Read Hasan Bakhshi, director of creative economy at Nesta, response to Culture Secretary, Maria Miller’s speech.

"Maria Miller's speech reads as a blast from the past - reducing the contribution of the arts to its impact on tourism numbers. But, Maria Miller is right to highlight the economic significance of the UK's creative sector more broadly.

"Indeed, Nesta's estimates released yesterday show that the creative economy now accounts for around 10% of the economy, and employs 2.5 million people. But to retain this strength, the implication is that when times are tough we should be investing more, not less.

"As well as public funding, arts and culture organisations are crying out for a more strategic relationship with government - akin to that of  sectors like financial services and advanced manufacturing. A relationship where its economic importance is recognised in schools policy, innovation policy and media policy; Nesta's Manifesto for the Creative Economy sets out this framework."