Budget 2010: Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Contribution to Operational Efficiency and Smarter Government Savings

The Budget has today reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to making £11 billion of savings a year by 2012/13 from efficiency and streamlining the centre of Government.

The £11 billion of savings will contribute to halving net borrowing and protecting key public services.  The savings will come following the work of the Operational Efficiency Programme and Putting the Frontline First: Smarter Government. 

The Department for Culture Media and Sport will meet this commitment, while protecting services and facilities enjoyed by the public.  In more detail, DCMS will:

* secure savings of £10 millon through rationalising and restructuring its arms length bodies. This will include merging the British Film Institute and the UK Film Council, and the National Lottery Commission and the Gambling Commission, subject to the necessary consultation;

* save £15 million through increasing collaborative procurement across all its NDPBs; and

* save £35 million from meeting the department’s share of reductions in other savings announced in Smarter Government, on back office spending, reducing consultancy and reducing marketing and communications spending across its arms length bodies. 

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw said:

“The Government has made it clear that operational efficiencies and smarter government savings need to be found right across the public sector. We are protecting frontline services and targeting administration costs and back office functions.  This will mean our sectors can continue to deliver the fantastic range and quality of media, culture and sport that the public value.”

Mr Bradshaw also welcomed the announcement in the Budget of tax relief for the UK’s video games industry.  He said:

“Video games generate £2 billion in retail sales in the UK, and contribute £1 billion to UK GDP and have huge potential for growth. This new tax relief scheme will help the UK remain a world-leader in this important industry, protect jobs and support our economic recovery.”

Mr Bradshaw also announced that the Government has eased access to capital reserves for museums and galleries. Museums and galleries have already set out their plans for using their capital reserves in 2010-11. The Department guarantees that these plans will be met. It is committed to finding a long-term solution to the issue over the next 12 months.

Mr Bradshaw said:

“I am very pleased that the Government can address this long-standing concern of our museums and galleries, to help them raise as much money as possible to supplement their public funding.  In these tough financial times, it is important that they maximise their income and make the most of resources from public and private sources.”