Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

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The Charity Commission for England and Wales recently issued a Regulatory Action Plan to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. This followed concerns that the charity's trustees were taking too long to implement reforms to safeguarding in the Church of England.

The Charity Commission has also recently issued Official Warnings to two Church of England diocesan boards of finance for failures in how safeguarding allegations were handled.

The Commission is monitoring the Church charities' compliance with the respective Action Plan and Official Warnings, and will take any steps it considers necessary and within its regulatory remit to hold trustees of Church charities to account.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is focused solely on England because heritage policy is devolved. Future capital funding for Wales is supported through Barnett allocations, which provide proportional funding to the Welsh Government. As these funds are not ring-fenced, it is for the devolved administrations to determine how this funding is allocated and spent according to their priorities. Therefore, we do not plan to assess the impact of this capital funding for places of worship in Wales.

This contrasts with the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), which operated UK-wide as a VAT-rebate scheme. Tax policy is not devolved.

To ensure continued support across the UK, we are working closely with sector funders to maximise opportunities for all nations. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) remains a vital resource, offering grants across the UK and investing £100 million over three years in places of worship. This includes a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support and build capacity, ensuring that places of worship in Wales have access to investment.

The Places of Worship Renewal Fund is focused solely on England because heritage policy is devolved. Future capital funding for Wales is supported through Barnett allocations, which provide proportional funding to the Welsh Government. As these funds are not ring-fenced, it is for the devolved administrations to determine how this funding is allocated and spent according to their priorities. Therefore, we do not plan to assess the impact of this capital funding for places of worship in Wales.

This contrasts with the previous Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), which operated UK-wide as a VAT-rebate scheme. Tax policy is not devolved.

To ensure continued support across the UK, we are working closely with sector funders to maximise opportunities for all nations. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) remains a vital resource, offering grants across the UK and investing £100 million over three years in places of worship. This includes a strategic initiative designed to provide targeted support and build capacity, ensuring that places of worship in Wales have access to investment.

In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, the government outlined our ambition to build a resilient, skilled workforce fit for the future. As part of this, we set out to develop a high quality and responsive education, skills and training offer, meeting the sector’s workforce requirements, and develop a long-term government and business partnership to support all stages of the skills pipeline. This includes delivering greater flexibility for employers and learners via the new growth and skills offer; working with industry to support sector training pathways through a DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum; and delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service.

To build on this, we are developing sector Jobs Plans with industry for all growth-driving sectors identified by the Industrial Strategy. This will be published later this year.

The Physical Activity Clinical Champions Programme was developed by the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities, part of the Department of Health and Social Care, alongside Sport England. The programme is designed to equip healthcare professionals with the skills to discuss the importance of physical activity with patients who have health conditions. This supports the delivery of the Government’s 10-year Health Plan and fosters greater collaboration between the health, sport and physical activity sectors.

Since 2023, the programme has been led by a consortium of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Intelligent Health and Sheffield Hallam University. An update on the future of the programme is due shortly.

We have allocated £12.5 million from the Dormant Assets Scheme to ensure every primary school has a library space by the end of this Parliament. The National Lottery Community Fund is working to develop more of the programme details, including which schools will receive funding.

The Government is committed to consulting the best available evidence on gambling advertising from a wide range of sources when assessing next policy steps in this space. It is for the Betting and Gaming Council to decide whether to publish their report on gambling advertising.

The Government regularly engages with a range of stakeholders, including industry bodies, in the development and delivery of gambling policy.

Blackpool’s tramway, which opened in 1885, was the first permanent electric tramway in the UK. They are an important living link to the UK’s rich industrial heritage and one of the elements that makes Blackpool a jewel in the crown of England's visitor economy in the North West.

There has been no formal assessment of the cultural and historical importance of the trams.

Blackpool’s tramway, which opened in 1885, was the first permanent electric tramway in the UK. They are an important living link to the UK’s rich industrial heritage and one of the elements that makes Blackpool a jewel in the crown of England's visitor economy in the North West.

There has been no formal assessment of the cultural and historical importance of the trams.

DCMS has received 45 requests relating to the Government Art Collection since 4 July 2024. All Freedom of Information requests are considered on their individual merits in accordance with the relevant legislation.

I will deposit a copy of FOI2025/05106 in the Libraries of both Houses.

This Government recognises the importance of local heritage assets such as the Victorian Teignbridge Pier. On the 21st of January, the Secretary of State announced a new £1.2bn Arts Everywhere package. The package includes nearly £200 million 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 and eligibility, 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. This could include covering repair work as part of a wider project.

As the rights holder for FIFA World Cup tournaments, FIFA publishes the criteria and associated timeline for prospective future host nations to meet in order to be deemed viable. The Football Association works closely with the UK Government and UK Sport when considering whether to bid for future major football events.

This occurred recently, with the UK-wide bid submitted to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035. Hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2035 on home turf would be a monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy. The UK Government, alongside the four Home Nation Football Associations and Devolved Governments, are supporting FIFA as they evaluate the bid - prior to their decision on hosts in April 2026.

For the FIFA Men’s World Cup tournaments, FIFA has determined the host nations for the next three tournaments, until 2034. The government has not been part of discussions regarding future selection criteria at this time.

While DCMS recognises the value of the Bonfire Societies and their organised events to their community, no formal assessment has been made on their potential impact on the economy in Sussex. However, DCMS acknowledges that such events act as drivers of regional tourism, drawing visitors from across the country outside the peak summer season.

We would encourage the Sussex Bonfire community to engage with our work on living heritage. As part of the implementation of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Government is working with the Devolved Governments to create an inventory of Living Heritage (or Intangible Cultural Heritage) in the UK. We would welcome a submission from Bonfire communities to the inventories via the website: https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/

The Government is delivering a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs by March 2029. This is a cross-government priority, coordinated with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care.

While local authorities will decide on precise locations based on community needs, we expect co-location to be a key consideration where it improves accessibility and strengthens local support for young people.

Eight early adopters have been announced. The early adopter phase will look at how Young Futures Hubs interact with existing services, including Family Hubs.

The current listed events regime is designed to ensure that certain sporting events of national significance are available to as wide an audience as possible, by prohibiting exclusive broadcasting of the event without prior consent from Ofcom.

The Government believes the current list of events strikes an appropriate balance between ensuring viewers access to significant sporting events and allowing sports to maximise broadcasting revenue to invest in the growth and development of those sports.

The Government has no plans to review the list at this time.

Given the legal and commercial sensitivities involved, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on any live or potential media merger involving Warner Bros Discovery or other US‑based companies. As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, we recognise that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers.

The Government recognises the vital role that cinemas and independent British content play in local communities and in supporting economic growth. That is why we have committed to backing the UK's film and TV industry in the Sector Plan, which includes a £75 million Screen Growth Package with an £18 million per year expansion of the UK Global Screen Fund to support independent UK content. We continue to offer world-leading tax credits - 53% for independent film and 34% for high-end TV - the latter providing over £1 billion in support to British television. We remain in close contact with the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, and UK Cinema Association on the challenges facing content producers and exhibitors.

The Government has also committed to taking action to support the future of public service media, which is why we are getting on with implementing the Media Act 2024 and have recently launched the BBC Charter Review. Ofcom’s Public Service Media review also makes a number of recommendations that will inform that work.

Given the legal and commercial sensitivities involved, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on any live or potential media merger involving Warner Bros Discovery or other US‑based companies. As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, we recognise that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers.

The Government recognises the vital role that cinemas and independent British content play in local communities and in supporting economic growth. That is why we have committed to backing the UK's film and TV industry in the Sector Plan, which includes a £75 million Screen Growth Package with an £18 million per year expansion of the UK Global Screen Fund to support independent UK content. We continue to offer world-leading tax credits - 53% for independent film and 34% for high-end TV - the latter providing over £1 billion in support to British television. We remain in close contact with the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, and UK Cinema Association on the challenges facing content producers and exhibitors.

The Government has also committed to taking action to support the future of public service media, which is why we are getting on with implementing the Media Act 2024 and have recently launched the BBC Charter Review. Ofcom’s Public Service Media review also makes a number of recommendations that will inform that work.

Given the legal and commercial sensitivities involved, it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on any live or potential media merger involving Warner Bros Discovery or other US‑based companies. As set out in our Creative Industries Sector Plan, we recognise that convergence in the TV and streaming market is leading to greater consolidation as companies seek economies of scale. Should any proposed transaction progress, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be responsible for examining implications for competition and consumers.

The Government recognises the vital role that cinemas and independent British content play in local communities and in supporting economic growth. That is why we have committed to backing the UK's film and TV industry in the Sector Plan, which includes a £75 million Screen Growth Package with an £18 million per year expansion of the UK Global Screen Fund to support independent UK content. We continue to offer world-leading tax credits - 53% for independent film and 34% for high-end TV - the latter providing over £1 billion in support to British television. We remain in close contact with the British Film Institute, British Film Commission, and UK Cinema Association on the challenges facing content producers and exhibitors.

The Government has also committed to taking action to support the future of public service media, which is why we are getting on with implementing the Media Act 2024 and have recently launched the BBC Charter Review. Ofcom’s Public Service Media review also makes a number of recommendations that will inform that work.

The Government is committed to supporting the creative industries, including the craft sector, which is why we put them front and centre of our Industrial Strategy, including publishing the Creative Industries Sector Plan last year. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with all other relevant government departments to support the craft sector and deliver on the Sector Plan. DCMS currently has no plans to form a cross-departmental group for craft, however DCMS and Skills England jointly run a Creative Sector Skills Forum, which has a rolling cast list and includes representation for the crafts sector depending on the agenda. This includes the Crafts Council, Heritage Crafts and Officials from DWP and DfE as needed.

The Government recognises that high-quality youth services are vital for the health, wellbeing, and development of young people. The £500 million investment announced on 10 December 2025 as part of the National Youth Strategy represents a significant commitment to transforming the youth sector.

Some of the first funded steps to work towards the strategy include over £60 million for the Richer Young Lives Fund, nearly £70 million to improve local youth offers, over £22 million towards school-based enrichment opportunities and £15 million to support youth workers, volunteers and wider trusted adults. Meanwhile the £350 million Better Youth Spaces fund is specifically designed to expand the reach and quality of the youth estate.

The precise proportion of funding allocated to the maintenance of current services and the creation of new capacity will be determined during the detailed programme design phase. The Department will share further information on these allocations in due course.

The Richer Young Lives Fund will invest over £60 million over the next three years, enabling organisations to deliver high-quality youth work and activities.

The Fund will be targeted at underserved areas and focus on making activities easier to access for disadvantaged young people. Young people will be involved in designing the fund and making decisions on how the funding is spent. More information on the eligibility criteria and application details, including location eligibility, will be shared in due course.

The Fund will launch in the financial year 2026/27.

The first eight early adopter Young Futures Hubs were located where they will have the most impact, using data on knife crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Government’s aim is to set up an additional 42 Young Futures Hubs over the next four years. The locations for the remaining 42 hubs will be determined using learnings from the eight early adopter hubs, alongside appropriate metrics to ensure hubs help those young people with greatest need.

DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.

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.

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.

DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.

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.

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.

DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.

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.

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.

DCMS acted to support Premiership Rugby during the COVID-19 pandemic when their need was most acute. Loan financing was provided on favourable terms to applicant organisations, and DCMS is now collecting those repayments as intended. DCMS is not able to comment on the specifics of individual loans given their commercial sensitivity.

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.

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.

Paid advertising on X was suspended in April 2023 following a SAFE Framework assessment. X is currently used only for organic (non-paid) content to communicate policies and public services.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent a total of £481 since July 2024 on an X Premium Plus subscription.

The Government has prioritised film and television as a high-growth sub-sector in the Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan.

Many of the interventions in the £75 million Screen Growth Package we announced in the Sector Plan will benefit VFX and animation. For example, we are scaling up the UK Global Screen Fund to £18 million per year, which will include a new majority co-production strand for UK animation. Through the Sector Plan, we will ensure that the UK continues to develop world-class talent, facilities and innovation in animation and VFX, including through £10 million to expand capacity and apprenticeships at the National Film & Television School, and £25 million for five new CoSTAR labs advancing augmented reality and motion capture technologies.

In addition, we continue to offer generous and stable tax credits - including the new credit for VFX costs in film and TV we introduced last year, and recent changes to R&D credits which now better recognise artists' roles in addressing scientific and technological challenges. In addition, the British Business Bank is increasing financial backing for the Creative Industries opening new opportunities for screen businesses and IP creators.

DCMS remains in close contact with UK Screen Alliance and Animation UK on the sector's opportunities and challenges.

We cannot provide the number and salary of staff who are employed in roles primarily focussed on a combination of diversity, equity and inclusion. Doing so would breach the Data Protection Act and risk identifying individual members of staff because the data is concerning five or less employees, and the information relates to someone other than the data subjects.

Whilst we do not have specific plans relating to those schemes, the Government is committed to supporting young people in accessing the skills they need to thrive, including in heritage skills. The Department for Education, which is responsible for skills and education, is working with secondary schools and colleges to develop their careers programmes, with the input of over 3,500 business volunteers. This provides young people with insights into a range of jobs and careers across all sectors, including heritage crafts and skills.

DCMS, working with our arms length bodies and wider government are introducing school aged children to future heritage careers. Through Government funding, Historic England delivers the Heritage Schools Programme which brings local heritage to schools across England, broadening access to local history and raising awareness of the many future job opportunities in the heritage sector. The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) funds a range of programmes that support heritage crafts, high-quality training and paid training placements in heritage careers. This includes the Future Heritage Leadership programme, launched in November 2025 to help young adults (18 - 30 year olds) get into the heritage sector with a strong focus on those from diverse backgrounds.

The Department of Education, and the Department for Works and Pension have overall responsibility for devising and delivering skills policy across Government. The Department for Culture Media and Sport works across Government to ensure heritage crafts and skills are appropriately considered in policy.

Historic England, Government’s advisor on heritage and Arms Length Body of DCMS, advises the Government on heritage skills and craft policy and contributes to a number of cross Government working groups, including the Construction Skills Delivery Group. DCMS has no plans to appoint further experts.

We note the findings of Ofcom’s Review of Audience Protection Measures on On-Demand Programme Services. The Government will shortly be designating mainstream video-on-demand services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consult on a new Standards Code for these services, similar to the Broadcasting Code. This will give the public an important opportunity to set out their views directly on the use of age ratings and content warnings.

We note the findings of Ofcom’s Review of Audience Protection Measures on On-Demand Programme Services. The Government will shortly be designating mainstream video-on-demand services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consult on a new Standards Code for these services, similar to the Broadcasting Code. This will give the public an important opportunity to set out their views directly on the use of age ratings and content warnings.

The Minister for Museums, Heritage Gambling is not a member of the Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB). The CSMB is an industry-led group, consisting of construction senior leaders, small business representatives, and union representatives. Officials representing five supporting departments (the Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Education, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) observe meetings of the Board with relevant ministers joining when necessary. Historic England, Government advisors on the historic environment, advises the board on consideration on heritage skills via the CSMB sub committee on Repair, Maintenance and Infrastructure.

The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will close on 31 March 2026 or when the budget for the year is spent.. As we look towards a new fiscal period and the evolving needs of our community, it is essential that government support is deployed to the areas where it can have the greatest impact and where it is needed most. Our evaluation of the Scheme showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate. There will therefore not be further funding rounds of the current scheme.

However, on 21 January we announced the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund. This will have an annual budget of £23m starting in 2026/27. This provides certainty for the remaining years of the Spending Review until 2029/30, providing £92m over the period. Support will be targeted at places of most need. Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process, will be published in due course.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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