Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

I refer the Honourable member to my answer of WPQ 120123.

The UK has a strong record of delivering events that unite diverse communities and reflect inclusivity, creativity, resilience and openness and the Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events. We recognise that major sporting events deliver significant socio-economic benefits and play a unique role in bringing people together, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and showcasing the UK’s cultural and sporting identity both domestically and internationally.

We are always keen to work alongside our arm’s-length body UK Sport and other stakeholders to grow and develop our strong pipeline of events. We prioritise support for events based on a range of criteria, which includes how far they help create social and economic benefits for the UK and contribute towards the Government's Plan for Change.

As we consider BBC funding as part of Charter Review, we will look at how we can ensure the funding model is sustainable while also being fair and affordable for households. This will allow the BBC to deliver for all of us, drive growth of the creative industries, nurture talent, create jobs and invest across the whole of the UK. We are looking at a range of options, including how the BBC can operate more efficiently, generate more commercial revenue, and how the licence fee could be reformed. Decisions will be published in due course via the upcoming White Paper.

The Government wants broadcasters to be more ambitious in growing the TV sector outside London and the South East and commissioning content nationwide, and for British storytelling to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK. As part of Charter Review we are looking at how we can ensure the BBC’s commissioning, decision-making, and budgets truly reflect and deliver for all nations and regions of the UK.

The BBC expected to open its Digbeth headquarters in Birmingham in 2027, an example of the positive role the BBC is playing in the West Midlands. This is expected to create over 900 jobs and encourage 200 new creative businesses in the region over the next decade.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

I will deposit a copy of the equivalent information for FCDO premises in London in the Libraries of both Houses. This will be published in due course in the deposited papers database on Parliament’s website.

Ensuring that music creators are fairly compensated for their work is crucial to the ongoing success of our world-class music industry, as this is what allows them to invest their time, effort, and money into creating music.

Through the Creator Remuneration Working Group, we collaborated on this matter with key industry stakeholders, including major and independent record labels and music creator representatives.

In July 2025, we were delighted to welcome the new label-led principles as an output of these discussions. This includes targeted support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians, with the commitment from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Musicians’ Union to increase fees for session musicians by 40% for pop and 15% for classical sessions. The UK’s major labels have also launched bespoke packages to deliver benefits for UK creators.

To track progress and measure success, the government has worked with industry to implement a robust process to monitor and review the impact of the Principles. The Government will then assess the need for further intervention to ensure this package delivers on its objective to bring about real change.

Ensuring that music creators are fairly compensated for their work is crucial to the ongoing success of our world-class music industry, as this is what allows them to invest their time, effort, and money into creating music.

Through the Creator Remuneration Working Group, we collaborated on this matter with key industry stakeholders, including major and independent record labels and music creator representatives.

In July 2025, we were delighted to welcome the new label-led principles as an output of these discussions. This includes targeted support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians, with the commitment from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Musicians’ Union to increase fees for session musicians by 40% for pop and 15% for classical sessions. The UK’s major labels have also launched bespoke packages to deliver benefits for UK creators.

To track progress and measure success, the government has worked with industry to implement a robust process to monitor and review the impact of the Principles. The Government will then assess the need for further intervention to ensure this package delivers on its objective to bring about real change.

The Creative Content Exchange is currently in a pilot phase so the exact terms on which content is made available, including pricing and the terms of use for licensed content, are still to be determined. The expectation is that content owners will be able to set their own pricing and control of the specific use-cases of licensing.

During the pilot phase the CCE is focused on creative content held by large cultural institutions. Government is committed to ensuring that the specific circumstances and requirements of independent creators and small creative businesses are represented. In particular, the 18th March 2026 Statement on Copyright and AI Progress announced a working group on independent and smaller creative organisations to explore whether there is a role for government to support their ability to license their content.

DCMS Ministers and officials have had no discussions with the Gambling Commission on the ownership arrangements of the Health Lottery.

The appointment of a permanent Chief Executive is a matter for the Gambling Commission. The Commission will identify a preferred candidate, with the appointment subject to the Secretary of State approving the terms and conditions. Officials are in regular contact with the Gambling Commission in relation to this appointment.

The National Lottery is a national institution and a unique source of national pride and funding for good causes. It is a huge contributor to the Government’s Plan for Change, providing £1.9 billion in 2024/25 to the arts, heritage, sport and community sectors.

Allwyn, the operator of the 4th National Lottery licence, has successfully delivered its technical transformation. This modernisation will ensure the National Lottery continues to enrich lives and support communities across the country for generations to come.

Allwyn, as the new operator of the National Lottery, has successfully delivered its technical transformation programme. This marks the biggest investment in the National Lottery since 2009, and will support Allwyn’s commitment to double weekly good cause returns by 2034.

In 2024/5, good cause returns were £1.9 billion, which is consistent with returns over the last 5 years (£1.8 billion in 2023/4). In 2024/5, the National Lottery Community Fund’s share of the good cause returns was £760m, up from £728m in 2023/24.

The requested data on how many people started an apprenticeship in thatching, stone masonry (levels 2 and 3) and stained glass crafts, across the specified dates, is set out below:

Level 2 Thatcher (ST0821)

There have been no people starting a Level 2 Thatcher (ST0821) apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in February 2024.

Level 2 Stonemasonry (ST0442)

There have been a total of 243 starts on the Level 2 Stonemasonry (ST0442) apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in June 2021. No data is available for 2015/2016 because the qualification did not exist at the time:

2020/21 – 1 start

2021/22 – 67 starts

2022/23 – 53 starts

2023/24 – 31 starts

2024/25 – 49 starts

2025/26 - 42 starts

There is no Level 3 in Stonemasonry available at present.

Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson (ST0912)

There have been a total of 3 starts on this apprenticeship since it was approved for delivery in September 2021: No data is available for 2015/2016 because the qualification did not exist at the time:

2020/21 – 0 starts

2021/22 – 0 starts

2023/24 – 1 start

2024/25 – 2 starts

This has been derived from the Skills England website, where all data regarding apprenticeships is publicly available.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British economy. Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport.

The Government remains committed to supporting the implementation of key measures in the 2023 white paper, including the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs).

Following the conclusion of its pilot on FRAs, the Gambling Commission has continued to engage with gambling operators and other stakeholders. As the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission will decide how to implement FRAs based on the best available evidence.

The Gambling Commission has recently published an updated blog on its pilot findings and plans to publish the pilot data, including updated impact assessment results following implementation decision, as is standard practice.

The Creative Content Exchange is a proof of concept pilot, funded by UKRI’s Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme. Governance structures, ownership and operating model will be considered at a later stage should the CCE proceed beyond the pilot phase.

Local radio continues to bring communities together by reflecting local experiences and delivering local news and information. However, it does so against a backdrop of changing listener behavior, with only around 20% of commercial radio listening now on AM or FM.

In light of this, the Media Act 2024 removed detailed requirements that only applied to stations holding AM and FM commercial radio licences and set out how their local services should be operated. These were replaced with new obligations that prioritise the broadcast of local news and information regularly, including “locally-gathered” news - a key part of radio’s public value.

Further details on the required frequency of local news broadcasts is set out in the guidance which Ofcom published on 25 February this year, titled “Provision of local news and information on analogue commercial radio”. The precise requirements will continue to vary by individual licence and Ofcom will be engaging directly with Licensees on how any changes impact them.

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and young people as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including golf.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. They provide long term investment of £10.2 million to England Golf between 2022-2029 to support grassroots participation, including for both women and young people.

England Golf run a campaign called Girls Golf Rock, which has enabled 5000 girls aged 7-14 to play golf over the last five years.

I was delighted to attend The Open Championships at Royal Portrush last year where the R&A hosted a number of programmes aimed at getting young people to play golf including free tickets for children under 16, the R&A swingzone with free lessons and their “Road to the Opens” programme.

Cinemas help to sustain our high streets whilst offering one of the most accessible and affordable cultural experiences for communities around the country.

In a challenging fiscal environment, we have to make difficult choices about where to direct available funding. Whilst we have no current plans to expand the eligibility criteria of existing schemes or introduce new capital funding schemes, we continue to engage with cinema stakeholders to identify options to support the sector.

Cinemas based in eligible venues can benefit from capital investment through the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF). Not-for-profit mixed arts venues in England are eligible for the CFF, including those with cinemas on site. The first round of CFF recipients included many mixed arts venues with cinemas, including Firstsite in Colchester, the Rich Mix Cultural Foundation in London, and the Queen’s Hall Arts Centre in Hexham. We are also supporting the cinema sector through permanently lower business rates multipliers; public funding schemes through the British Film Institute including the National Lottery Audience Projects Fund and the Film Audience Network; and our significant investment in stimulating production - including through generous tax credits and the £75 million Screen Growth Package we announced in the Creative Industries Sector Plan - which creates the strong slate of films cinemas need to thrive.

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Sport must be open to everyone. There is absolutely no place for homophobia, or discrimination of any kind, in sport or society.

The Government expects sports bodies, including rugby governing bodies, to take robust action to tackle discrimination whenever and wherever it occurs. The Government will continue to work with National Governing Bodies and sector organisations to fight all forms of discrimination at all levels of sport.

Through the Sports Council’s Equality Group, UK Sport and Sport England provide guidance on transgender inclusion in domestic sport to our National Governing Bodies. It makes clear that inclusion, fairness, and safety cannot always be balanced in gender-affected sport.

Under the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance, National Governing Bodies at Tier 3 are required to publish and maintain a Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan to receive public funding. This framework serves as the accountability mechanism to demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The Government recognises that year-round, all-weather training environments play a vital role in the development of future elite athletes, ensuring consistent access to high-quality facilities regardless of external conditions.

Through Government and National Lottery funding, UK Sport invests in a network of Elite Training Centres across the UK. These centres provide daily training environments where athletes can access world-class facilities, coaching and integrated performance support, forming a key part of the UK’s approach to developing future Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

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

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 to help people get active.

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.

Every Child Can will invest £132.5 million of dormant assets funding to increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the culture, sport, and wider youth sectors. This includes a £12.5 million investment to meet our commitment to provide a library in every primary school in England by the end of this Parliament.

DCMS and the National Lottery Community Fund continue to work together to develop more of the programme’s detailed design and delivery, including which schools may be eligible for funding.

DCMS publishes annual data for grant-in-aid, fundraising income and other income at national museums and galleries, alongside trend analysis of those figures. This analysis includes adjustments for inflation. The figures for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are due to be published in April 2026. Other sources of self-generated income are published in each museum or gallery’s Annual Report and Accounts.

DCMS publishes annual data for grant-in-aid, fundraising income and other income at national museums and galleries, alongside trend analysis of those figures. This analysis includes adjustments for inflation. The figures for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are due to be published in April 2026. Other sources of self-generated income are published in each museum or gallery’s Annual Report and Accounts.

DCMS monitors the overall financial sustainability of the national museums but we have not undertaken an assessment of these specific issues. All national museums have provided free public access to their permanent collections since 2001. National museums are operationally independent of government, with decisions about opening hours, exhibitions, and educational and outreach programming the responsibility of each body’s board of trustees.

DCMS publishes annual data for grant-in-aid and fundraising income alongside trend analysis of those figures. The figures for 2023/24 and 2024/25 are due to be published in April 2026. Other sources of self-generated income are published in each museum or gallery’s Annual Report and Accounts.

The Government continues to support national museums in their efforts to diversify their income streams. This has included providing these bodies with additional ‘freedoms’ including the ability to maintain, invest and spend reserves of self-generated income. Alongside public funding, commercial income is an important factor which supports the museums to fulfil their statutory and charitable purposes.

We have not made a specific comparison to institutions in the countries specified.

The national museums and galleries are operationally independent and therefore decisions about allocating budgets are made by individual museums.

The Government has significantly increased its investment in national museum and gallery estates since 2014/15. This includes the recent commitment to invest £600 million over the course of this Parliament to tackle urgent maintenance backlogs and essential estate works at national museums and galleries, the British Library and British Film Institute.

The drafting of primary and secondary legislation is the responsibility of a large number of officials across government departments. A range of tools are used to assist with this drafting, including AI which is most commonly used to check, critique, and otherwise interrogate drafts. Work is continuously underway to identify ways of improving the efficiency of this work, including collaboration between departments to share ideas and emerging practices.

While AI can be used to assist with the drafting of legislation, the production of any draft remains the responsibility of a lead human drafter to meet the high standards expected of Government legislation.

Policy teams in DCMS can use approved AI tools to assist with the drafting and synthesis of documents, as well as the analysis of data; however, like other government departments, we have a strong human-led AI approach, meaning that any policy document, analysis or decision made remains the responsibility of a human, and no decision is made based on AI outputs alone, without manual intervention or overarching human accountability. This approach aligns with the UK Government’s AI Playbook, published in 2025, and with DCMS’s wider work to support the secure, appropriate, responsible and well-governed use of AI across the department.

The Department commissioned Harlow Consulting to conduct an independent evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. The Department has not made a separate internal estimate, and uses Harlow’s comprehensive independent assessment to understand the Scheme’s impact and additionality.

The evaluation used survey data from Scheme beneficiaries to determine how much of the activity was truly "additional" versus how much would have occurred anyway. It established that 80% of respondents indicated they would have done the work without the rebate. Section 2.3.2 of the evaluation provides a further breakdown of this figure, indicating that the Scheme had an impact on the timing and quality of the work. 51% of all Scheme users reported that the grant increased the timeliness of repairs. Likewise, 31% of users were enabled to carry out more extensive works or works of a higher standard.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British economy. Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport.

The Government remains committed to supporting the implementation of key measures in the 2023 white paper, including the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs).

Following the conclusion of its pilot on FRAs, the Gambling Commission has continued to engage with gambling operators and other stakeholders. As the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission will decide how to implement FRAs based on the best available evidence.

The Gambling Commission has recently published an updated blog on its pilot findings and plans to publish the pilot data, including updated impact assessment results following implementation decision, as is standard practice.

The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, including by removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities.

£15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in their chosen sports. At least £2.5 million of that will be invested through the Lawn Tennis Association into covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.

As a public service broadcaster that matters hugely to public life, the BBC must be responsive to its viewers and listeners, in order to tell inclusive stories about the lives of all people, in all parts of the UK. This Government wants broadcasters, including the BBC, to be more ambitious in growing our world-leading TV sector outside of London and the South East, and to commission content in every part of the country. We want British storytelling to reflect the full diversity of people, communities and experiences across the UK so that more people can see themselves reflected on screen and as part of our national story. This is an area of focus in the BBC Charter Review as we look to make sure the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country, particularly by ensuring that the BBC’s commissioning, decision-making and budgets are spread across all the nations and regions of the UK.

The BBC is a vital national institution and an engine of the nations and regions, including the North East of England. In that context, this news is concerning for the BBC workforce who are facing significant uncertainty, and for the sector as a whole. The BBC is delivering significant savings, which requires difficult decisions to be made independent of the Government. The BBC have stated that there will be more information on their plans later this year. Looking ahead, the Charter Review aims to deliver a BBC that is sustainably funded in a way that sets the BBC on a path to thrive until well into the latter half of this century. The Charter Review will consider how the BBC can support the creative economy and drive growth across the UK.

The BBC is a vital national institution and an engine of the nations and regions, including the North East of England. In that context, this news is concerning for the BBC workforce who are facing significant uncertainty, and for the sector as a whole. The BBC is delivering significant savings, which requires difficult decisions to be made independent of the Government. The BBC have stated that there will be more information on their plans later this year. Looking ahead, the Charter Review aims to deliver a BBC that is sustainably funded in a way that sets the BBC on a path to thrive until well into the latter half of this century. The Charter Review will consider how the BBC can support the creative economy and drive growth across the UK.

There is no single agreed definition of what it means for audiences to have universal access to free-to-air television, but – supported by the work of the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum in particular – the Government has been considering a number of important elements, including the availability, affordability and accessibility of the different methods by which audiences can receive television services at present and how these are likely to evolve in the future.

The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities.

£15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.

The Secretary of State had an introductory meeting with Matt Brittin on 15th April 2026. The BBC is a vital national institution, and as such, Ministers and Senior Officials regularly meet with BBC leadership to discuss a range of issues.

As I emphasised during a recent Westminster Hall debate, the Government recognises and celebrates the contribution that community spaces make to local people and we have taken steps to support more communities to have access to shared environments.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities (such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship) and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments.

Libraries form a key example of these community spaces, Surrey County Council has 52 static libraries. The library service previously received £75,000 from the Libraries Improvement Fund to introduce flexible shelving within eight of its libraries (Ashtead, Chertsey, Dittons, Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere, Oxted, and Reigate). This allows libraries to move furniture around to reconfigure spaces and accommodate more events, services, and visitors.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the NPPF. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, includes proposals relating to community facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.