The secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, also referred to as the culture secretary, is a
secretary of state in the
Government of the United Kingdom
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, with overall responsibility for strategy and policy across the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
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The incumbent is a member of the
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the senior decision-making body of His Majesty's Government. A committee of the Privy Council, it is chaired by the prime minister and its members include secretaries of state and other senior ministers.
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. The office has been dubbed "Minister of Fun".
Responsibilities
The secretary has overall responsibility for strategy and policy across the
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
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Responsibilities include:
* Arts and Culture
* Broadcasting
* Creative industries
* Creative Industries Council
* Cultural property, heritage and the historic environment
* Cultural Renewal Taskforce
* Culture, sports and arts sector recovery from COVID-19
* Data Protection Regulator - the ICO (Information Commissioners Office)
* Gambling and racing
* Libraries
* Media ownership and mergers
* Museums and galleries
* The National Lottery
* Sport
* Telecommunications and online
* Tourism
History
The office was created in 1992 by
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
John Major
Sir John Major (born 29 March 1943) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, and as Member of Parliament ...
, as Secretary of State for National Heritage. In his autobiography, Major says that, before the office was created, responsibility for cultural interests was shared among various departments, but important to none of them.
For instance, arts and libraries, although a separate department, had no minister in the
Cabinet
Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to:
Furniture
* Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers
* Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets
* Filing ...
, sport was part of the
Department for Education
The Department for Education (DfE) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for child protection, child services, education (compulsory, further and higher education), apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
A Department ...
, film was part of the
Department of Trade and Industry, broadcasting was part of the
Home Office, tourism was part of the
Department for Employment
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and heritage was part of the
Department of the Environment
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment, ...
.
He also wrote that the system tended to favour the interests of the articulate and well-connected
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
-based arts lobby.
Thus, when he became Prime Minister, Major said that he saw that the only way to give culture and sport the higher profile that he thought that they deserved was to establish a new department, under a minister of Cabinet rank, to bring together all aspects of the arts, sport and heritage.
List of secretaries of state
See also
*
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), previously Shadow Secretary of State for National Heritage and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, is a position in the Official Opposition Shadow Ca ...
*
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, formerly the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, is one of the select committees of the British House of Commons, established in 1997. It oversees the operations of the Department fo ...
References
{{Cabinet positions in the United Kingdom
Culture, Media and Sport
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
Ministerial offices in the United Kingdom
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
1992 establishments in the United Kingdom