(1 day, 19 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Rachel Taylor (North Warwickshire and Bedworth) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
The Government are highly committed to increasing physical activity for young people, which is why we are reforming the PE and school sports partnerships, strengthening links between schools, clubs and local communities, and investing in grassroots facilities. If I may say so, my hon. Friend is an outstanding advocate on this issue and an example of the amazing contribution that people can make throughout their lifetimes through sport. As an umpire for Wimbledon and someone who still plays tennis for her county, she is a shining example of what can be achieved through sport.
Rachel Taylor
I thank my right hon. Friend for her kind words. At the recent Warwickshire youth conference, young people spoke to me about the challenges they face in finding work, from poor mental health to lack of confidence. Grassroots sport can help to break that cycle by building resilience and giving young people the skills to succeed. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that sport plays a greater role in tackling the number of young people not in education, employment or training?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend will know that this Government co-produced with young people the national youth strategy, which we published last year. In that strategy we set out a commitment that all young people in this country should have somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. We are setting about rebuilding youth work and youth services, and putting my Department in the service of young people and that strategy through sports, art and other opportunities for them to live richer, larger lives. Next week we will publish the Milburn review to tackle the 1 million young people who are not in education, employment or training. The Prime Minister believes firmly—and I support him—that that has to include enriching activities for young people from an early age and all the way through their teenage years, so that when they go out looking for work, they have the resilience, confidence and skills to be able to benefit.
Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)
Reflecting on my time as Sports Minister, one thing that struck me is how much time we spent on the latest drama created by sports or governing bodies, and how little time we spent on promoting physical activity, to the extent that when we had meetings with Sport Ministers from around the world, it was striking that they were often members of a Department of Health, rather than some other body. Does the right hon. Lady agree that there is real merit in much closer co-operation, and perhaps even joint ministerial roles, in promoting physical activity and sports roles, with the added benefit of potential access to greater budgets?
Lisa Nandy
I strongly support what the hon. Gentleman says. Less than half of children are getting the recommended 60 active minutes a day, and we as a Government are really concerned about that. I agree that this has to be a whole-of-Government endeavour. In particular, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport need to work together much more closely. I have discussed this issue with the new Health Secretary and the new Education Secretary, but I am very keen to discuss it further with the hon. Gentleman and to get his advice as a former Sport Minister on how we might best achieve that.
Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
Lifting the full potential of our city regions and clusters across the UK is a core objective not just of our modern industrial strategy, but of our plan for growth in every postcode. Place-based funding is helping to ensure that our city regions and high-potential clusters are able to unlock more growth, create more good jobs and continue producing world-class creative content. London is a global creative industries super-cluster, and we are committed to supporting its continued success as one of the 12 priority super-clusters identified in the creative industries sector plan.
Gregory Stafford
My constituent Simon has built a media company in the heart of our creative sector in London, but at a recent surgery he told me that the Culture Secretary’s regional funding drive is destroying the creative industry in London and the south-east. Simon and his business partner employ 25 people, and they pay rent, business rates and service charges on top of their wage bill. We should be supporting this industry, not stripping it. What is the Minister doing to support the creative industries in the south of England?
Ian Murray
I congratulate Simon on setting up his business. It is true that 67% of all creative industries activity happens in London alone, and an extra 18% in the south-east. The region is a super-cluster, and this Government are doing all we can to ensure that we support the industry right across the United Kingdom. The BBC has built hubs across the country, including in Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, and they provide the ecosystem that allows companies to thrive. London will remain one of our super-clusters, and the funding that we are putting into the creative industries goes right across the country.
Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)
To get growth in every postcode, surely we must junk the Tories’ crude anti-London formula that saw the whole of the capital disadvantaged, including Ealing Studios—the home of comedy—and Acton’s Versa Studios, where “Big Brother” is made. Can Ministers start the rebalancing by introducing an unscripted tax credit? It has worked wonders in Ireland, where it is at 20%.
Ian Murray
I do not know whether that was a question to me or a challenge to the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford), who asked the original question. The Government are fully committed to funding the creative industries wherever they are across the country. The Prime Minister has challenged all of us in the Government to create growth in every postcode, but in order to do so we need creativity in every postcode, because we know that there is talent everywhere, but not opportunity.
Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
This Government are more committed than ever to championing women’s sport and inspiring girls to get involved. One of the great pleasures I have had in recent years is being presented with the challenge of a whole generation of girls coming forward to play sports such as football and rugby, inspired by the stunning success of the Lionesses and the Red Roses. That is why we have removed many of the restrictions on what grassroots facilities we are prepared to fund. The one restriction we have put in place is that women and girls must have equal access to priority slots when we invest in grassroots sports facilities. I would be delighted to discuss with the hon. Member what more we can do.
Aphra Brandreth
At Westminster Park in my constituency, girls want to play football and cricket, but there is nowhere suitable for them to change. For the Leopards, Westminster Park’s girls football team, that becomes a real barrier as the girls get older and move up to the adult pitches. Councillor Razia Daniels and I have been campaigning with local residents to get better facilities, and the council has commissioned a feasibility study, but it has no capital budget for this, and without proper funding the girls risk another season without being able to play. I would like to take up the Secretary of State’s offer, so will she meet me to discuss how we can work with the Department to ensure that the council, the Football Foundation and Sport England secure the funding so that no more girls miss out?
Lisa Nandy
I would be very happy to ensure that officials follow up with the hon. Member to resolve that issue. She is right to point to changing facilities as one of the key reasons why girls do not stay involved in sport. We really have pushed hard to ensure that this is a priority for funding from the Football Foundation and others. A number of Members across the House have raised with me as Culture Secretary over the past couple of years the significant challenge of navigating these funding systems and the conditions attached to them. We are looking at how to make it much easier for councils and Members of Parliament to access that funding to solve the local problems that she describes, but I would be very happy to follow this up.
Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney) (Lab)
Will the Secretary of State please join me in thanking the volunteers at Junior Parkrun at Parc Bryn Bach in Tredegar. It has good facilities, but their hard work has doubled the number of girls and boys getting out to run on a Sunday morning. Having said that, research from Sky shows that girls in my constituency still do an hour and 16 minutes less sport each week than boys. Can she give us the wider picture of the steps that she is taking to close that gap and get more girls to be active?
Lisa Nandy
I thank my hon. Friend for his advocacy for Parkrun, which has been one of the real bright spots on the sport landscape in recent years—I am a keen participant in my local Parkrun at Haigh Hall and across the borough. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the volunteers at Junior Parkrun, because without them these amazing events would not happen. He is right to point to the challenges we still have with women and girls’ participation. There is no single solution, but I can assure him that I and my hon. Friend the Minister for Sport are treating this as one of the top priorities in the Department.
Will Stone (Swindon North) (Lab)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
I was delighted to see £20 million allocated for a new cultural venue in Swindon via the growth mission fund, thanks to the tenacity of my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander). Officials will continue to work on plans for the theatre with the new Conservative council, which I believe is assessing whether it should take this forward. The investment remains subject to a final business case demonstrating the project’s viability and affordability. I welcome this investment in the arts and communities in Swindon, and I thank my hon. Friend for his question.
Will Stone
I thank the Minister for his response. I am actively encouraging the Conservative administration in Swindon to proceed with the plans for a new theatre, following the funding successfully secured by my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander) and me. In the interim, we have to think about our beloved Wyvern theatre. Is there any additional support to retrofit existing theatres in the interim?
Ian Murray
There is. We are investing up to £425 million via the creative foundations fund for urgent capital works for not-for-profit cultural venues in England. The funding is already supporting older theatres, such as Scarborough Theatre Trust and Northampton Theatres Trust. I understand that Wyvern theatre’s activities involve Swindon borough council, a commercial operator and a charitable programme via Reach Inclusive Arts. I encourage local partners to discuss capital pressures with Arts Council England and my hon. Friend. I am sure that the Arts Minister would be delighted to meet him and his colleague, my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander), to discuss that further.
Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Our listed buildings stand at the heart of our communities, and we are investing in heritage across the country with £230 million by 2030 to support listed buildings across England. That includes £75 million through the heritage at risk capital fund to support the repair and conservation of buildings at risk, and £92 million through the places of worship renewal fund for urgent repairs that keep buildings in use.
Sarah Bool
Many churches relied on the listed places of worship grant scheme to reclaim VAT paid on essential repairs and maintenance. The Government say that the new places of worship renewal fund will be targeted at areas with the greatest disadvantage and need. Can the Minister clarify the metrics being used and reassure my constituents that rural churches in areas such as South Northamptonshire will not be overlooked?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the hon. Lady and I appreciate that she is a huge champion for her local community, which has a rich heritage. The reality is that, under the previous scheme, 80% of those who got funding said that they would have done it anyway, so it was hugely under-targeted. The reality was also that more deprived areas simply could not raise the capital needed in the first place to qualify for the VAT rebate. Our places of worship renewal fund targets those places with the greatest levels of both deprivation and need.
Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)
Listed places of worship, such as St Mary de Haura in Shoreham, are not just places to pray; they are at the beating heart of our community. Following the listed places of worship grant scheme closing and being replaced by the more competitive and VAT-included places of worship renewal fund, my constituents are concerned about their ability to repair and maintain their places of worship. Will the Minister tell the House how the Government intend to ensure that our places of worship can continue to serve our communities long into the future?
Stephanie Peacock
My hon. Friend is right to point out how important they are to local communities. We have the places of worship renewal fund, which I have just spoken about. In addition, the Government have made available £230 million for heritage. Further, we have the National Lottery Heritage Fund and I also encourage him to engage with the Church of England.
Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
The Independent Football Regulator is empowering fans and protecting clubs from unsuitable owners. In the 12 months since we appointed the football regulator, he has published the “State of the Game” report, which is an unprecedented assessment of football finances, and the biggest ever undertaken. He is involved in highly complex negotiations across the football pyramid. He has also been involved in meeting fans from a number of clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday and Morecambe, when problems have arisen.
Dr Evans
The Labour donor and chair of the Independent Football Regulator has said that if Manchester City were to sue the regulator, the regulator would need to come to the Government to get more money. Given the interest that the Prime Minister has specified about Man City and his opinion on that, how much money have the Government put aside just in case Man City sue the regulator?
Lisa Nandy
We have been clear from the outset that these are very serious allegations. Manchester City must have the right to a fair process, because it strongly refutes the allegations, but that is a matter for the Premier League. Its independent body will come to a determination about that—at which point, if the allegations are upheld, we will obviously all want to see action taken—but the process has to be allowed to run its course. I would just gently say to the hon. Gentleman that I am old enough to remember when he was putting out press releases welcoming the Independent Football Regulator, at a time when his Government were in power and intended to proceed with it, and when his Government had put the football regulator we later appointed on to the long list. If he thinks he is such a crony, he needs to ask why his Government decided to put him on the long list for the appointment in the first place.
Mr Bayo Alaba (Southend East and Rochford) (Ind)
Thanks to research by organisations such as the Black Footballers’ Partnership, we know that while roughly 43% of players in the English premier league are black, black people hold just 1.6% of executive and leadership positions in British football. Will the Minister agree to meet me and the Black Footballers’ Partnership to discuss how the Government can support football in closing this outdated gap?
Lisa Nandy
I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue, which I think in the two years I have been Culture Secretary has not been raised directly with me in the House. He is absolutely right to say that that must change. The Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), and I have done a lot of work with football and other sports to ensure that women are in positions of responsibility within clubs and organisations. I would be more than happy to meet him to discuss what we can do to right this historical wrong.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and my ongoing engagement with the culture, media and sport sectors as a shadow Minister. In addition to this Labour Government’s tax increases on sport, we recently learnt that their new football regulator has already spent double what the Government promised it would cost clubs and fans. When challenged on that, the chief executive of the football regulator argued that he did not agree with the Government’s forecasts, with only £1 million set aside to repay £45 million of set-up costs. That leaves £44 million unaccounted for. When should taxpayers expect their money back, and does the Secretary of State believe that the football regulator is operating to the light-touch mandate it was given by Parliament?
Lisa Nandy
Yes, I do. I strongly welcome the work that the Independent Football Regulator is doing, but that is less important than the fact that fans across the country strongly welcome the work that it is doing. The “State of the Game” report was a stark wake-up call to the whole of football. As the former Sports Minister, Dame Tracey Crouch, said when she established the regulator from the fan-led review, if we do not look after the foundations of football, then we will lose one of the things that brings joy to millions of people and is one of the UK’s greatest exports. It is right that we ask football to fund the regulator, it is right that we take action to ensure that there is fair financial flow through the game, and it is right that we set it up on an independent basis with a light-touch approach to ensure that we preserve the joy of football for generations to come.
Mr French
The other part of my question was about the £44 million that is currently unaccounted for. If the football regulator was to charge clubs on a £1 million basis over 10 years, that would equate to £10 million, which still leaves £35 million unaccounted for. Is the Secretary of State saying that football clubs should expect bigger bills next year, and how does she believe that will help make them more financially resilient?
Lisa Nandy
The shadow Minister has consistently stood at the Dispatch Box and challenged me and the Minister for Sport on ensuring that the football regulator is independent. We believe in that independence. The football regulator has offered him many meetings to discuss the various issues that he has raised in this House, and I am sure that it would be happy to meet to discuss funding.
Jayne Kirkham (Truro and Falmouth) (Lab/Co-op)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Through our Arts Everywhere programme, we are investing £1.5 billion into culture and heritage infrastructure in places with the greatest need. That includes funding the Art Centre Penryn in my hon. Friend’s constituency, which was awarded project development grants through the heritage revival fund.
Jayne Kirkham
Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery is essentially the national museum for Cornwall. While £7 out of £8 of DCMS’s museum funding goes to our 15 national museums, which are free to enter, the Cornwall museum charges a fee, does not get funding from the local authority any more and, as it is trustee run, is not eligible for many funding streams. What options are there for the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery in Truro to close that funding gap?
Stephanie Peacock
I thank my hon. Friend for her advocacy on that issue. As an Arts Council England accredited museum, Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery is eligible to apply for the museum estate and development fund, which provides capital funding for urgent repairs and infrastructure maintenance. For other funding opportunities, the museum could also explore Arts Council and national lottery project grants and support from philanthropic organisations.
Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)
Essex and the Witham constituency have a range of fantastic heritage houses, museums and venues for people to visit. It will come as no surprise to the Minister and the Front Bench team that those venues are struggling because of increases in employment taxes and some of the other burdens they are now facing. Has the Department done a cumulative impact assessment on what that means for the sustainability of some of those big cultural heritage sites, and what more can the Government do to assist them?
Stephanie Peacock
The right hon. Member is a strong advocate for her constituency. This Government are investing in heritage across the country, with £230 million committed by 2030. I am sure the Minister for Heritage would be delighted to discuss it with her further.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
Before I answer the question, I say to the hon. Gentleman that we stand fully with him after recent incidents online, with him having received tens of thousands of disgusting messages and death threats. This Government and everyone else in this House—maybe with the exception of a few Members of Parliament —take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and those kinds of threats. We stand with the hon. Gentleman.
Local journalism is vital to society and democracy, including titles such as the Eastbourne Herald and the Eastbourne Reporter in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. We published the local media action plan to help the sector adjust and thrive in the digital age. Our actions include a local news fund with up to £12 million, a campaign to inspire the next generation of journalists and readers, and an updated plan for journalists’ safety, both here and abroad.
Josh Babarinde
I thank the Minister for his comments. It should not be controversial to say that you do not have to be white to be English. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Much of social media has become a cesspit of abuse and disinformation, but local journalism can be an antidote to such poison. Local journalism in Eastbourne is thriving, with the likes of Adam and Ivana recently joining the Eastbourne Herald and Paul Gibson’s Eastbourne News expanding, too. Will the Minister tell us a little more about what he can do to support local journalism in the fight against disinformation and misinformation?
Ian Murray
We have the local news fund and the local news strategy. This is an issue right across the country, and we need to ensure that we have a thriving local journalistic community so that we can get those stories to people and so that the news is trusted and trustworthy. The BBC obviously plays a key role in that, and the BBC charter process is investigating how it can support that infrastructure and ecosystem across the country. I would be very happy to work with the hon. Gentleman in sharing his experience to see what we can do to help his local area and areas across all regions across the country. I want to emphasise from the Dispatch Box, too, that you do not have to be white to be English—the hon. Gentleman is right to say that—although you do have to be tight to be Scottish. [Laughter.]
Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
From Scotland to Harlow, Mr Speaker. Online news sites like Your Harlow, which has provided thousands of news articles to Harlow residents across the years, rely on people visiting their site for advertising revenue, but there is a danger posed by AI summaries, particularly when some of those summaries are wrong. What thought has the Minister given to the impact of AI summaries on local news sources like Your Harlow?
Ian Murray
The Government are actively looking at this issue, because we know from experience—we always use the Southport example—that when there are incidents or crisis moments across the country, people turn to their local news outlets and the BBC to find the truth because they are sceptical of what they are reading. In the meantime, anyone who is reading these AI summaries online should double-check with their local newspapers and the sources they are given to ensure that that information is true. What happens, of course, is the old adage: a lie is halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on. That happens much faster now with social media. I am delighted that my hon. Friend has broken his habit in the House by at least mentioning Harlow in his question.
James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)
Vibrant local news is essential to our democracy, but plans for the Government or a state quango to pick what is a source of trustworthy news content and is prioritised over other publishers risk undermining that sector. Does the Minister agree that the approach of picking winners, with the state deciding what can be trusted, is a dangerous course and should be abandoned?
Ian Murray
I disagree with the hon. Gentleman on this basis: the media Green Paper to which I think he is referring is trying to deal with the issue of misinformation and disinformation and to answer the exam question posed by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde) about how we promote the local trustworthy news that the public are crying out for and have a massive thirst for. It is an ecosystem that we have to try to support. The Green Paper is rightly posing these questions, and we will have the answers for the White Paper shortly.
James Wild
The Minister has not given an answer and has declined to rule out going ahead with the proposals in the Green Paper for the state or a quango to decide what is trustworthy news. Will he at least rule out that only news publishers that sign up to an approved regulator under the press recognition system could qualify?
Ian Murray
These are questions that have been asked in the Green Paper. The White Paper will be published soon, and I am not going to pre-empt it at this Dispatch Box. The hon. Gentleman will just have to contain himself until then. The big, fundamental issue here is how we deal with the misinformation and disinformation in this country that is undermining our democracy and society and doing the kinds of things that have been experienced by the hon. Member for Eastbourne. Those are the kinds of questions the Green Paper is trying to address. It is in all our interests—the interests of every Member in this House—to get misinformation and disinformation out of our ecosystem so that we can have a thriving democracy and thriving communities.
Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)
I thank my hon. Friend for her support for volunteers who strengthen communities like Blaydon and Consett, and I pay tribute to her first-hand experience as a Samaritan. This year we provided £300,000 for the Big Help Out, promoting nearly 5 million volunteering opportunities across the country. We extended the know your neighbourhood fund, providing an additional £4.5 million to voluntary organisations. We also worked with the Open Data Institute and civil society partners to create a simpler system for advertising opportunities across a range of platforms.
Liz Twist
In two weeks’ time, I will hold my annual red kite awards, ensuring that volunteers in Blaydon and Consett know the value of their work—they go above and beyond to help save lives and support whole communities. But for many voluntary organisations rising costs and reduced funding are making that good work ever more difficult. What steps are the Government taking to support voluntary groups and ensure that they are able to continue that vital support?
Vicky Foxcroft
First, I congratulate my hon. Friend on all the work she does to ensure that the red kite awards take place. This Government are backing a strong and sustainable voluntary sector, as outlined in the civil society covenant, through VAT reliefs on donated goods, updating charity thresholds, which will save £47 million annually, and the £2 million better commissioning pathways programme. We are supporting voluntary organisations to build resilience and deliver vital support.
Tom Gordon (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (LD)
This year, Harrogate International Festivals is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It relies on a small army of volunteers to make it happen, with the fantastic leadership of Sharon Canavar as chief executive and Fiona Movley as chair of the board. Increasingly, arts festivals like Harrogate International Festivals are coming under strain, and we need to do more to make sure that we recruit the next generation of volunteers so that it is there for the future. Will the Minister meet me to discuss what more we can do to ensure that the festivals have another 60 years and beyond?
Vicky Foxcroft
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on all the work he is doing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his local festivals. I would be more than happy to meet with him to discuss it further.
Tom Collins (Worcester) (Lab)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
Keeping children safe online is a top priority for this Department and the Government. That is why we are taking urgent steps to clean up our online spaces, including by raising the age limit for social media to 16, dealing with the risks of children livestreaming themselves, stopping unknown adults from communicating with children through online services, including gaming, and switching off harmful features for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. We will also prevent under-18s from accessing chatbots that offer sexualised content. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend to continue these discussions.
Tom Collins
I am grateful to the Minister for his Department’s open initial response to the product approach, which would see digital products required to meet safety standards, just like every other product marketed in the UK. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade has asked the Law Commission to look at this approach from a product liability perspective, and they are consulting on that now. Will the Minister and the Secretary of State work with their counterparts in that Department to explore treating digital products as products under the law?
Ian Murray
I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. He has recently launched a white paper on digital product safety, arguing that platforms, AI and social media should be subject to the same rigorous product safety frameworks as physical goods to protect the public without stifling innovation, and it looks at this from a hazards perspective rather than a harms perspective. It is an incredibly interesting piece of work. It is something that we are actively looking at, and platforms and social media companies should be looking at it to ensure that their products are safe by design for children.
Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)
Last week, analysis carried out by 17 expert organisations found that platforms are failing to protect women and girls online. This comes three years after the Online Safety Act and one year after Ofcom published its guidance. Does the Minister agree that this lack of action is unacceptable, and will the Government move quickly to strengthen the Act to better protect women and girls?
Ian Murray
I agree with the hon. Lady. Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for the Government. We wish to halve violence against women and girls by the end of this Parliament. Platforms are not doing their duty in making sure that these harms are removed. We are talking about and majoring on tackling harms for children at the moment, but we are trying to create a better online experience for everyone in society, whether they are children or not.
Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) (LD)
The Government are rightly trying to protect children’s safety online, but AI smart glasses risk undermining some of those protections. Children and adults, particularly women, are being filmed without their consent and the footage is being posted online and used to train AI. In the Westminster Hall debate I secured last week, the Minister for Safeguarding said that the Government are looking at options to restrict the use of smart glasses. Will the Minister for Online Safety confirm what measures are being explored and when they will be laid before this House?
Ian Murray
Through the course of the consultation with Members, society and the industry on the under-16 social media ban, a lot of issues have arisen across the age ranges regarding smart glasses and some of the harms of new technologies. We are actively looking at what needs to be done in that area, particularly with smart glasses. It is a security issue and a safety issue; indeed, it is a consent issue. Smart glasses should not be any different from any other issues regarding people’s consent for using their images online and what is being done with those images.
Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
When I was appointed as Culture Secretary two and a half years ago, I was horrified to receive a letter from a Member of this House concerning the case of her constituent who had had his film pulled from a prominent arts venue simply because he was Jewish. In response to that, we set up a group convened jointly by Lord John Mann and Phil Rosenberg of the Board of Deputies to look at that issue. It is an ongoing problem. We have taken a number of steps, including asking Arts Council England to conduct an independent audit of how it handles antisemitism, and we have increased the amount of funding that we provide to Jewish organisations, including for security costs, because safety and security can never become an excuse for tolerating antisemitism and allowing Jewish people to be silenced.
Rebecca Smith
A growing number of Jewish employees at the BBC report that they face anti-Jewish racism at work, and revelations about the BBC’s appalling treatment of Jewish Oscar-winning producer Lucie Kon show that there has been a failure to deal with antisemitism at the heart of the corporation. Does the Secretary of State agree that an independent inquiry into antisemitism within the BBC is urgently needed?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Lady mentions the case of Lucie Kon, which I have discussed directly with the director general of the BBC. I will also meet Lucie in the coming weeks to discuss the matter directly with her. The BBC has done an enormous amount of work on the issue with the Board of Deputies and other Jewish organisations, but I firmly recognise that there is more to be done. We want the BBC to be an exemplar of how the Jewish community is treated in this country. I say this too: this Government do not believe that antisemitism is just a problem for Jewish people to solve. It is a test of the society that we are seeking to build together and we all have to step up and be counted.
Caroline Voaden (South Devon) (LD)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
We know that safe and accessible, high-quality community green spaces and local sports facilities are vital to helping more women and girls to get active. Through Sport England, we are helping local areas to target investment and supporting local authorities to create playing pitch strategies and opportunities for women and girls to take part in sport. Women and girls belong on every pitch that they choose to play on, and we are determined to ensure that we do more to support them.
Caroline Voaden
A school in Totnes in my constituency is planning to sell part of its grounds, including playing fields that are widely used by the community, including by many women, for sport and outdoor exercise. A campaign group is working on a proposal to buy the site, yet despite the site being registered as an asset of community value there is no guarantee that the bid would be accepted and that the playing fields would remain. A community right to buy fund was announced earlier this year, but there was no clarity about how it would work in practice. Does the Secretary of State agree that the right to buy scheme must be clarified to give groups such as the Friends of Lower Field a legal right to purchase playing fields such as these at market value to keep them in the community?
Lisa Nandy
I am aware that there are ongoing discussions between the school’s trust and community groups to explore options for preserving the facilities for community use, while recognising the importance of raising much-needed revenue for the school. Ultimately, this is a decision for the trust as the landowner, but we support ongoing efforts to find a workable solution for all concerned. The hon. Lady also raises a wider question about the way in which we approach cases such as these. I am happy to arrange for officials from my Department to reach out to her to discuss that further.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
Dudley is home to outstanding female sporting talent, including boxer Kirstie Bavington and karate rising star Jess Wyman. Both have spoken to me about the lack of training facilities, financial support and a clear pathway to elite sport for young females. What action is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that female athletes receive the right support to fulfil their potential, and will she meet them?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend has been a consistent champion of opportunities for women and girls and, in fact, for the whole community to be able to participate in sport in her constituency, and I thank her for that. We would of course be happy to follow up in the manner she suggests.
Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
Mobile notspots are still a big problem in parts—[Interruption.] Sorry, I have just arrived. I meant to say, “No. 13.”
Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
The right hon. Gentleman is really showing his experience in the Chamber there. [Laughter.] Mobile connectivity is not a “nice to have”; it is an everyday necessity which connects people and communities and drives growth in every postcode. Of course, we cannot have growth in every postcode without connectivity in every postcode. The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to high-quality stand-alone 5G by 2030.
Sir Julian Smith
I will try again. Mobile notspots are a big challenge in parts of North Yorkshire and other rural parts of the UK. The shared rural network has been effective at meeting its targets, but now that those targets have been met, what plans do Ministers have for the remaining notspots to be sorted out?
Ian Murray
The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to talk about the success of the shared rural network, but notspots still remain. Direct-to-device technology is one way of resolving those. It is a pragmatic solution for remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure is not viable. Lessons learned from the shared rural network programme demonstrate where this might offer a better solution, including for deployment costs, topography and local opposition to new infrastructure in some areas. We will continue to monitor this closely with the industry and ensure that all the tech is being made available to ensure these notspots disappear.
Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Ind)
Meur ras ha myttin da, Mr Speaker. With Cornish constituencies ranking on average 628th out of 650 for good-quality mobile coverage, the paucity of our digital connectivity affects businesses, residents and visitors alike. It is an exemplar of market failure. What are Ministers actually doing to correct this Cornish imbalance?
Ian Murray
The shared rural network programme has been a huge success, but as I said in answer to the initial question of the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Sir Julian Smith), there are still notspots and still some infrastructure problems across the country. We are working closely with the mobile networks to ensure that we can resolve those issues. New technology is coming forward all the time, including that direct-to-device satellite technology. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to go through the specific issues in his constituency and region to ensure that we have everything covered.
Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)
A constituent of mine in her 80s living in a village with no mobile signal has contacted me to share her anxieties about the impending digital switchover. She has done everything asked of her to prepare and has a battery back-up, but she has been told that no fall alarm will work outside her house. She is worried that if there is a power cut that lasts longer than an hour, she will have no way of calling for help. As she put it to me, would it not be sensible to ensure that there was adequate mobile reception everywhere before the digital switchover? Does the Minister recognise these concerns and what will he do to address them?
Ian Murray
We have received correspondence on the kind of issues that the hon. Lady raises, and I am happy to meet her directly to go through her constituent’s particular concerns. We have to ensure that nobody is left behind when we are doing any kind of switchover from older to new technologies. We need to ensure in particular that vulnerable customers are looked after. We are working closely with the mobile networks to ensure that that happens and with the broadband providers to ensure that they can get to every part of the country as well.
Amanda Hack (North West Leicestershire) (Lab)
Mobile reception is patchy at best in my semi-rural constituency. However, what is clear is when industrial sheds are built close to residential areas, mobile reception deteriorates, like in Ellistown in my constituency. Would the Minister agree to meet me to discuss how we can manage situations like this and prevent them in the future?
Ian Murray
I can commit to meeting my hon. Friend to talk about these specific issues. We do a regular telecoms drop-in for MPs, and I encourage all MPs to ensure they come to that so they can meet the mobile network operators and Building Digital UK on the broadband side to ensure that we are covering all these issues. It is not an exact science, so when there are examples like that which my hon. Friend brings forward, I would like to hear about them, so I am happy to meet her.
Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
This country’s creative industries are world-leading, but for far too many people, they are a closed shop and we are determined to change that. We are investing in the BFI Film Academy to expand opportunities for young people from different backgrounds and parts of the country to be able to work in the film industry. We are investing through our Every Child Can programme to increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities. But I have to say to my hon. Friend that progress on this has been frustratingly slow, and we will convene the creative industries in the coming weeks to ask them to do more.
Mrs Blundell
From Caroline Aherne to Peter Kay to the Gallagher brothers, in the past in Greater Manchester we have shown that coming from a working-class background has absolutely no bearing on a person’s ability to make a cultural impact. What further steps have been taken to remove barriers to entry into the creative industries and ensure that talented people from all backgrounds are given the opportunity to shine?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that. Through the work we have done with the TV historian David Olusoga and others, we have identified that there is not just a challenge at entry level; young people from diverse backgrounds hit a glass ceiling at a certain level and simply cannot progress. I am very proud of the fact that Wigan is the home of Ian McKellen, one of the greatest actors this country has ever produced, but frankly it is hard to see how a working-class lad from Wigan nowadays could go on to become one of the greatest actors in this country.
I say to the creative industries: this is existential. Any country can make series about posh boys playing gangsters in the east end. Very few countries can meet the genius of “Derry Girls”. In order to continue to make those incredible moments and create the best output, we need a far more diverse workforce than we have at the moment.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
The Secretary of State took my words, so I will change my question. Historically, there has been a higher concentration of artists and creative organisations in urban areas. However, talent and creativity are widespread across rural areas in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. What steps will the Secretary of State take to address regional disparities in arts funding and ensure that individuals, regardless of where they are based, have fair and equal access to creative opportunities?
Lisa Nandy
I am fairly sure that is the first time the hon. Gentleman has been called a Derry Girl, but I think it might stick. I agree with him: there are significant challenges in different parts of the country, and some areas of the country have been hugely underfunded. We are correcting that. As he will have heard in the recent exchange with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety, that is not without controversy. I maintain that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not, and this Government have a responsibility to change that.
Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) (LD)
The National Centre for Arts Education is trying to improve music education by improving access to continuing professional development for teachers, but CPD cannot reach schools that do not have a music teacher, and these days many schools tragically do not have one. School is a key pathway into the creative industries for children of all backgrounds, so will the Secretary of State work with the Department for Education to restore the music PGCE bursary and support the Liberal Democrat call for 1,000 new music teachers, so that the National Centre for Arts Education can succeed in its mission?
Lisa Nandy
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety and I strongly believe that all children in this country deserve the right to live a richer, larger life through access to art, music, sports and culture. Over the last couple of decades, we have shamefully seen those opportunities stripped out of both our classrooms and our communities. I am working with the Education Secretary on reforms to the curriculum that will put art, sport, music, dance and drama back at the heart of the curriculum, where they belong. We are complementing that with a programme of work in our communities, including building music studios in libraries and other initiatives, and I would be delighted to work with the hon. Lady on that agenda.
Alex McIntyre (Gloucester) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
May I start by wishing the men’s wheelchair rugby league world cup team the best in the final, which is being held tomorrow? I am sure the whole House wishes them all the best, and I hope they have considerably more success than your team often do, Mr Speaker.
On a much more serious note, I want to acknowledge the conviction of Russell Brand for rape and sexual assault. I pay tribute to the extraordinary women who bravely spoke out and to the persistent journalists who worked day in, day out to expose this abuse. This week we have seen other serious allegations being made. They are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry where we have known for so long that power imbalances are huge, and that reputation and contacts are the foundations on which careers are built.
Next week, I will be meeting representatives from across media, entertainment and sport to discuss the action that we need to take, but I want to be clear with the House that if those protections are insufficient, the Government will not hesitate to take further action. For too long, too many people have had to choose between their career and their safety. People must be safe in their jobs, whistleblowers must be protected and those who abuse their position must no longer be able to hide.
Alex McIntyre
I was delighted by the recent Government announcement that more than £250,000 from the Heritage at Risk capital fund is being invested in the Fleece hotel in Gloucester. The hotel first opened in 1497, but it has sadly been closed to the public since 2002. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss how we can secure the remaining funding that is needed to get that historic site in Gloucester city centre open again?
Lisa Nandy
I thank my hon. Friend for his sterling campaigning work to protect such an important heritage asset. We were really pleased that the Fleece hotel could benefit from the Department’s investment through the Heritage at Risk capital fund. Other funding opportunities are available through Historic England, as well as through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and I would be delighted to arrange for officials to work with my hon. Friend to see how we can best secure the future of that important site.
Rebecca Paul (Reigate) (Con)
Russell Brand has now been jailed for rape and sexual assault. I know that the thoughts of the whole House will be with his victims, and I welcome the strong and powerful words of the Secretary of State just now. The BBC’s review into how complaints about Russell Brand’s behaviour were handled found that of eight complaints, only one was formally made at the time, and it was not dealt with effectively. It concludes that individuals felt “unable” to raise issues, believing
“that Russell Brand would always get his way,”
and so they stayed silent. Oscar-winning producer Lucie Kon has also shared her experience with the BBC after reporting antisemitic behaviour, and has raised concerns about the complaints process. In light of those harrowing stories, what discussions is the Secretary of State having with the BBC as part of the charter renewal to ensure that we see more effective investigation of serious workplace complaints, and a zero-tolerance approach to misconduct going forward?
Lisa Nandy
I absolutely accept that there is an important leadership role for the BBC in relation to this issue, but I would hate for us to forget that there were also a number of entertainment, media and publishing organisations where concerns raised about Russell Brand’s behaviour were simply not acted on. That is why I am bringing together representatives from across those different industries, to ensure that we draw a line in the sand and take action that is long overdue.
The hon. Lady asked about the BBC in particular, and she is right to say that significant problems were uncovered at the BBC. I am deeply frustrated that we have had so many reviews: the Dame Janet Smith review into Jimmy Savile; the review into the conduct of Huw Edwards; and reviews into the conduct of Tim Westwood. If we put those reviews next to each other and look at the recommendations, we see that they are the same recommendations over and over again. I will not accept that we cannot get our act together and ensure that our public service broadcaster, of which this country is rightly very proud, upholds better standards and processes than we have seen to date.
Rebecca Paul
Next year marks 1,100 years since Æthelstan united England and began the glorious national story that we are still telling to this day. It is an occasion worthy of celebration and recognition, yet when the Government were asked how they intended to mark it, the answer was that there are no plans. This important anniversary should be a moment of national joy that brings communities together, and a milestone marked by commemorative coins and stamps, special lessons in schools, Æthelstan on Trafalgar Square’s fourth plinth, and perhaps even a visit by His Majesty to this Parliament. Will the Secretary of State reconsider celebrating the 1,100th anniversary of England’s birth, and share with the House any such plans in due course?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the hon. Lady for raising that issue, which had not previously been brought to my attention. The Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock) who is responsible for ceremonials, has just said to me that this is right up her street, and she would be delighted to work with the hon. Lady to ensure a fitting commemoration.
Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)
I congratulate Neil and everyone in the team at Medina Studios on putting together a fantastic proposal. We are supportive of areas that want to grow their film industry and the work that has gone into Medina Studios is very impressive indeed. The Government are committed to maximising the potential of the film industry and ensuring that growth benefits the whole of the UK. The Department funds the British Film Commission to support UK infrastructure, including studio space. The BFC promotes the entire UK, including the Isle of Wight, working hand in glove with Creative England on production support, where appropriate. I am pleased to note that the BFC has assisted Medina Studios. Funding from the growth mission fund is a matter for the Treasury. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend and I thank him for the way in which he champions the Isle of Wight through that project.
Martin Vickers (Brigg and Immingham) (Con)
Lisa Nandy
It was a pleasure to be at the opening of that fantastic youth zone with the hon. Gentleman, and to see the queues of young people stretching far into the distance and the excitement it brought them. He is right that there is a particular challenge in rural communities. Through Youth Matters, our national youth strategy, we have taken restrictions off funding and our only stipulation is that young people must have meaningfully been able to drive those decisions. In order to address those concerns, we will fund transport and travel as well as facilities in places that have been overlooked.
Noah Law (St Austell and Newquay) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
I was pleased to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency earlier this year. The best way to protect our heritage is to use it and I thank him for his work to secure a future for the General Wolfe building. I encourage developers and historic building owners to engage early with our arm’s length body Historic England, and I am sure that the Heritage Minister will be happy to meet him to discuss it further.
Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)
Ian Murray
That is an issue for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and we have been working closely with that Department about its planning proposals. I am sure that the right hon. Lady will be not be disappointed when they come forward.
David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)
Stephanie Peacock
My hon. Friend is right to talk about stronger co-ordination between heritage planning, regeneration and housing policy. I know how important heritage-led regeneration is for local growth, and I understand that the Heritage Minister is looking forward to holding a roundtable on that issue in my hon. Friend’s area.
Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Lady raises an important issue. I was not previously aware of the issue, but I am happy to it take up. We believe in the importance of cricket and we also believe very much in the relationships that we have with our Indian counterparts. Cricket is one of the ties that binds us together, so I would be pleased to look into the issue she raises with a view to resolving it.
Tony Vaughan (Folkestone and Hythe) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Vicky Foxcroft)
I thank my hon. and learned Friend for championing his constituency. Decisions on the reopening of Grace Hill and the use of the building are matters for the local council, but he has made his case well today, and I am sure that he will continue to do so. I will pass on his request for a visit to the Minister with responsibility for libraries, who I am sure will be keen to visit and to meet him.
Brian Mathew (Melksham and Devizes) (LD)
What will the Government do to ensure that councils have the funds to keep libraries open, especially when many people will be struggling to heat their homes this winter and thus have an even more vital need of this service?
Vicky Foxcroft
We are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and colleagues across Government to ensure that we deliver on that.
Andrew Pakes (Peterborough) (Lab/Co-op)
The hottest ticket this summer, in many senses, was Peterborough lido, which, like many other historic pools, had its best season ever. However, we all know that many of our historic pools and lidos suffer from old infrastructure, and need tender love and care from our communities and Government. What more can my right hon. Friend do to ensure that this Government back our lidos and historic pools?
Lisa Nandy
I thank my hon. Friend for his sterling advocacy on behalf of Lidos everywhere and Peterborough lido in particular; he knows that I share his passion on the issue. I can tell the House that we are creating a public leisure facilities programme that will provide support for lidos and other swimming facilities, and that—thanks to the work that he and others have done to campaign for this—the programme will include the first dedicated fund for lidos that this country has produced.
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)
Russell Brand and David Walliams are just the latest examples of entertainment giants knowingly exploiting power imbalances, yet they have been at best shielded and at worst enabled by some of the organisations they worked with. We keep hearing reports that non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality agreements were part of these stars’ arsenal. What are the Government doing to ensure that those legal routes cannot be used to stop victims speaking out, so that revolting men are not shielded from facing the music for their abusive behaviour?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Lady is absolutely right to point to the issue of NDAs as being central to this situation. I am working closely with colleagues at the Ministry of Justice, and have discussed this issue with them over recent days. This will be part of the conversation that we have with the creative industries when I convene the roundtable next week. As I said earlier, we will not hesitate to take action to protect women and ensure that these vile men are exposed and brought to justice.
Dame Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)
It has been 18 months since my Committee published its report on misinformation, with detailed recommendations on how to address the way in which digital advertising drives scandalous, sensationalist and addictive content, yet our inquiry into digital childhood is raising exactly the same issues. What has been done to address them? To be clear, neither Ofcom’s online information advisory committee nor the online advertising taskforce has taken any steps.
Ian Murray
I am delighted that my hon. Friend asked that question, which concerns a vital issue that the Government are trying to deal with. The online advertising taskforce has workstreams that have been looking at the issue very closely. I chair that taskforce, and am keen to push it further forward. The issue is not just the way in which advertising is delivered, but the monetisation of illegal and harmful content; if we want to deal with any of the issues relating to the online world, we must follow the money.
John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)
Salisbury Playhouse is one of three producing theatres in the south-west, and this week it launched a campaign to raise £22 million. The Arts Council, Wiltshire council and Salisbury city council have already made a £10 million contribution. Are the ministerial team having conversations with the Treasury to create incentives for private philanthropy and giving, so that we can maximise the opportunity to fill this gap and make Salisbury Playhouse the brilliant place it needs to be for the future?
Ian Murray
The right hon. Gentleman asks a great question. The Hodge review into Arts Council England examined what we need to do to bring more philanthropic funding into the sector so that it has more money, not less. I encourage him to engage with Arts Council England on taking those proposals forward. Of course, these questions are always a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury, but we are working very closely with Treasury colleagues on how we can implement the Hodge review in full.
Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)
I am proud to represent Liverpool, a city that has produced some very talented footballers, musicians and actors, including Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer and James Nelson-Joyce. However, far too many of our young working-class kids in Liverpool fail to get into the creative sector. Can the Secretary of State commit to doing everything she can to remove the barriers so that more working-class young people in Liverpool can break into the sector based on talent, not on privilege and class?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend is right to point to Liverpool’s incredible contribution across sport, art, music—you name it. Mayor Steve Rotheram is doing an enormous amount to invest in order to open up those opportunities further. There is a fantastic organisation in Liverpool called MusicFutures, which we are working with, along with others, to make sure that we do exactly what she rightly presses us to do.
David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)
I was pleased to hear the Minister acknowledge that the Government will not achieve growth in every postcode unless we have adequate mobile connectivity. Unfortunately, in my constituency, many postcodes have inadequate mobile connectivity. Indeed, we have some of the worst connectivity in the whole United Kingdom. Will the Minister meet me to ensure that we can get some urgency into finally resolving this important issue for my constituents?
Ian Murray
The right hon. Gentleman is exactly right: we cannot have growth in every postcode without connectivity in every postcode. I would be happy to meet him, but I gently remind him that when we do, it is his turn to buy the wine.
Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)
In response to Blackpool being shortlisted to be city of culture, Lynn Williams, the leader of Blackpool council, rightly said:
“We have a proud working-class culture and a wonderful history of entertainment, music and performance.”
Our bid to become the next city of culture for the UK is the right and only choice for the panel. It will allow us to celebrate our iconic history and shape our future, because Blackpool never settles for anything small. Will the Secretary of State support our ambition by supporting our much-loved heritage venues and my campaign for a new arena to create a year-round resort, showing Blackpool in a new light?
Stephanie Peacock
My hon. Friend is a huge advocate for his constituency. I have to stay neutral, but I am absolutely delighted to be visiting his area tomorrow as part of the shortlist process for the city of culture.
Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)
The AI teddy bear that said unprompted, “I can’t help with killing you”, shows that online harms are extending to software within toys. Will the Government consider the Lib Dem approach of having a framework of harm that can look online and at the software in products with these developing technologies?
Lisa Nandy
We are taking a far more comprehensive approach to this issue for the reasons that the hon. Member rightly describes. Safety by design is one of the key principles on which we are basing our approach.
Euan Stainbank (Falkirk) (Lab)
The fantastic Falkirk Foundation was back with £139,000 of UK Government support to lay a new all-weather pitch at Woodlands community sports centre this year. Councillor Jack Redmond and the Bonnybridge community are now bidding to renew the football facilities at Jenny’s Park, including through the UK Government-supported Pitching In fund. Will the Minister thank the Falkirk Foundation for its ongoing, incredible contribution to the Falkirk community and agree that any new funding should come to Bonnybridge?
Lisa Nandy
I am told by my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) that Falkirk beat Hearts 5-2 on Sunday, and he does not look very happy about it. I take this opportunity to congratulate the Falkirk Foundation. The Government are investing £400 million in grassroots sports facilities for precisely the reasons that my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (Euan Stainbank) describes.
Rupert Lowe (Great Yarmouth) (Restore Britain)
As Southampton’s former long-serving and at times long-suffering chairman, I know the beautiful game better than most in this Chamber. Football fans have been taken for fools over the outdated Saturday 3 pm blackout for too long. Travel abroad, and we find bars showing every 3 pm premier league match live all at once, yet here in England fans cannot watch a single one—at least legally. Will the Minister press the Football Association to lift the blackout and push for an online monthly subscription service, thereby allowing affordable access to every single FA and PL match for working families and hospitality venues? Football belongs to the people.
Lisa Nandy
There is obviously a lively debate among football fans about this issue, and it has been raised with me and the Sports Minister a number of times. The hon. Member will know that there are consequences to taking the action that he describes, but I think we can agree on the final principle that he outlined: football belongs to its fans, and their voices must be heard.
Deirdre Costigan (Ealing Southall) (Lab)
Ealing Southall is home to Ealing Studios, the country’s longest continuously operating film studio. A recent report found that west London is a hub for media and creative industries, with up to 7,000 companies. Does the Minister agree that this Government’s commitment to increase investment in the media and creative sector from £17 billion to £31 billion will create more jobs in west London while ensuring growth in every postcode, from Southall to Stockport and from Hanwell to Hartlepool?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
We need to go faster to get everybody in.
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
In his Budget speech, the Chancellor pledged to protect seaside arcades, but the increase in the machine games duty from 20% to 25% threatens businesses in my constituency, such as Leisureland on Bridlington seafront, which I had the pleasure of visiting last week. Will the Minister make representations to the Treasury to ensure that we protect those brilliant local businesses?
Vicky Foxcroft
I thank the hon. Gentleman for advocating on behalf of his constituents. Slot games have a higher associated risk of harm than other in-person gambling activities, such as sports betting or bingo games. That is why the Government are increasing the rate of machine games duty from 20% to 25% on machines with stakes over £1 or prizes over £100 from 1 April 2027. There will be no change to the rate for lower-stakes machines, but I am happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the issue further.
Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)
As historic pools and lidos enjoy a renaissance, will the Secretary of State work with me to reopen the doors of Carlisle’s Victorian baths? They are the last in the north-west and one of only 13 in the country.
Lisa Nandy
I was not aware of the incredible Turkish baths in Carlisle, but I am very happy to work with her on ensuring that we support the aims of her campaign and restore the baths to their former glory.
Christine Jardine (Edinburgh West) (LD)
I welcome the statements that the Secretary of State has made about addressing the issues that we have seen raised again this week by the conviction of Russell Brand. Having worked in that industry, I know that the problem goes much wider than just the big figures. Bectu says that nine out of 10 workers in the creative sector have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment or assault. Does the Secretary of State agree that, as this action now happens, we need to use the entertainment industry and the creative sector to call out this behaviour across society and to make it clear that it is not acceptable in any form?
Lisa Nandy
We work very closely with Bectu and the National Union of Journalists, and I pay tribute to their work on this issue. The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety and I recently appointed two freelance champions in recognition of the fact that, for freelancers in particular, there is a real problem in these industries. All of us in this House need to step up and use our voices as loudly as we possibly can; hand on my heart, as the Culture Secretary, I cannot say that this issue is not happening today—in fact, I would wager that it is. It is time that we all stand up, as the hon. Lady has done today, and ensure that we are heard and counted.
John Slinger (Rugby) (Lab)
As someone who played in rock bands and wrote songs, I was delighted to read in the Canadian budget about the Canada creative credit: 48,000 Canadian dollars-worth of tax credit to provide creative artists with income, tax-free, on the creative output that they engage in. Will the Minister update the House on the excellent work we are doing and on what more we can do to help creative artists across this land?
Ian Murray
I am delighted that the old rocker has asked that question. We have a 10-point plan for music, which is there to support the music industry from a grassroots level all the way through to our top talent and artists. The Arts Council England review, led by Baroness Hodge in the other place, looked at whether we should support individual artists, and the Arts Council is now looking at that to see how it can best support individual artists. We are backers of music, and we want to continue to be the best in the world.
Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)
Highbridge Social Club is a not-for-profit club led entirely by volunteers, and it has served our community since it was founded in 1913. Club treasurer Rachel Marsh has written to me to say that the rise in machine games duty announced in the Budget will cost the club £1,500 a year. Coming on top of the employer national insurance charges, this Government’s tax increases threaten the viability of the club. What help and advice can the Minister offer to Rachel as she struggles to balance the club’s books?
Vicky Foxcroft
I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising that really important point. I refer in part to what I said earlier, but let me also say that the measure will raise an additional £130 million a year, which will help to pay for the freeze in business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. If the hon. Gentleman writes to me, I will ensure that he gets a fuller response.
Amanda Martin (Portsmouth North) (Lab)
Hilsea lido is a real jewel in the crown of Portsmouth North; it first opened in 1935, and it holds a special place in our history. Following its fantastic regeneration, it has been wonderful to see hundreds flocking back this summer. Will the Minister join me in thanking Sea Lanes, the lido’s operators? Will she also join me in praising the dedicated trustees and volunteers of Hilsea Lido Pool for the People Trust, who kept the money going and kept the lido running through very dark times, and without whom it would not be open now?
Lisa Nandy
I absolutely do—I thank Sea Lanes, the trustees, and all the volunteers. There is a volunteer army in this country that ensures our fantastic lidos can continue to operate, and it is great to see my hon. Friend championing them. We will also champion them through the funding I recently announced to my hon. Friend.
Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)
What assessment has the Minister made of the cyber-security risks posed by DeepSeek in light of the US’s decision to block it from public procurement?
Ian Murray
We will bring forward additional legislation to this House shortly to protect our undersea cables and infrastructure from threats, whether they be state or non-state threats. I hope everyone will support those proposals, including the hon. Gentleman.
Sean Woodcock (Banbury) (Lab)
In 2002, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles said on air that he wanted to help Charlotte Church lose her virginity. She was 15 at the time. He stayed in post for another decade. Does the Secretary of State agree that Brand and Walliams were not aberrations, but reflect a culture across entertainment that needs to be consigned to history?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that it reflects a culture that I hope we are now thankfully rid of. Sadly, though, what we are not rid of is instances of men in positions of power abusing that power. That is still happening today, and this Government are not neutral when it comes to the safety of people—women and young people—in those workplaces, which is why we are taking the action I have described.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)
Christmas is coming, and Boxing day will see the running of the world-famous King George at Kempton Park racecourse in my constituency. If any of the Front Benchers on either side of the House would like to come to the King George at Kempton Park, I am sure the Jockey Club would be delighted to see them there.
Vicky Foxcroft
I was delighted to go to Newbury races last week, and I would love the opportunity to come to Kempton Park. Please do write to me—I will try to ensure we get a date in the diary.
Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Ind)
With £7 out of every £8 of DCMS funding for museums and galleries going to just 15 national museums and galleries, and cultural investment per head in Cornwall being less than £10 compared with a national average of £15, may I ask for Ministers to meet Cornish MPs to discuss closing this cultural chasm, beyond suggestions of donations and lottery funding?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that parts of the country have historically been hugely underserved, and it was to correct that historical wrong that we established the Arts Everywhere fund. Arts and culture belong to all of us, and I would be delighted to set up a meeting with officials so that we can pursue this issue in Cornwall.