The UK Film Council is to be abolished, as culture secretary Jeremy Hunt targets 25-40 per cent spending cuts to his department.

“Many of these bodies were set up a considerable length of time ago, and times and demands have changed. In the light of the current financial situation it is the right time to look again at the scope of these organisations,” said Hunt.

Tim Bevan CBE, chairman of the UK Film Council, responded on its website saying that British film “deserved better”.

“People will rightly look back on today’s announcement and say it was a big mistake, driven by short-term thinking and political expediency,” he added.

Formed by Labour in 2000, the Council handed out more than £160m of lottery money to fund over 900 British films, including This Is England and Vera Drake.

(Source: MediaGuardian)