With public sector cuts averaging 25% having been announced in the Emergency Budget by Chancellor George Osborne last month, all government departments other than health and foreign aid are facing an unprecedented financial squeeze. As part of an October Spending Review that will set spending limits for every Government department for the period 2011/12 to 2014/15, all departments, including the DCMS, must submit plans before the parliamentary summer recess (on 29 July) detailing how they deliver their priorities and meet tough new criteria to demonstrate their value for money. The DCMS has appointed Tourism Minister John Penrose to take charge of this process, to identify savings opportunities and challenge spending on all contracts and programmes. In line with all departments, the DCMS has actively modelled for a number of different funding scenarios. The Government has insisted that the Spending Review be transparent and actively engage with the public. To this end, a series of debates and events are being organised over the summer, inviting think-tanks, academics, representatives from local government, business and trade unions, public sector experts and watchdogs to help re-evaluate the provision of public services and how to get more for less in order to best manage the Treasury budget. The Government has already made around £6.2bn of cuts in the current financial year, some of which have affected the sector directly. The DCMS has cut or curtailed some £73m of its own directly funded projects and initiatives, including £45m for a new BFI Film Centre, £2m for the ‘Find Your Talent’ schools scheme (AP164), and £0.1m for the ill-fated ‘A Night Less Ordinary’ audience development scheme (AP179). A further £19m has been clawed back through Arts Council England (see p3).
