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

The individuals who have held the office of Minister for the Arts or equivalent existing positions, their terms and under which Prime Minister.
NameTerm StartTerm EndTitlePrime Minister
Jennie Lee19641967Minister of State for the ArtsHarold Wilson
Jennie Lee19671970Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the ArtsHarold Wilson
The Viscount Eccles20 June 19705 June 1973Minister of State for the ArtsEdward Heath
Norman St John-Stevas2 December 19734 March 1974Minister of State for the ArtsEdward Heath
Hugh Jenkins4 March 19745 April 1976Minister of State for the ArtsHarold Wilson
The Lord Donaldson of Kingsbridge5 April 19764 May 1979Minister of State for the ArtsJames Callaghan
Norman St John-Stevas5 May 19795 January 1981Minister of State for the ArtsMargaret Thatcher
Paul Channon5 January 198111 June 1983Minister of State for the ArtsMargaret Thatcher
The Earl of Gowrie11 June 19832 September 1985Minister of State for the ArtsMargaret Thatcher
Richard Luce3 September 198525 July 1990Minister of State for the ArtsMargaret Thatcher
David Mellor26 July 199028 November 1990Minister of State for the ArtsMargaret Thatcher
Tim Renton28 November 199011 April 1992Minister of State for the ArtsJohn Major
David Mellor11 April 199222 September 1992Secretary of State for National HeritageJohn Major
Peter Brooke CH22 September 199220 July 1994Secretary of State for National HeritageJohn Major
Stephen Dorrell20 July 19945 July 1995Secretary of State for National HeritageJohn Major
Virginia Bottomley5 July 19952 May 1997Secretary of State for National HeritageJohn Major
Mark Fisher2 May 199714 June 1998Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the ArtsTony Blair
Alan Howarth CBE28 July 19987 June 2001Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the ArtsTony Blair
The Baroness Blackstone8 June 200113 June 2003Minister of State for the ArtsTony Blair
Estelle Morris13 June 20035 May 2005Minister of State for the ArtsTony Blair
David Lammy5 May 200528 June 2007Minister of State for CultureTony Blair
Margaret Hodge28 June 20073 October 2008Minister of State for Culture and TourismGordon Brown
Barbara Follett4 October 200822 September 2009Minister of State for Culture and TourismGordon Brown
Margaret Hodge22 September 200911 May 2010Minister of State for Culture and TourismGordon Brown
Ed Vaizey14 May 201015 July 2014Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Communications and Creative IndustriesDavid Cameron
Ed Vaizey15 July 201415 July 2016Minister of State for Culture and the Digital EconomyDavid Cameron
Matt Hancock15 July 20168 January 2018Minister of State for Digital and CultureTheresa May
Margot James9 January 201818 July 2019Minister of State for Digital and Creative IndustriesTheresa May
Nigel Adams24 July 201913 February 2020Minister of State for Sport, Media and Creative IndustriesBoris Johnson
Caroline Dinenage13 February 2020PresentMinister of State for Digital and CultureBoris Johnson