What progress has been made in respect of strengthening UK links with the Indian film industry.

Because of our commitment to strengthening the links between the Indian and the UK film industries, I signed a substantive framework for the UK/India film co-production agreement in New Delhi on 5 December. We will now work closely with our Indian counterparts to finalise the agreement as early as possible in the new year.

I should like to pay particular tribute to my hon. Friend for the enormous amount of work that he does in building cultural and other links between our country and India.

So comprehensive, so fulsome and so welcome were my right hon. Friend's words that the House may well feel that only a bounder could be so churlish as to trespass upon my right hon. Friend's patience by troubling her with a supplementary question. So, will my right hon. Friend join me in commending the positive role played by the UK Film Council and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in making the co-production treaty happen? Furthermore, will she consider leading a UK business delegation to Asia's largest entertainment summit, Frames, in 2006, to look at ways in which our new co-production relationship with India can be even further strengthened?

To all my hon. Friend's questions, the answer is yes.

Some of my Soho constituents welcome the Chancellor's announcements on film financing in the recent pre-Budget report. I accept that other Soho folk might have welcomed somewhat different concessions. The Chancellor's announcements, however, were a belated recognition of the essential need for long-term planning in the film business. Will the Secretary of State acknowledge the key importance of commercial certainty in that internationally competitive market, especially in the Indian subcontinent?

Yes, the Chancellor and I certainly recognise that. The House will want to pay tribute to the announcement in the pre-Budget report of the new outline tax regime for film, which has been widely welcomed and has created a climate of stability, although there is still detail to be finalised. It has exceeded the expectations of the UK Film Council and is already beginning to signal new inward investment, which we should all welcome.

I praise the Secretary of State for building up this great link between ourselves and the Indian film industry. The former pit village of Fishburn in the north-east is now the setting for a Bollywood blockbuster, which has provided great opportunities, believe it or not, for young Asian stars to take part and make a success of it. What effort is she making to promote opportunities for young Asian stars to get into the film industry and make such a success?

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. The example that he gives is a vivid illustration of the benefits that such film collaboration and co-production bring in practice. While we would want to ensure diversity and opportunities for young Asian talent in every aspect of the film industry, in many senses the market does that because of the scale of demand. People want to watch young Asian stars, so selling the case for their training and involvement is not an enormous amount of trouble. I thank him, however, for his advocacy.