Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government.

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

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

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

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government.

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

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

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

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government.

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

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

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

• In 2016/17, no funding was given to local authorities within the West Midlands.

• In 2017/18, a regional grant of £105,582 was given to Birmingham Local Authority.

• In 2018/19, a regional grant of £272,311 was given to Birmingham Local Authority.

• In 2019/20, 2 regional grants: £272,311 given to Birmingham Local Authority and £6,326 given to Coventry Local Authority.

• In 2020/21, 4 grants were administered. 2 regional grants: £166,904 given to Birmingham Local Authority and £165,609 given to Coventry Local Authority. 2 High Street Heritage Action Zones grants were given: £24,111 to Dudley Local Authority and £18,489 given to Sandwell Local Authority.

• In 2021/22, 5 grants were administered. 2 regional grants: £310,829 given to Birmingham Local Authority and £55,760 given to Dudley Local Authority. A Covid-19 Recovery Fund grant of £100,000 was given to Birmingham Local Authority. 2 High Street Heritage Action Zones grants were given: £607,858 to Dudley Local Authority and £563,849 to Sandwell Local Authority.

• In 2022/23, 4 grants were administered. 2 regional grants: £20,034 given to Birmingham Local Authority and £9,840 to Dudley Local Authority. 2 High Street Heritage Action Zones grants given: £467,760 to Dudley Local Authority and £441,569 to Sandwell Local Authority.

• In 2023/24, 5 grants were administered. 2 regional grants: £7,180 given to Coventry Local Authority and £55,240 to Sandwell Local Authority. 3 High Street Heritage Action Zones grants were given: £534,000 to Coventry Local Authority, £942,271 to Dudley Local Authority, and £582,332 to Sandwell Local Authority.

• In 2024/25, 2 regional grants: £177,302 to Coventry Local Authority and £67,708 to Sandwell Local Authority.

• In 2025/26, 2 grants were administered. One regional grant of £50,150 was given to Coventry Local Authority. One Heritage at Risk Capital Fund grant of £200,000 was given to Sandwell Local Authority.

Football reaches communities like nothing else, and my department is working with partners to ensure the impact of hosting EURO 2028 is felt far beyond the tournament itself. As part of the tournament launch in November 2025, I chaired a meeting attended by Ministerial representatives from the Government of Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government and Welsh Government, as well as UEFA, where we discussed how we can work as one team to ensure the tournament delivers an effective legacy and we maximise the benefits of hosting.

In order to ensure an effective legacy from hosting the tournament, EURO 2028 will feature the largest-ever Community Programme to be delivered for a UEFA EURO. This will be backed by a social impact fund of around £45 million. Plans for these are still in development and we will have more to share in due course.

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

In England, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. Sport England works closely with local partners, including Active Essex, to support community-led interventions to improve access to sport and physical activity. The constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock received a total of £17,600 of Sport England funding in 2024/2025.

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

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process.

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process.

While no such assessment has been made, this Government recognises the importance of exploring innovative approaches to tackle loneliness, whilst protecting people's safety and wellbeing.

DCMS funding allocation is given to Historic England, it is then an operational decision for them how much funding is allocated to each region. Historic England have confirmed that, for 2025/26 the Midlands region operation budget is £2,507,700. The funding allocation for 26/27 is not yet determined.

While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process.

DCMS recognises the significant cultural and historical ties between Northern Ireland and the United States as we approach the America250 in 2026.

While tourism is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive, DCMS maintains a regular dialogue with Ministerial counterparts through the Interministerial Group for Tourism. This forum will provide a valuable opportunity to discuss how America250 can be leveraged to drive economic growth and tourism across all parts of the United Kingdom.

VisitBritain is the national tourist board for Britain, it has a statutory duty to promote England, Scotland, and Wales as a destination to international visitors. As set out in the Good Friday Agreement, tourism is an area of North-South co-operation, as such the promotion of destinations across the Island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, falls under the remit of Tourism Ireland. VisitBritain has a strong relationship with both the travel trade and tourist board in Northern Ireland, and regularly work together on joint funded projects and activity such as trade missions.

Since April 2017, the Gambling Commission’s headcount has increased to maintain its capacity and capability to regulate a growing sector, which is subject to heightened public scrutiny. The Commission has also, like other public bodies, awarded its staff inflationary pay increases which are consistent with the Civil Service Pay Remit. Costs have also increased due to higher statutory pension and National Insurance contributions.

Other factors which have created an increase in employment costs include the Fourth National Lottery Licence competition and transition, and the Commission's delivery of commitments from the 2023 Gambling White Paper

In recent years the Commission has also increased its investment in enforcement and intelligence to tackle illegal gambling, and strengthened its anti-money laundering and sports betting integrity functions.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including older people, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities to stay fit and healthy.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through DCMS’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Their ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces their commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including older people. Sport England has also ensured that each of its programmes impact directly on those with long-term health conditions, including older people, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign.

The Government values the important role small theatres play in enriching our culture and boosting the economy, and we were pleased to see theatres like Papatango in the South Cotswolds constituency accessing nearly £15,000 of support from ACE last year. We were also pleased to launch the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund to help grow the cultural sector. £85 million of that will go into the Creative Foundations Fund, which will help improve arts venues across the country, including theatres of all sizes. ACE will notify all applicants of the outcome of their full application, and commit funding by 31 March 2026.

The government primarily supports theatres through Arts Council England (ACE). Through their main funding programme, the 2023-2027 National Portfolio Investment Programme, ACE is providing over £100 million in grants per year to around 195 theatres across the country. Across all their funding programmes, including lottery schemes, for the financial year 2024-25, ACE awarded around £300 million to theatres/theatre based organisations. ACE’s open funding programme, National Lottery Project Grants, is currently accessible to organisations and individuals across the country, including those in the South Cotswolds constituency.

The government is also supporting theatres through the tax system. At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government confirmed that from April 2025, Theatre Tax Relief on production costs would be set at the rates of 45 per cent for touring productions and 40 per cent for non-touring productions.

The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.

The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.

Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.

The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.

The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.

Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.

This Government takes our responsibility to the built historic environment seriously. For this year alone, my Department has committed nearly £60 million of funding for heritage, including £15m for Heritage at Risk.

Funding is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length-Bodies. Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £5,540,760 to 110 projects in South Holland and the Deepings.

Historic England has also administered funding in South Holland and the Deepings. This has gone towards projects such as the 2024 - 2027 Lincolnshire Extended Urban Survey, which worked to underpin better decision making, archaeological understanding and design in the county’s towns, and received £211,000.

There are currently 12 heritage assets on the Heritage at Risk Register in the area, and Historic England are actively engaged with all of them. These include conservation areas, listed buildings, and scheduled monuments.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants towards VAT paid on repairs and renovations to the nation’s listed sites of worship across the UK. Since August 2022, 41 claims have been paid to 15 Listed Places of Worship based in the South Holland local authority area to a value of £78,125.6.

Scheduled Monuments are protected under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, for which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible.

DCMS officials liaise closely with their counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that relevant aspects of national planning policy recognise the national importance of Scheduled Monuments.

DCMS keeps under review as part of its general policy function whether its policies and procedures are effective. No explicit assessment of the adequacy of statutory protections for Scheduled Monuments has been undertaken.

The Voluntary Code for prize draw operators was launched on 20 November 2025. The Code aims to raise standards in the sector in the distinct areas of player protections, transparency, and accountability. Signatories have until 20 May 2026 to comply with the Code.

The Government’s focus is on the successful implementation and adoption of the Voluntary Code, with operator signatories required to regularly review their compliance and swiftly rectify any issues if necessary. The Department will work closely with the sector on this during the implementation phase and periodically review the effectiveness of the Code and compliance to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

The Government is committed to tackling gambling-related harm. DCMS regularly reviews the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) from the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain and uses it as one of a range of sources of evidence.

In 2024, the proportion of National Lottery players who experienced ‘problem gambling’ (a PGSI score of 8+) is 3.9% for draw games, 9.5% for instant win games, and 7.9% for scratchcards.

The rate of Society Lottery PGSI 8+ scores is 4.9%.

The rate of non-National Lottery scratchcards PGSI 8+ is 14.5%.

Arts Council England (ACE) is an arms-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). As such, ACE is responsible for its own operational matters, including wage and salary costs. Nevertheless, they are in scope of the Cabinet Office annual pay remit guidance and, as the sponsoring department, DCMS oversees ACE's activities to ensure adherence to that central guidance and the principles of Managing Public Money.

It is important to note that an accounting adjustment impacts any comparison between reported staff costs between April 2017 and March 2025 as presented in the accounts. The accounts in 16/17 are not directly comparable to other years, as the figure is reduced by £3m due to an unutilised pension provision.

Nevertheless, staff costs have increased over the period. This reflects some headcount growth (in part to support new funding initiatives as well as improved approaches to counter-fraud, cyber security, governance, and data reporting), and pay awards limited to those allowable by the Cabinet Office pay remit.

The Shared Island Media Fund will support efforts to improve media literacy (including working with Northern Irish organisations) and build capacity for high-quality, sustainable journalism, working to bolster media resilience in the digital age. Such priorities reflect challenges faced by both countries.

The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. The British Museum, which is operationally independent of the government, is eager to enable access to the exhibition for as many schoolchildren as possible, and as such is planning dedicated weekly entry slots for school visits. The Museum is also working closely with other organisations commemorating the millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror in 2027, including developing special resources for teachers and activities across the UK.

Entrance will be free for schoolchildren and for under 16s, as it is to all of the British Museum’s exhibitions. The Museum will also offer concessionary tickets for other relevant groups, including students, disabled visitors, seniors (over 60s), and jobseekers.

Future funding of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond March 2026 will be considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process. An announcement will be made once this decision is finalised.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, previously funded until March 2025, has been extended for one year with a £23 million budget. To ensure the budget remains affordable for this year, claims are now capped at £25,000 per place of worship. These changes were necessary given the inherited fiscal challenges and pressures on other parts of the heritage and cultural sectors. Departmental analysis indicates that 94% of applications will be unaffected by this change, with most claims typically being under £5,000. In order to ensure the scheme is available to as many listed places of worship as possible, within this context, we do not feel it is appropriate to reassess the cap for this financial year.