Chris Smith "opens a new chapter" in British creativity

Chris Smith Heads New Ministry

Mr Smith said the new ministry would be forward-looking and "promote everything from Beefeaters to Britpop".

He will also head the inter-departmental Creative Industries Taskforce, which aims to improve economic performance in this area. Tycoon Richard Branson, the film producer, Sir David Puttnam, the clothes designer, Paul Smith and the founder of Oasis's record company, Alan McGee, will be on the new body. Creative industries already account for £50 billion of the UK economy.

Mr Smith says the taskforce will coordinate the activities of various Whitehall departments, boost wealth generation and employment in the industries concerned and increase "creative activity and excellence". He said:

"My department's old name was backward-looking and did not do justice to the range of work we cover."

"Today we start a new chapter. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is a department for the future."

"It is about creativity, innovation and excitement."

"It is a department concerned with many of the things that affect people's day-to-day lives - like sport, television, films and the Lottery - the things we talk about at work or at leisure."

"It is all about the widest possible access - for the many not the few."

Mr Smith said his new department would also have a role to play in job creation and in the Government's welfare-to-work programme.