DCMS takes sole charge of games

The Government’s Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) will now be solely responsible for the games industry.

It means that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will no longer have anything to do with interactive entertainment sector.

Games industry advocate Ed Vaizey, who was formerly a joint minister between both the DCMS and BIS, will now report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. However, the DCMS stresses he will continue to work closely with BIS ministers.

UKIE said today that it welcomes the news and is ‘looking forward to continuing its relationship with DCMS to achieve its broad policy agenda’.

However, the trade body also expressed concern that links to the BIS and therefore the treasury may suffer because of these changes.

DCMS will now work with UKIE to promote commercial and skills agendas within Government.

BIS will remain responsible for postal regulation; sponsorship of telecoms equipment manufacturing and the wider electronics, IT services and software sectors.