Harriet Harman – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Harriet Harman on 2014-06-12.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the total amount paid out in film tax relief and (b) the resultant benefit to the UK economy as a result of such tax relief since 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Gauke

HMRC data indicates that between January 2007 and March 2013, over 1,200 film productions have claimed £1.3bn of tax relief.

According to the Office of National Statistics and the BFI, the film and video production industry generates around 46,000 jobs and film investment is over £1 billion a year.

To support this important sector the Government has modernised film tax relief and extended the relief to animation, high-end television and video games.

The BFI statistics for 2013 show that these reforms are working, with an increase in overall UK film investment, and that the new TV and animation tax reliefs have supported growth in production in the UK.