Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will consider putting proposals relating to the next BBC Charter to a vote in Parliament.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Parliament will have an opportunity to debate the new draft Charter following the consultation and publication of the White Paper. As required by the current Charter, a new draft Charter must be laid before and debated by both Houses of Parliament before a recommendation can be made to His Majesty in Council to grant the Charter.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of regulations on the broadcast or online circulation of footage from fatal accident scenes.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ofcom is required by legislation to enforce a Broadcasting Code to protect television audiences from harmful material and against unwarranted infringements of privacy. Broadcasters should not take or broadcast footage of people caught up in emergencies, victims of accidents or those suffering a personal tragedy, even in a public place, where that results in an infringement of privacy, unless it is warranted or the people concerned have given consent.

Where someone shares material via social media that is grossly offensive, indecent, or otherwise unlawful, this may constitute a criminal offence. Anybody who carries out this action could be liable to prosecution through the Courts. Under the Online Safety Act, services must establish adequate systems and processes to prevent illegal content, including material that is grossly offensive or indecent, from appearing and remove it if it does.

The Government continues to monitor these issues closely and consider whether further interventions are necessary to protect victims and uphold public safety.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Freeview TV distribution system remains available to all.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution and we are committed to maintaining access for all. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is protected until at least 2034, safeguarding access for millions of households. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for (a) children and (b) young people to participate in ice hockey in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including ice hockey, providing more opportunities for children and young people to be active.

In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England invested £314,995 into the Surrey Heath constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity. Local Authorities in Surrey received a combined total of £1.86m of Sport England Funding in 2024-25.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact o changes to the Listed Places of Worship Scheme on the number of places of worship in England and Wales.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is a £23m scheme that gives grants covering VAT on eligible works. We estimate that changes to the Scheme this year, including the introduction of a 25k cap on claims, affected around 6% of claims as most claims are under £5,000. The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the scheme on the number of places of worship in England and Wales. However, the Department has commissioned an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which will be published soon.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 97452 on Gambling Taxation, whether remote gambling licence holders are permitted under legislation to advertise in Northern Ireland; and what plans she has to allocate Northern Ireland a share of the Statutory Gambling Levy funds raised from remote licence holders.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Section 5 of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 makes it an offence to advertise unlicensed remote gambling services in Northern Ireland. Any online operator who wishes to advertise their services in Northern Ireland must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission.

Wider gambling regulation is devolved in Northern Ireland and, as such, developing the most appropriate approach to tackle gambling-related harm to help residents in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Gambling Levy Regulations are subject to the jurisdiction of the Gambling Act 2005 and so profits levied in Great Britain will provide funding for projects and services in Great Britain only. However, it is likely that there will be some indirect benefits of levy funding for citizens in Northern Ireland.

DCMS officials have recently met with officials in Northern Ireland to discuss a wide range of issues. The Department stands ready to support the Northern Ireland Executive in their plans to strengthen gambling regulations.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of of surveys by More in Common for the Campaign to End Gambling Advertising showing 70% support tougher curbs on gambling advertising and 27% saying gambling companies should not promote themselves at all; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 9pm watershed and other gambling advertising restrictions in protecting children and vulnerable people on television, social media, and digital platforms, in this context; and whether she plans to introduce statutory watershed protections or other measures to reduce exposure and harm.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We note that More in Common’s recent report “Ending a Losing Streak” provides an overview of the British public’s views regarding gambling advertising, particularly for children and young people. We also note that statistics from the 2025 Young People and Gambling survey demonstrates that the overall proportion of young people who recalled having seen gambling adverts or promotion weekly was consistent with 2024. We consider evidence from a wide range of sources, including the statistics in both reports, when considering the impact of gambling advertising on children and young people.

We are not considering the introduction of a statutory watershed at this time. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and keep all areas of gambling policy under review. We will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and vulnerable people.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Rugby Football Union and Sport England on the financial sustainability of PREM Rugby clubs.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union.

I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue.

During the Pandemic, the previous Government loaned £158 million to rugby union to support organisations impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on favourable terms. Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits of negotiating free-to-air television coverage of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart in the UK.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Hosting the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs in 2027 will cement Britain's reputation as a destination for major international sporting events. These events will stimulate growth, attract new visitors and leave a lasting legacy for athletes and fans alike.

As a Government, we want to ensure sport can be accessed, played and enjoyed by as many people as possible. With more than 900km of route spanning England, Scotland and Wales, and free spectating all the way, together these races will be the most accessible major sporting event Great Britain has ever hosted.

Broadcast rights are ultimately commercial decisions for broadcasters and event owners, in this case the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). I know that organisers are keen to work with all partners to maximise exposure and ensure these races can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when the proposed mandatory national register for short term lets will be introduced.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are committed to the introduction of the new national short-term lets registration service as soon as possible. The service entered user testing at the end of October 2025 to ensure it is robust, easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme, ahead of its public launch in 2026.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much COVID-19 loan support is currently outstanding by each Premiership Rugby Union club.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended.

DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Twycross on 16 September 2025 (HL10149), what plans they have to disburse all the remaining funds in the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme by raising the cap on individual claims retrospectively in the final weeks of the scheme.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Scheme for 2025 to 2026 will close on 31st March 2026 or once the £23 million budget has been reached, whichever is earlier. In order to ensure the scheme is available to as many listed places of worship as possible, within this context, we do not feel it is appropriate to reassess the cap for this financial year.

As announced on 22 January, from April 2026, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will introduce to a more targeted model aimed at places of worship in areas of greatest need, ensuring that every pound of taxpayers' money is leveraged to secure the future of our heritage while supporting the government's wider missions for national renewal and community cohesion.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.

We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Cultural Policy Unit, The National Library Card, published in December 2025; and what plans they have to act on its recommendations.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Libraries matter to people. They provide inspiration, education and entertainment for many thousands of people every week. The Government fully recognises the importance and value of public libraries for all members of the public. During early years, for example, libraries can help boost language and reading skills and confidence through rhymetime sessions and family learning events, building lifetime foundations of reading for pleasure.

We are aware of the report and I have read it with interest. As the Cultural Policy Unit identifies, the value of a public library card lies beyond simply having one, but in using it. This is why last year DCMS published its non-users research, a comprehensive quantitative report exploring the barriers to library use and potential strategies for re-engagement.

We will also be working with The Reading Agency and the public library sector to look at ways to boost membership and usage of public library service by people of all ages during the 2026 National Year of Reading.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing charities lotteries to operate UK-wide.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland.

Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic contribution of (a) touring musicians and (b) cultural professionals to the UK economy.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recognises that touring musicians and cultural professionals are essential to the United Kingdom’s economic vitality. The Department assesses the economic contribution of these sectors through the DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, which provide accredited official statistics on Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimate.

The Government remains committed to supporting these professionals both at home and abroad. We continue to engage with the sector to address barriers to international touring and to ensure a sustainable environment for domestic performance, maintaining the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for the arts.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of community sports initiatives on (a) public health outcomes and (b) crime.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Community sports initiatives can have a wide range of benefits, including promoting social inclusion, tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and delivering improvements to physical and mental wellbeing. The benefits to individual wellbeing through sport and physical activity are valued at £106.9 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £15.9 billion a year.

In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector has access to adequate funding in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This government recognises the vital role played by voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in supporting people right across the country. As captured in the Civil Society Covenant, these organisations are integral to our vision for national renewal and delivery of the government’s five national missions.

DCMS is providing a range of support for VCSEs across the country. The Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy, published in June 2025, set out the next funding tranche of £440 million for England over 2024-28, with £87.5 million of this funding allocated for social investment. We will also deliver up to £500 million through the Better Futures Fund. This is the world’s largest outcomes fund, supporting up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years. It will bring together government, local communities, VCSEs, investors, and philanthropists to give children a brighter future.

As part of the National Youth Strategy, we aim to work in a more collaborative, local way and local VCSEs will be at the forefront of driving the action we take to support young people.

There are several ways for VCSEs to search for further funding opportunities, including:

• The VCSE Business Hub launched by this Government in January 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-business-hub)

• Funding opportunities hosted by The National Lottery Community Fund (https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support independent museums.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This Government supports independent museums around the country through funding delivered via Arts Council England (ACE), with ACE investing over £80 million in museums in 2025/26 across its programmes. This funding includes £25 million to support museums across England with urgent infrastructure and maintenance backlogs through the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and a brand new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, both announced last February, in addition to core programming funding for the over 200 museum sites forming part of the National Portfolio. As the National Development Agency for Museums, ACE also funds the Museum Development Network, providing expert advice to smaller museums across the country, and delivers Cultural Property functions that support museums with everything from insurance, to new acquisitions.

Most recently, eligible independent museums could apply to the latest round of the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, launched in September 2025 to support local and regional museums to improve displays, enhance collections care and make exhibitions more accessible to wider audiences. Independent museums are also supported through government schemes including the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries, and the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of financial penalties for social responsibility failings in acting as a deterrent.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Financial penalties are one element of the Gambling Commission’s regulatory toolkit. Action taken by the Gambling Commission is based on the need to gain compliance from gambling operators with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice at the earliest opportunity. If breaches occur, financial penalties may be imposed.

Since 2016/17, the Commission’s enforcement action has resulted in over £215 million in fines and regulatory settlements. As a result of the Commission’s compliance and enforcement work, in the last three years there have been fewer instances of extreme failings at gambling operators. However, the Commission continues to address any non-compliance through use of its enforcement powers and will continue to do so wherever necessary.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling advertisements on children and young people; and whether she plans to introduce legislative measures to restrict or ban gambling marketing and sponsorship.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

All operators advertising in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.

The Government does not currently have plans to ban gambling advertising. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and we continue to work closely with the gambling industry to further strengthen protections.

We have welcomed the Premier League’s voluntary front of shirt ban on gambling advertisements from next season, which will reduce gambling exposure for children and young people. Additionally, we will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and young people.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of resilience of an internet-only distribution model for television for public service broadcasting and emergency broadcasting; and what contingency arrangements are in place to guarantee universal access to emergency broadcast information in the event of major cyber incidents, prolonged power outages and mobile or broadband network failure.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios. DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios where communications may be disrupted, including power outages.

The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.

The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on viewers in Northern Ireland of switching off digital terrestrial television, in particular the impact on (1) access to UK and Irish public service broadcasting, and (2) cross-border licensing arrangements; and what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland and Irish regulators about that issue.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what modelling they have done of the impact of changes to digital terrestrial television on older people, disabled people and low income households in Northern Ireland, and what steps they will take to mitigate additional costs to those households.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the remit of the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum includes an assessment of (1) affordability and social exclusion risks, and (2) regional impacts, including impacts on the Northern Ireland multiplex.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her diplomatic policies of broadcasters in other countries boycotting the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on political grounds.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Any decisions made by international broadcasters regarding the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest are for them alone. The Government is committed to a free and independent media.

Determination of who takes part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Content is a matter for the European Broadcasting Union and its individual members. The BBC is fully participating in Eurovision, and has said it supports the collective decisions made by members of the EBU.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Total spend with our media buying and planning agencies for the last three financial years is as follows:

Financial years under the previous government

Financial years under the previous and current government

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to increase funding for women and girls in sports.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.

The This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body Sport England, has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.

We are committed to delivering best in class facilities, with the significant investment of £98 million in 2025/26 and a further £400 million over the next four years in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities. We are expecting to more than double the share of primetime slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years, with a clear long-term target of reaching equal access as demand grows.

We are working to drive a Decade of Change in women’s sport, kicked off by the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and we are using the Women's Football Taskforce and Women’s Sport Taskforce to drive progress across the sector.

Further to this, we are increasing visibility of women’s sport, including delivering a drumbeat of UK hosted major events, including this year’s Women's T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 and the Tour de France/Tour de France Femmes Grand Depart 2027, while also supporting the bid for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup.

We want to support women and girls at every stage of their lives to get involved in sport.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the Answer her Department provided to Question 99845 on 18 December 2025, with reference to the Answer provided to Question 99844 on 8 January 2026.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We have corrected the answer to PQ 99845 and apologise for the error.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department considers trail hunting to form part of the UK’s rural cultural heritage.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DCMS and each of the Devolved Governments are working to create inventories of living heritage in the UK. The criteria are set out here: https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/info/guidance/criteria.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the financial sustainability of grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to youth activities for young people in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government recently published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’, a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. This is backed by over £500 million of new money over the next 3 years from DCMS. We will be designing the funding and programmes in more detail over the next few months and will share more information in due course.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the trusted adults targeted through the National Youth Strategy are trained and equipped to provide skilled work-readiness coaching for young people who are not in education, employment or training.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Through the National Youth Strategy, the government has committed to support more trusted adults to safely engage with and guide young people when and where they need it most.

Whilst our work to increase access to trusted adults will be broader than work-readiness coaching, we expect it to achieve positive education and employment outcomes for young people. Further details on the scope of DCMS activities and programmes will be published in due course.

More widely, the government has set out a major plan of investment to increase work readiness for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Over the next four years, we are investing £820 million in an expanded Youth Guarantee to give young people the opportunity to gain the essential skills and valuable experience they need.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent research her Department has conducted on the impact on children of gambling-based mechanics in video games which utilise microtransactions such as loot boxes.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place for players of all ages.

To improve those protections, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made on the financial pressures on grassroots rugby clubs in the South West.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department is providing to grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.

Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of (a) loot boxes in video games and (b) gambling products; and what steps she is taking to mitigate potential harms associated with loot box mechanics, particularly for children and young people.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place.

Prizes that can be won via loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They are therefore not legally classified as gambling. However, evidence has shown an association between loot boxes and gambling-related harm.

To improve protections in games containing loot boxes, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period, after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Department's report of 18 July 2023 entitled Loot boxes in video games: update on improvements to industry-led protections, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of those protections on protecting consumers.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place for players of all ages.

To improve those protections, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.

Found: tax system HC 645 22nd Government’s support for biomass HC 715 21st Fixing NHS Dentistry HC 648 20th DCMS

Found: The IPO’s Metadata Technical Solutions Group (emanating from the DCMS Select Committee into the Economics

Found: Members of Jewish community state that the Board of Deputies will ask DCMS team, West Midlands Mayor

Found: executed, as, for example, evidenced by the failed Section 73 Charity Commission scheme vetoed by DCMS

Found: consistently on national skills-shortage lists published by Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: the Soft Power Council, which sits across the FCDO and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS

Found: Effective delivery requires coordination between: ● DBT (digital markets and business environment), ● DCMS

Found: . ● HMT - in collaboration with DCMS and DBT - should review the interdependencies of sectors, especially

Found: That would cut across Government Departments, working with the Department for Education, DCMS, arm’s

Found: Detail on DSIT’s role with Science Education Centres, and how we are working with DCMS and DfE to provide

Found: opening hours is a barrier to reading for pleasure, especially for children with working parents (DCMS

Found: DCMS has carried out analysis of Arts Council England’s published basic dataset of public libraries

Found: revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 individual local authority data – outturn) 2 DCMS

Found: We recommend a sustained, long-term and integrated approach across DfE, DCMS, family services, the publishing

Found: NYR must be a cross-Government, cross-party campaign, building on commitments from DfE, DCMS, ACE, MoJ

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: course we must save in order to repay, with interest, the £20.7m Culture Recovery Fund loan that DCMS

Found: Ruth Hannant: Hello, I am Ruth Hannant, the director-general for society, media and culture at the DCMS

Found: Ruth Hannant: Hello, I am Ruth Hannant, the director-general for society, media and culture at the DCMS

Found: This has been tabled with DCMS since Q2 last year and could be developed, implemented and leveraged

Found: course we must save in order to repay, with interest, the £20.7m Culture Recovery Fund loan that DCMS

Found: The government will then set out its preferred policy direction for the BBC in a white paper. 1 DCMS

Found: However, several departments continue to lay after summer recess (DEFRA, DCMS, DHSC) and MoD has moved

Found: As detailed in FRAB 135 (02-1) paragraphs 28-30, HMT spoke to DCMS, DfT and DfE who supported an adaptation

Found: Conservation Areas are normally designated by the local planning authority. 74 DLUHC, DCMS & DESNZ (

Found: Conservation Areas are normally designated by the local planning authority. 74 DLUHC, DCMS & DESNZ (

Found:   £25 million secured at the 2025 Spending Review for DCMS Createch Futures programme  £155 million to

Found: Science, Innovation and Technology College of Experts member, unpaid UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Found: Notes to Editors DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including

Found: Notes to Editors DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including

Found: DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council

Found: Self-funded capital projects (HMT delegated limit for DCMS Freedom Bodies only). 2 Refer

Found: Commercial activities The following outlines in full the commercial requirements of DCMS

Found: Self-funded capital projects (HMT delegated limit for DCMS Freedom Bodies only). 2 Refer

Found: Any perceived conflicts should be brought to the attention of DCMS to discuss an appropriate

Found: sets out the broad governance framework within which the Wallace Collection and the DCMS

Found: Commercial activities The following outlines in full the commercial requirements of DCMS

Found: The SFA will receive a further £9m in capital investment from DCMS in 2025-26, taking total investment