United Kingdom/ 2. Competence, decision-making and administration  

2.2 Overall description of the system

DCMS

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) implements government policy on national museums and galleries in England, the Arts Council England, the UK Film Council, the British Library and other national culture and heritage bodies. Its other responsibilities include the regulation of the creative industries, broadcasting and the media, the National Lottery, gambling and the export licensing of cultural objects. DCMS is also responsible for the Olympic Games 2012. DCMS is headed by a Secretary of State, who is assisted by a Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism and a Minister for Sport.

In July 2007, following the appointment of Gordon Brown as the Prime Minister, new Ministerial responsibilities within DCMS were announced: the Secretary of State has overall responsibility for departmental strategy and oversees the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and broadcasting, including digital switchover. The Minister for Culture covers arts, creative industries, heritage, architecture, Royal Parks and Royal Estate museums, galleries, archives and tourism. The Minister for Sport is responsible for Sport, the National Lottery and Licensing. There is a separate Parliamentary Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and its associated public bodies.

NDPBs

In general, the UK spending on culture operates on an "arm's length" basis, through a number of Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs). These include organisations responsible for the arts, sport, film and heritage in England and their counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Many museums and galleries are also run as NDPBs, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Tate Galleries. Some "public bodies", including the four Arts Councils and the UK Film Council (which has a UK-wide remit), also act as distributors of National Lottery funds.

The UK Parliament and government retain both legislative and policy responsibility for the whole of the UK in the following areas:

• acceptance in lieu of tax (e.g. the acquisition of works of art and heritage for the nation instead of payment of death duties);
• broadcasting;
• export controls on cultural objects;
• government indemnity scheme (i.e. insurance);
• legislative responsibility for the national lottery, but responsibility for policy directions is shared with devolved administrations; and
• public lending right.

DCMS also retains legislative and policy responsibility for film in Wales. All other subject areas are the responsibility of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

There have been significant structural changes to Non-Departmental Public Bodies in England in recent years including, for example, the creation of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (previously known as Re:source), which merged the Museums & Galleries Commission and the Library and Information Commission, the creation of a new UK Film Council, and the merging of the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and English Heritage under the name of the latter. A new Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) was established to promote better quality building and urban design. Following a recent feasibility study, the DCMS and British Phonographic Industry are in discussions with a view to establishing a Music Council, which will be similar to the UK Film Council and Design Council in function, i.e. help unite the music sector on key issues and work with government on developing policies.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies working in England, or covering the UK as a whole, receive funding directly from DCMS. This is now done for three years at a time, to allow bodies more freedom in planning ahead. Funding agreements, which are publicly available, set out the aims, objectives and targets that each NDPB has agreed with DCMS.

Cultural policies in the English regions are determined by regional agencies working in DCMS sectors. DCMS has established a Regional Cultural Consortium in each of the eight English planning regions outside London. Regional Assemblies have also been established by the government to facilitate partnership working within the regions, with responsibilities for regional planning, advocacy and policy development and scrutinising the work of the Regional Development Agencies. There were also plans to devolve some central government responsibilities, but the first referendum, in North East England, rejected the concept in 2004, and there are no further proposals for the foreseeable future.

The Arts Council England

Probably, the most changes in the past 14 years have occurred in the Arts Council system. Perhaps the most significant of these was the creation, in 2002, of Arts Council England (ACE) by the merger of former regional arts boards in England with the Arts Council of England to create a single, unified development body for the arts.

A Peer Review of this body (commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and ACE, published in 2005) "to provide the Arts Council with a deeper understanding of its performance and capacity, and to act as a catalyst for improvement" was broadly positive. However, it referred to a "climate of mistrust" between DCMS and ACE and led to ACE producing an Action Plan intended to address the points raised. The report and full ACE response can be found at: http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/peerreview. Three priorities identified as a result of this process were: the need to engage more actively with stakeholders, including the public; consider the way ACE works with government, especially DCMS; and the role and structure of the national office. With regard to the latter, and also to address issues remaining since the restructure in 2002, ACE published a new national office structure in October 2006 which has led to the reduction of some 30, often senior posts, a move intended to save GBP 1.8 million a year. The stated aim was to create a "more focused, streamlined and effective organisation that is better able to provide national leadership and planning, build new partnerships and make a stronger case for the arts"; the shift has been towards a strategy-led approach. See http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/pressnews/press_detail.php?rid=5&id=723 for more information.

Scotland

The administration of cultural matters in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish government. The Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture and the Scottish government's Europe, External Affairs and Culture (EEAC) Directorate have responsibility for policy covering the arts, film, architecture, cultural heritage, the Gaelic language, tourism, sport and liaison with the UK government on broadcasting and the National Lottery. The EEAC Directorate also has responsibility for grant-aiding a number of cultural NDPBs, including the Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Screen (whose task is to develop and promote the screen industries), the three national institutions (the National Museums of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Library of Scotland), and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the Gaelic development agency. The Group's Cultural Policy Division directly funds the Scottish Libraries and Information Council (SLIC) and the Scottish Museums Council (SMC). These are both membership organisations that take a national developmental role within their sectors and provide advice and briefing to the Executive.

In March 2008 a new bill was introduced into the Scottish Parliament, the main effect of which will be to abolish the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen and establish a new national arts development agency, Creative Scotland. If the legislative proposals are approved, staff from the Arts Council will be transferred to the new body. The Scottish government has given an assurance that the "arm's length" principle will be maintained. Funding for the major performing arts companies (previously the remit of the Arts Council) was transferred directly to government control in April 2007. A larger role for Scotland's 32 local authorities as "key partners" in the arts is also being developed.

Historic Scotland is an agency of the government and is directly responsible to Scottish Ministers for safeguarding and promoting the country's built heritage. As part of these responsibilities, it compiles and maintains lists of historic buildings and scheduled monuments, and an Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. In December 2002, the then Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport in Scotland announced a review of the structure and functions of Historic Scotland. The main findings of the review have been published (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/Search/Q/Subject/462/Page/2).

The EEAC Directorate also has responsibility for the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and a new body, Architecture and Design Scotland (ADS). RCAHMS is responsible for recording the historic built environment and maintaining the National Monuments Record of Scotland, much of which is now accessible on-line. RCAHMS works closely with the Welsh equivalent body (RCAHMW) in widening electronic public access to the information held by their respective archives. Architecture and Design Scotland replaced the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland in 2005 and has a much wider remit as the Executive's "champion" for good architecture in Scotland, with a key role to play in implementing the commitments within A Policy on Architecture for Scotland.

Wales

The National Assembly for Wales has devolved responsibilities in Wales for culture and related issues. Within the Welsh Assembly government the portfolio of the Assembly Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport covers the arts, museums, archives and libraries, language, heritage, sport and physical activity and lottery issues. Since 1999 a number of public agencies, e.g. the Arts Council of Wales, the Welsh Language Board, Sports Council for Wales, National Library of Wales and (WA) Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales, have been funded by, and accountable to, the Assembly following the transfer of responsibility from the former Welsh Office. The Welsh Assembly government's historic environment division (CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments) is responsible for the country's built heritage. The Design Commission for Wales, established in 2002, promotes sustainable development by providing bespoke training to councillors, planners etc., championing best practice and acting as a non-statutory consultee within the urban planning process.

CyMAL: Museums, Archives and Libraries Wales was established as a new policy division of the Welsh Assembly government from April 2004 to develop strategic direction for local museums, archives and libraries and provide financial support and advice.

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Executive was established as part of the Good Friday Agreement. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) is one of 10 Executive Departments. Its remit includes the arts and culture, creativity, film, museums, libraries, archives, sport and leisure amenities, language and diversity policy and matters relating to the National Lottery. DCAL supports a number of Non-Departmental Public Bodies. These include: the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, which became a statutory body in 1995; the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland, established in 1998 by the merger of four major museums and heritage collections; and the Northern Ireland Museums Council, which is the main channel of the Executive's support to local museums. DCAL also supports the Northern Ireland Screen Commission (NISC) which is a company limited by guarantee. The NISC also receives aid from the local economic development agency, Invest Northern Ireland. Local government also has a role in supporting cultural activity, including local museums.

As part of the ongoing Review of Public Administration (RPA) decisions taken in 2006, the public library service in Northern Ireland will be delivered by a single, dedicated library authority, instead of being part of the wider remit of five Education and Library Boards. Arts Council Northern Ireland (ACNI) will continue to fund major arts bodies, but will no longer be responsible for funding community arts, which will be under the remit of a new tier of "super-councils" at local level.

Chapter updated: 28-11-2008