Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries
In the Government of the United Kingdom, 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.
Ed Vaizey was appointed by then Prime Minister David Cameron 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 and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, but is now entirely placed in the DCMS.
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism was created in 2017. The minister works in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
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
Name | Term Start | Term End | Title | Prime Minister |
Jennie Lee | 1964 | 1967 | Minister of State for the Arts | Harold Wilson |
Jennie Lee | 1967 | 1970 | Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Arts | Harold Wilson |
The Viscount Eccles | 20 June 1970 | 5 June 1973 | Minister of State for the Arts | Edward Heath |
Norman St John-Stevas | 2 December 1973 | 4 March 1974 | Minister of State for the Arts | Edward Heath |
Hugh Jenkins | 4 March 1974 | 5 April 1976 | Minister of State for the Arts | Harold Wilson |
The Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge | 5 April 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Minister of State for the Arts | James Callaghan |
Norman St John-Stevas | 5 May 1979 | 5 January 1981 | Minister of State for the Arts | Margaret Thatcher |
Paul Channon | 5 January 1981 | 11 June 1983 | Minister of State for the Arts | Margaret Thatcher |
The Earl of Gowrie | 11 June 1983 | 2 September 1985 | Minister of State for the Arts | Margaret Thatcher |
Richard Luce | 3 September 1985 | 25 July 1990 | Minister of State for the Arts | Margaret Thatcher |
David Mellor | 26 July 1990 | 28 November 1990 | Minister of State for the Arts | Margaret Thatcher |
Tim Renton | 28 November 1990 | 11 April 1992 | Minister of State for the Arts | John Major |
David Mellor | 11 April 1992 | 22 September 1992 | Secretary of State for National Heritage | John Major |
Peter Brooke CH | 22 September 1992 | 20 July 1994 | Secretary of State for National Heritage | John Major |
Stephen Dorrell | 20 July 1994 | 5 July 1995 | Secretary of State for National Heritage | John Major |
Virginia Bottomley | 5 July 1995 | 2 May 1997 | Secretary of State for National Heritage | John Major |
Mark Fisher | 2 May 1997 | 14 June 1998 | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Arts | Tony Blair |
Alan Howarth CBE | 28 July 1998 | 7 June 2001 | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Arts | Tony Blair |
The Baroness Blackstone | 8 June 2001 | 13 June 2003 | Minister of State for the Arts | Tony Blair |
Estelle Morris | 13 June 2003 | 5 May 2005 | Minister of State for the Arts | Tony Blair |
David Lammy | 5 May 2005 | 28 June 2007 | Minister of State for Culture | Tony Blair |
Margaret Hodge | 28 June 2007 | 3 October 2008 | Minister of State for Culture and Tourism | Gordon Brown |
Barbara Follett | 4 October 2008 | 22 September 2009 | Minister of State for Culture and Tourism | Gordon Brown |
Margaret Hodge | 22 September 2009 | 11 May 2010 | Minister of State for Culture and Tourism | Gordon Brown |
Ed Vaizey | 14 May 2010 | 15 July 2014 | Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries | David Cameron |
Ed Vaizey | 15 July 2014 | 15 July 2016 | Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy | David Cameron |
Matt Hancock | 15 July 2016 | 8 January 2018 | Minister of State for Digital and Culture | Theresa May |
Margot James | 9 January 2018 | 18 July 2019 | Minister of State for Digital and Creative Industries | Theresa May |
Nigel Adams | 24 July 2019 | 13 February 2020 | Minister of State for Sport, Media and Creative Industries | Boris Johnson |
Caroline Dinenage | 13 February 2020 | Present | Minister of State for Digital and Culture | Boris Johnson |