Visual Effects Companies

3. What steps her Department is taking to support visual effects companies.

We are committed to ensuring the UK remains the world’s leading destination for film and television production. That ambition sits at the core of the Government’s industrial strategy and the creative industries sector plan, which recognises the sector’s strength as a driver of growth. Every single best visual effects Oscar nominee this year had work done in UK studios, including Bournemouth’s own Outpost VFX for its work on “Sinners”.

As the Minister says, Outpost VFX is a world-leading VFX company based in my Bournemouth West constituency. It recently convened a meeting of sector leaders, and the message was clear: the UK faces significant competitive disadvantage because of our relatively low net value incentive rates and the 10% total spend rule. As a result, we are missing out on work to overseas facilities, and undermining job creation and skills retention here in the UK. Will the Minister commit to meeting Outpost VFX and other sector representatives to discuss their proposals to boost the UK’s competitiveness?

I am very happy to meet representatives of the VFX industry, including Outpost VFX in my hon. Friend’s constituency. It is worth bearing in mind that there are a whole host of visual effects tax reliefs in place, including a 39% rate on VFX costs, to make it as competitive as possible in this country. I meet regularly and engage with the sector, including the UK Screen Alliance. Protecting our world-leading VFX sector base means ensuring that skills keep pace with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. We understand and acknowledge the significant implications for the sector of various pressures at the moment, but there is £10 million being invested in the National Film and Television School to expand apprenticeships and £25 million of funding for five new CoSTAR—Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime—labs, and the Chancellor’s £725 million for the next phase of the growth and skills levy will also deliver new digital skills. That package of measures sits alongside the tax reliefs.