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Arts and culture will suffer from 50% cuts

21 July 2010

Support for the UK's key cultural attractions will inevitably suffer if the Department for Culture, Media and Sport cuts running costs by half, PCS says.

It has emerged that the department is proposing to exceed the government’s suggested cuts of between 25% and 40% and has submitted plans that would halve administration costs and jobs.

In an email to staff, DCMS permanent secretary Jonathan Stephens confirmed the intention was to focus spending on “frontline support” and ensure “successful delivery” of the Olympics and Paralympics.

He added: “We want to maintain and enhance the best of DCMS through this - a committed high performing department which values and motivates its staff and is recognised as such in our sectors and by the rest of Whitehall.”

The proposals - yet to be agreed by the Treasury - would mean a 50% cut in admin costs in DCMS and its agencies by 2014/15.

This would be done in two phases to protect delivery of the Olympics and Paralympics. After 2012, the plan is to cut the department’s headcount by half to 250, which the union says would lead to compulsory redundancies.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “DCMS management are living in a fantasy world if they think they can maintain services and motivate staff while cutting the department down by half.

“We do not accept the need for these cuts that will inevitably damage the ability of staff to provide quality, effective support to the artistic and cultural life of the UK.”

 

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