Labour welcomes the publication of the Warwick Commission report. The Warwick Commission rightly emphasises the importance of the cultural and creative industries to individuals, communities and our economy. The cultural and creative industries were worth £76.9 billion to the British economy in 2013, or about five per cent of the economy as a whole. They rightly highlight that everyone should have access to the arts and that effective government backing for the arts requires better cross department working.

Ensuring that young people have the right education and skills to succeed is essential to build on the success of the cultural and creative industries and the report has rightly identified this. Arts and culture should be accessible to all, regardless of their background, and this will be a priority for the next Labour Government.