Media, arts and sports policy is not a key priority for the new coalition government - any more than it was in the parties' election manifestos.

Culture is on the back-burner, hardly mentioned in the first agreement between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

But the Olympic Games will loom large over the next two years and that has been recognised by returning the event to its old government department, which will change its name. Jeremy Hunt is to be Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport - COMS for short.

Mr Hunt said David Cameron had told him the Olympics was "incredibly important" and that this should be his number one priority. "We really want to make it work," he told the BBC.

Two of the key issues will be security and how to create an Olympic legacy in schools. Beyond that, Mr Hunt has a pretty full in-tray.

Arts funding

Arts spending will also come under scrutiny as government departments are told to make cuts.

The Conservatives' culture team has been wooing arts organisations for more than two years, insisting they understand the value that arts and culture brings to British life and the economy. But the pressure for spending cuts will be severe.

Mr Hunt told Newsnight that if the cuts were distributed equally, his department - including the Olympic budget, which is not protected - would have to find £66m of savings.

He said he'd already asked his civil servants where that money could be found without hitting front-line services.

One area of disagreement between the coalition parties is over National Lottery spending.

The Conservatives - who set up the lottery - said they wanted to return to its original good causes of sport, arts, heritage and charities, reversing Labour's switch towards health, education and environment projects. The Liberal Democrats have criticised that.

source

bbc.co.uk