§ 14. Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many films have been made on location in the United Kingdom in the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [42000]
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeIn 1997, 112 feature films were wholly or partly filmed in the United Kingdom, with a total production cost of £560 million. The aim of our Film Policy Review "A Bigger Picture" is to sustain the current successes of our production sector and develop better links between production and distribution.
§ 21. Mr. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on his policy concerning taxation and the film industry. [42008]
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeIn its first Budget the Government showed their recognition of the special needs and potential growth of the film industry by introducing 100 per cent. write-off for films on production and acquisition expenditure for films costing up to £15 million. In March this was extended from three to five years. Further developments are of course a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.