Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

National Governing Bodies (NGBs), such as The Football Association, operate independently of Government. However, we absolutely expect NGBs, who are responsible for the regulation of their sports, to do all they can to protect their participants from harm, including in relation to head impact and injury.

Mitigating the causes and effects of repetitive head impacts in sport is of huge importance to the Government. As part of our ongoing work in this area, we are actively discussing this issue with the football authorities and will be convening a Ministerial roundtable.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out how government will work with industry to develop a high quality and responsive training offer to meet the workforce requirements of the creative industries, including film as a frontier industry. This includes increasing the quantity of creative training pathways such as regional creative skills bootcamps - for example, the Screen Crafts & Digital Skills with a Camera pathway, which has recently been available in Yorkshire.

In September 2025, the government introduced creative Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) to support skills such as animation and audiovisual production, and shorter apprenticeships are now also possible for Screen and Audio Production Assistant apprentices. We are continuing to work with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.

We also committed to increasing the resilience of the workforce, including creative freelancers, across the sector. DCMS will soon appoint a creative Freelance Champion, to advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. We will also continue to support the industry’s work to deliver the Good Work Review action plan, which aims to strengthen job quality across the sector.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out how government will work with industry to develop a high quality and responsive training offer to meet the workforce requirements of the creative industries, including film as a frontier industry. This includes increasing the quantity of creative training pathways such as regional creative skills bootcamps - for example, the Screen Crafts & Digital Skills with a Camera pathway, which has recently been available in Yorkshire.

In September 2025, the government introduced creative Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) to support skills such as animation and audiovisual production, and shorter apprenticeships are now also possible for Screen and Audio Production Assistant apprentices. We are continuing to work with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.

We also committed to increasing the resilience of the workforce, including creative freelancers, across the sector. DCMS will soon appoint a creative Freelance Champion, to advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. We will also continue to support the industry’s work to deliver the Good Work Review action plan, which aims to strengthen job quality across the sector.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out how government will work with industry to develop a high quality and responsive training offer to meet the workforce requirements of the creative industries, including film as a frontier industry. This includes increasing the quantity of creative training pathways such as regional creative skills bootcamps - for example, the Screen Crafts & Digital Skills with a Camera pathway, which has recently been available in Yorkshire.

In September 2025, the government introduced creative Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) to support skills such as animation and audiovisual production, and shorter apprenticeships are now also possible for Screen and Audio Production Assistant apprentices. We are continuing to work with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.

We also committed to increasing the resilience of the workforce, including creative freelancers, across the sector. DCMS will soon appoint a creative Freelance Champion, to advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. We will also continue to support the industry’s work to deliver the Good Work Review action plan, which aims to strengthen job quality across the sector.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan sets out how government will work with industry to develop a high quality and responsive training offer to meet the workforce requirements of the creative industries, including film as a frontier industry. This includes increasing the quantity of creative training pathways such as regional creative skills bootcamps - for example, the Screen Crafts & Digital Skills with a Camera pathway, which has recently been available in Yorkshire.

In September 2025, the government introduced creative Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) to support skills such as animation and audiovisual production, and shorter apprenticeships are now also possible for Screen and Audio Production Assistant apprentices. We are continuing to work with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.

We also committed to increasing the resilience of the workforce, including creative freelancers, across the sector. DCMS will soon appoint a creative Freelance Champion, to advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. We will also continue to support the industry’s work to deliver the Good Work Review action plan, which aims to strengthen job quality across the sector.

I am very proud to have announced in January a significant package of funding for arts and cultural organisations. I do, however, understand the sector's disappointment that funding for cinemas was not included in that announcement. We are still operating within a challenging fiscal climate, and across government we have had to make very difficult decisions about where to direct available funding.

We know that, very often, a local cinema is one of the few - if not the only - cultural offer in a place, and the government does not underestimate the challenges that continue to face cinemas across the country. My department will continue to work closely with the BFI, UK Cinema Association, and the sector more widely to actively explore how we can best support our cinemas, and in doing so increase opportunities for people to access cultural experiences.

There are processes in place to track and monitor diversity data across the media, including a statutory role for Ofcom under the Communications Act 2003 to promote diversity and inclusion in the TV and radio sector.

As part of this, broadcasters provide data to Ofcom on the make-up of their off-screen workforce in terms of age, ethnicity, gender and disability, which Ofcom reports on annually. These reports can be viewed at: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/equity-and-diversity/diversity-equal-opportunities-tv-and-radio.

In addition, the Equality Act 2010 contains strong protections for older people against age discrimination in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services. The Act prohibits both discrimination because of age and harassment related to age.

The Government Art Collection (GAC) is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time. The GAC removed this portrait from the Pillared Drawing Room at No.10 to install a refreshed display of artworks celebrating 125 years of the Government Art Collection, planned prior to the General Election in July 2024. Locations of artworks in the collection can be found on the GAC’s website.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide an equivalent overall level of financial support to that provided by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, £23 million per annum.

The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a capital fund providing grants upfront, which in some cases, may award a greater proportion of the project costs than what would have previously been received through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

We are aware of concerns regarding the transition between the two schemes. Guidance, including eligibility criteria and application process on the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund, will be published in due course.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide an equivalent overall level of financial support to that provided by the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, £23 million per annum.

The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund is a capital fund providing grants upfront, which in some cases, may award a greater proportion of the project costs than what would have previously been received through the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

We are aware of concerns regarding the transition between the two schemes. Guidance, including eligibility criteria and application process on the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund, will be published in due course.

DCMS does not have, nor will have, the facility to offer payroll deductions for employees who wish to join a credit union.

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work.

This is part of the broader programme of government support for the National Year of Reading including the £5 million funding for secondary schools to purchase books the Chancellor announced during her budget speech.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We want to see them continue to thrive, alongside the National Lottery.

On 26 June 2025, the Government announced it would not be making further changes to society lottery limits, and has no plans to review this decision.

In order to operate in Great Britain, any prediction market would require a licence from the Gambling Commission, the independent regulator for gambling. If approved, they would be classified as a ‘Betting Intermediary’ and subject to regulation under the Gambling Act 2005. We will monitor the potential impacts of prediction markets and consider further action if needed.

DCMS is committed to ensuring that tourism contributes to growth and jobs across all parts of the country including in rural and coastal communities.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will set out a long term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth. Central to this strategy is the delivery of greater regional dispersal, ensuring that visitor income is spread effectively across regional destinations, including rural and coastal communities.

VisitEngland is launching a major domestic marketing campaign pilot in February, specifically highlighting the seaside resorts of the North West. This initiative aims to drive a surge in visits and overnight stays during the vital shoulder season, providing essential year-round support for local businesses.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to grassroots sports facilities, including gyms, pools and leisure centres, which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The £400 million funding announced last June will support facilities across the country. 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.

The government is committed to freedom of speech, including in the cultural sector, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over. The government is clear that whilst it is right that protections from discrimination exist, this does not prohibit people from expressing their views, opinions or beliefs which are also protected. However, it is important to protect people from illegal discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.

Arts Council England (ACE) makes decisions about which organisations and projects to fund independently of government and Ministers, which means there is no question of any political involvement in arts funding decisions. ACE supports freedom of speech within the limits of the law and recognises the expression of different beliefs as protected under the Equality Act 2010. ACE staff receive training on these matters and are guided by their Dignity at Work policy.

DCMS expects all ACE staff to uphold the Nolan principles, which includes objectivity. That principle notes that holders of public office must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. ACE also supports the rights of artists and cultural organisations to express themselves freely, including through work that is challenging, provocative, or political. They have also published guidance aimed at supporting cultural organisations in managing complex situations that might arise from presenting challenging work, which is available on their website.

The government is committed to freedom of speech, including in the cultural sector, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over. The government is clear that whilst it is right that protections from discrimination exist, this does not prohibit people from expressing their views, opinions or beliefs which are also protected. However, it is important to protect people from illegal discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.

Arts Council England (ACE) makes decisions about which organisations and projects to fund independently of government and Ministers, which means there is no question of any political involvement in arts funding decisions. ACE supports freedom of speech within the limits of the law and recognises the expression of different beliefs as protected under the Equality Act 2010. ACE staff receive training on these matters and are guided by their Dignity at Work policy.

DCMS expects all ACE staff to uphold the Nolan principles, which includes objectivity. That principle notes that holders of public office must act and make decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias. ACE also supports the rights of artists and cultural organisations to express themselves freely, including through work that is challenging, provocative, or political. They have also published guidance aimed at supporting cultural organisations in managing complex situations that might arise from presenting challenging work, which is available on their website.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

That is why we provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and exchequer funding.

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, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.

Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

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, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.

Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

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, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.

Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

On the 10th December 2025, the Government published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’. It is 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. It includes 2 clear ambitions - by 2035:

• To have halved the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers.

• For half a million more young people to have access to a trusted adult outside of their home.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport commissioned an independent provider (Ipsos) to conduct an evaluation covering the Uniformed Youth Fund from 2022 to 2025, which was published on 11th September 2025. The research found uniformed youth organisations (UYOs):

• contribute to the social and emotional development of young people by providing them with structured activities and supportive environments, enhancing young people’s cooperation skills, communication, and confidence;

• enhance education and career opportunities for young people by providing them with valuable skills for life and work and supporting their academic attainment through diverse activities;

• provide supportive and inclusive environments where young people feel safe, a sense of belonging for young people through their uniforms, and fostering trusted relationships with peers and adult leaders.

The Department has a rich evidence base supporting the positive outcomes of youth organisations and young people's attendance of these. There’s a wide range of positive outcomes from youth interventions, such as on employability, skill development, and that it can be preventative in terms of crime.

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is 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 youth funding over the next 3 years. The funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from the next financial year 2026/2027.

Specific services and activities available in each hub will depend on the needs of the community and its young people, with a focus on upstream intervention. Some Young Futures Hubs may choose to include first aid education.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.

Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.

Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

The Football Association (the national governing body for football) is independent of the Government and independently determines how they organise their competitions.

Karen Carney’s 2023 Independent Review of Women’s Football made a series of recommendations for key stakeholders in the game to take forward which included a recommendation that the FA make a clear commitment to equalising FA Cup prize money as soon as is feasible. Following the review, the Minister for Sport has convened the Women’s Football Taskforce with industry stakeholders including the FA and Football Supporters’ Association, to drive forward the recommendations of Karen Carney’s review.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing support for England Hockey.

We are also investing £98 million into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26. Projects funded through the programme include new artificial multi-sport grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights. At least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.

£85 million will be invested through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities across the UK in 2026/27, with £68.35 million to be invested in England. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing support for England Hockey.

We are also investing £98 million into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2025/26. Projects funded through the programme include new artificial multi-sport grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights. At least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.

£85 million will be invested through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities across the UK in 2026/27, with £68.35 million to be invested in England. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

That is why we provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and exchequer funding. The City of Leicester received a total of £971,350 of Sport England funding in 2024/25. The County of Leicestershire received a total of £1,937,467 million of Sport England funding in 2024/25.

In addition, on 27 January, the Government announced that £85 million of the £400 million package for grassroots sport facilities will be invested in during 2026/27, funding the continuation of the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. This funding is designed to increase participation opportunities and benefit the areas most in need, with 50% investment going to the 30% most deprived areas in the UK.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all sports facilities and stadia are welcoming and safe for women and girls.

We’ve launched the Women’s Sport Taskforce to tackle challenges and barriers facing women and girls in sport, from grassroots to elite, and are harnessing the power of hosting major sporting events, such as investing £6.7 million into the Impact 25’ programme for the Women’s Rugby World Cup to make facilities more accessible for women.

We are also investing £80.3 million in high-quality grassroots sports facilities through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme in England in 2025/26, and will also invest £68.35 million in 26/27. We will more than double priority access to grassroots football pitches for women and girls over the next four years. MSGF funded facilities should reserve at least 20% of priority use slots for women and girls teams. Our delivery partner in England, the Football Foundation, has recently announced the Lionesses HERe to Play Fund which will help to ensure grassroots sports facilities across England are welcoming, safe and accessible for a new generation of women and girls.

Our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has also worked with ukactive, CIMSPA and Women’s Aid to publish new guidance to help fitness and leisure facilities continue to create safer spaces for women and girls to be active.

In addition, the safety of all those who attend sporting fixtures is a priority for the Government. The Government funds the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) whose purpose is to ensure sports grounds are safe for everyone, including women and girls. The SGSA continues to support world class standards of physical supporter safety for all attendees.

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is 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 youth funding over the next 3 years from DCMS, which complements a range of funding committed by other departments. The majority of the funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from next the financial year 2026/27. We will share more information as our plans develop, including details on the eligible areas for funding.

The Government's National Youth Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to ensure that every young person nationwide has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them, and a community they feel a part of. Schools are key to implementing the strategy including through enrichment activities, especially for disadvantaged youth.

DCMS, in partnership with DfE, will invest £22.5 million over 3 years to enable up to 400 schools across England to deliver a youth-voice led, tailored enrichment offer. This funding will help schools meet the Enrichment Framework benchmarks and ensure disadvantaged pupils have access to good enrichment activities, supporting their wellbeing, personal development, and life skills.

The programme is currently in the design phase, and we will share the selection criteria in due course.

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process on the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund, will be published in due course. The fund will be focused on England, because Heritage is a devolved policy area. We are working closely with other funders in the sector to ensure that opportunities for funding places of worship throughout the UK are maximised.

At the Spending Review 2025, HM Treasury agreed budgets for Departments for a three-year period for Resource DEL, and a four-year period for Capital DEL. The Department then completed a Business Planning process to allocate this funding to programmes. This included £92 million (£23 million per year) for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments generally receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are then for the Devolved Governments to take. We are not therefore able to provide Barnett numbers relating to specific policy measures.

This Government recognises the importance of local heritage assets in contributing to local community engagement. Through our dedicated funds, such as the £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, delivered by Historic England, and the £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund, delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund, we support communities and local community organisations to care for and in some cases take ownership of and repurpose heritage assets for community benefit. Support is provided throughout various project stages, and may include guidance and advice on project plans, to funding for feasibility studies and larger capital grants for repairs.

On the 21st of January, the Secretary of State announced a £1.5bn Arts Everywhere package. The package includes nearly £200 million new funding for heritage protecting and preserving heritage buildings across the country:

• £60 million for at risk heritage which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings.

• £41 million for the Heritage Revival Fund which helps communities to take control of and look after local heritage and bring buildings back into public use.

Further details regarding the application process,eligibility criteria and guidance, for both funds, will be announced in due course.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund offers grants between £10,000 and £10 million to projects that connect people and communities to the UK’s heritage.

Over the course of this parliament £1.5 billion will be invested in arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage attractions across England. Historic ships, where they are registered as accredited museums, can apply for the Museum Estate and Development Fund, the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, and tax incentives like the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief, and Museum VAT Refund Scheme. The Government also continues to support National Historic Ships UK who lead on research, publications, training, recording and similar activities relating to the preservation of historic vessels.

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 in the near future, alongside our next steps.

The Government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, including children.

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, where products do amount to unlicensed gambling, such as unlicensed skin betting, the Gambling Commission has shown that it will take swift enforcement action. There are currently no licensed gambling operators which offer skin betting.

In July 2023 the video game industry published new loot box principles to improve protections for players. Following a 12-month implementation period, the government commissioned independent academic research to assess the effectiveness of this guidance. We have engaged relevant government departments and regulators to consider the research. We will publish the report and set out our next steps in the near future..

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 providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

As examples of the support they provide, Sport England’s online resource, Buddle, offers free online guidance to support sports clubs offering sport and physical activity opportunities for everyone, including children and young people. They ​also encourage ​the sport sector to prioritise young people's perspectives through their free online Youth Voice Innovation Storybook.

Sport England also use campaigns to encourage young people to get active.The Studio You partnership for PE teachers is powered by their This Girl Can campaign and funded by The National Lottery, and ​is a digital exercise platform for teenage girls across England, ​w​hich teaches a variety of non-competitive activities to ensure no girl is left behind in PE. The Play Their Way campaign for sports coaches e​mpowers coaches to adopt a child-first approach to coaching​ s​o ​children and young people have the best experience possible when developing their interest in 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 providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

As examples of the support they provide, Sport England’s online resource, Buddle, offers free online guidance to support sports clubs offering sport and physical activity opportunities for everyone, including children and young people. They ​also encourage ​the sport sector to prioritise young people's perspectives through their free online Youth Voice Innovation Storybook.

Sport England also use campaigns to encourage young people to get active.The Studio You partnership for PE teachers is powered by their This Girl Can campaign and funded by The National Lottery, and ​is a digital exercise platform for teenage girls across England, ​w​hich teaches a variety of non-competitive activities to ensure no girl is left behind in PE. The Play Their Way campaign for sports coaches e​mpowers coaches to adopt a child-first approach to coaching​ s​o ​children and young people have the best experience possible when developing their interest in sport.

My department is taking important steps to ensure that former football players with neurodegenerative diseases, and their families, receive the support they need.

The Secretary of State and I have met with affected family members and ex-footballers, including individuals associated with the Football Families for Justice organisation, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases.

Our immediate priority is to push the football authorities for greater clarity on the funding available through the Brain Health Fund, and ensure that there is a clear and publicly available articulation of the scope of this funding and process for accessing it. Further to this, we are actively discussing with relevant stakeholders to explore whether funding can be expanded to involve other footballing organisations.

There are approximately 25,000 listed thatched buildings in England, many more are unlisted. These buildings are a quintessential part of some of our best loved rural landscapes.

Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on heritage, carried out research into the thatching industry and domestic supply of material for thatching historic buildings. A 2024 report estimates that 80% of cereal straw grown for thatching in England is produced by around 25 English growers. In Historic England’s view, it is not necessarily the number of domestic growers that impacts the future of the industry, but their wider challenges such as mechanisation, climate and the wider supply chain.

In response to their research, Historic England updated their guidance on the conservation of traditional thatch in 2025 enabling a change of thatch materials in times of shortage and in cases in urgent need of repair. This update aims to provide confidence to decision makers to grant listed building consent whilst helping to maintain support for the straw-growing sector. To disseminate its latest guidance, Historic England is holding a free workshop for thatching-straw growers in April 2026 with further research into mechanisation solutions for growers planned later this year.