Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries

In the United Kingdom government, the Minister for the Arts is a ministerial post, usually a low to middle-ranking minister to the much senior Secretary of State, who runs the entire department and is ultimately responsible for the department's brief.

The post has been in a variety of ministries, but after 1997 it has been a Minister of State position in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. From 1992 to 1997, the post was combined with the office of Secretary of State for National Heritage. The title of the post was changed to Minister for Culture in 2005, and to Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism in 2007. Under that last title, the office was held by Barbara Follett MP, who was appointed on 5 October 2008, until 22 September 2009.

The new Prime Minister, David Cameron appointed Ed Vaizey to the position as Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries at Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State level, a post Vaizey initially split between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), but is now entirely placed in the DCMS.

Current portfolio

• Arts
• Media
• Museums and galleries
• Telecoms and broadband
• Digital switchover
• Creative industries
• Libraries
• Heritage, built environment and historic environment

Ministers for the Arts

The individuals who have held the office of Minister for the Arts or equivalent existing positions, their terms and under which Prime Minister..

• Jennie Lee (1964–1967) under Harold Wilson as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Jennie Lee (1967–1970) under Harold Wilson as Parliamentary Under-Secretary.
• David Eccles, 1st Viscount Eccles (1970–1973) under Edward Heath as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Norman St John-Stevas under Edward Heath (1973–1974) and again under Margaret Thatcher (1979–1981) as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Hugh Jenkins (1974–1976) under Harold Wilson as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Jack Donaldson, Baron Donaldson of Kingsbridge (1976–1979) under James Callaghan as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Norman St John-Stevas (1979–1981) under Margaret Thatcher as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Paul Channon (1981–1983) under Margaret Thatcher as Minister of State for the Arts.
• The Earl of Gowrie (1983–1985) under Margaret Thatcher as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Richard Luce (1985–1990) under Margaret Thatcher as Minister of State for the Arts.
• David Mellor (1990) under Margaret Thatcher as Minister of State for the Arts.
• Tim Renton (1990–1992) under John Major as Minister of State for the Arts.
• David Mellor (1992–1992) under John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage.
• Peter Brooke CH (1992–1994) under John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage.
• Stephen Dorrell (1994–1995) under John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage.
• Virginia Bottomley (1995–1996) under John Major as Secretary of State for National Heritage.
• Mark Fisher (1997–1998) under Tony Blair as Under-Secretary, Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
• Alan Howarth CBE (1998–2001) under Tony Blair as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Tessa Blackstone, Baroness Blackstone (2001–2003) under Tony Blair as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Estelle Morris (2003–2005) under Tony Blair as Minister of State, DCMS.
• David Lammy (2005–2007) under Tony Blair as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Margaret Hodge (2007–2008) under Gordon Brown as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Barbara Follett (2008–2009) under Gordon Brown as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Margaret Hodge (2009–2010) under Gordon Brown as Minister of State, DCMS.
• Ed Vaizey (2010–) under David Cameron as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, DCMS.

External links

• UK Government document listing past Ministers for the Arts, DCMS (PDF).