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Our response to the Autumn Statement

Updated: Jun 15, 2023

As sectors growing twice as fast as the economy as a whole and worth £116 billion to UK GDP in 2019, the Government missed a crucial opportunity today to centre the creative and cultural sectors as part of the UK's recovery plan.

 

Our autumn statement response:

  • Today’s budget has not included a clear plan to support publicly funded creative and cultural institutions who were hit hard by the pandemic and are extremely vulnerable to a cost-of-living crisis

  • We see no further package of support for non-domestic businesses and organisations across the UK, including those in the creative and cultural sectors who are already struggling to meet energy costs associated with running their buildings and producing their world-class work

  • With a budget seemingly focused on innovation and a ‘modern skills economy’, we’re disappointed to see the creative and cultural sectors appear to have been omitted from the Government’s list of priority Growth Sectors

  • While reform on audio-visual creative tax relief is welcome, Culture Commons hopes colleagues in DCMS will ensure these sectors are also included the Prime Minister’s ‘rebooted’ Investment Zones and consider what further change to R&D legislation could support the Chancellor’s commitment to innovation. We made several R&D recommendations to Government at an event in the UK Parliament in May

  • As our submission to the DCMS Select Committee from earlier in the year makes clear, the creative and cultural sectors will be critical to the UK Government's 'levelling up' agenda. It is therefore a relief that the Government has commitment to maintaining departmental and capital budgets for the next five years, ensuring that areas across the UK will get the Levelling Up and vital programme funding they've already been promised

  • Culture Commons will continue to work with the DLUHC to explore what more can be done to harness the power of the creative and cultural sectors to revitalise high streets and town economies, perhaps through the likes of Creative Improvement Districts

  • We’re pleased the Government has reaffirmed the vital contribution and autonomy of local leaders and will continue to devolve power. We hope the new mayoral areas will join existing Metro Mayors who have already signed up to our Creative Workforce Pledge and give local people an opportunity to set cultural policy through Culture Forums

  • We will continue to engage with UK Government to ensure the dynamism of the UK's creative and cultural sectors are part of the policy response to the challenges the nation faces in the coming months and years.

 

If you or your organisation would like to know more about how the autumn statement may impact on you, get in touch with us at contact@culturecommons.uk

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