delivery on creative industries support, grassroots sport, and heritage protection.

Tone arc

Started procedural and budget-focused in December 2024, sharpened into critical scrutiny by September 2025 after spending review, with Committee pressing on appointments failures and demanding statutory levers; Afghanistan cricket letter shows government shifting from passive to active advocacy on women's rights in sport.

Themes

governance-failures-arm's-length-bodiesbudget-cuts-spending-pressurecreative-industries-supportworkplace-harassment-artsinternational-sports-rightsai-copyright-policy

Key witnesses

Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Susannah Storey, Permanent Secretary, DCMS, Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth, Ian Murray MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC)

Reports & Government Responses

Witness sessions

Written evidence & correspondence

Themes & actors

Topics across publication summaries

public-finance ·23broadcasting ·8sports-funding ·6public-health ·6creative-industries ·4consumer-protection ·4cultural-infrastructure ·3arts-funding ·3competition-law ·3charity-regulation ·3public-administration ·3youth-policy ·3sports-governance ·3governance ·3advertising-regulation ·3digital-infrastructure ·2cybersecurity ·2charities-regulation ·2artificial-intelligence ·2heritage-conservation ·2

Top organisations & named entities

Source · parliament.uk inquiry record ↗