Department for Culture, Media and Sport - Definition and Overview

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (sometimes abbreviated DCMS) is a department of the British government. It is led by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, a cabinet position. Other ministers are the Minister for the Arts, Minister for Sport and Tourism and the Minister for Media and Heritage. The current Secretary of State is Tessa Jowell and her ministers are Estelle Morris (Arts), Richard Caborn (Sport and Tourism) and Lord McIntosh of Haringey (Media and Heritage).

It's four strategic priorities are children and young people, communities, delivery and economy and it is responsible for government policy in the following areas:

• alcohol & entertainment
• architecture & design
• arts
• broadcasting
• creative industries
• cultural property
• education & social policy
• gambling & racing
• historic environment
• libraries & communities
• museums & galleries
• the National Lottery
• public appointments
• sport
• tourism

DCMS also has responsibility for the Royal Parks Agency. In addition to this it funds various Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs):

• Alcohol Education and Research Council
• Arts Council of England
• [[Big Lottery Fund)
• British Film Institute (BFI)
• British Library
• British Museum
• British Tourist Authority (VisitBritain)
• Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) (jointly with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister)
• English Sports Council
• English Tourist Board
• Football Licensing Authority
• Geffrye Museum
• Greenwich Foundation for the Royal Naval College
• The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage)
• Historic Royal Palaces
• Horniman Museum
• Horserace Totalisator Board (The Tote)
• Imperial War Museum
• Millennium Commission
• Museum of London
• Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester
• Museums and Galleries Commission
• Museums, Libraries and Archives
• National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA)
• National Gallery
• National Heritage Memorial Fund
• National Lottery Charities Board
• National Lottery Commission
• National Maritime Museum
• National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside
• National Museum of Science and Industry
• National Portrait Gallery
• Natural History Museum
• New Millennium Experience Company
• Registrar of Public Lending Right
• Royal Armouries Museum
• Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts
• Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
• Sir John Soane's Museum
• Tate Gallery
• UK Film Council
• UK Sport
• Victoria and Albert Museum
• Wallace Collection

Before 1997 it was known as the Department for National Heritage, which was in turn created out of various other departments in 1992.

It's main offices are 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5DH.

External link

• DCMS home page (http://www.culture.gov.uk/)