British prime minister Harold Wilson set up a working party in August 1975 to report on 'the requirements of a viable and prosperous British film industry over the next decade'.
His successor, James Callaghan appointed an Interim Action Committee on the Film Industry (IAC), with Wilson as chairman, with a view to paving the way for a British Film Authority.
The committee met under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry, which provided the secretariat and facilities.
Following the election of the Thatcher government in 1979 it became evident that the idea of a British Film Authority was being dropped, although the IAC was retained as a forum for advice about film-related matters.
In 1985 the Interim Action Committee was replaced by The British Screen Advisory Council.