Progress report

So far, I think I am making good progress on my DCMS priorities.

In my first month I outlined some tangible successes that I am aiming to achieve for in my broad areas of responsibility. Progress so far is as follows:

• Schools Olympics
  plans progressing really well with strong support from Michael Gove and Dept for Education. Detailed framework for schools to sign up to will be announced in Sept – main emphasis will be to boost number of children regularly playing competitive sport (less than 3 in 10 at the moment)
• Philanthropy
  have written to top 200 donors to cultural organisations to thank them and am currently looking at how to make it easier for cultural bodies to raise funds. The current financial environment makes it essential to improve both our culture of giving and also our culture of asking, both of which arguably suffer from our very British reluctance to talk about money.
• Broadband
  Treasury support secured to deal with “not spots” and rural superfast broadband pilots. More details to be announced at an industry forum next week – this will be a vital part of our economic growth strategy.
• Local TV
  Nick Shott of Lazards doing a review on how to make it commercially viable, he will be reporting in September. I still sense some scepticism in the industry that this can happen and am hoping Nick will help us find a way through.
• Tourism
  hoping to announce soon plans to use 2012 to boost number of foreign tourists to whole of UK and not just London and John Penrose working hard on a domestic tourism strategy.