Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has not made a specific formal assessment of the impact of leisure or cultural venues requiring paid-for access cards or third-party certification as proof of disability. However, the legal framework under the Equality Act 2010 already protects disabled people’s access to services. Under the Act, service providers, including leisure and cultural venues, have an “anticipatory duty” to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared with non-disabled people. This duty applies regardless of whether an individual provides proof of disability.

DCMS has, however, supported Arts Council England, working in partnership with the other arts councils in the UK and Ireland, to develop All In which is a free membership scheme for disabled people designed to remove barriers and make it easier to book tickets. Disabled members will be offered the choice to provide basic access requirements or proof of their disability as part of the sign up process. All In Essentials has now been opened for venue subscriptions, and All In Plus will open for disabled people to join in the summer.

DCMS Economic Estimates provide annual estimates of employment in the creative industries in the UK, based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey. The total number of filled jobs in the creative industries for 2019 to 2024 are presented below. Employment data for 2025 is not yet available.

In 2024, there were 2.4 million filled jobs in the creative industries. This is a 308,000 (14.7%) increase from 2019.

Table 1: Filled jobs in the creative industries, 2019 to 2024, with lower and upper confidence intervals (95% confidence level)

This table includes confidence intervals which provide a range within which the ‘true’ value is likely to be. This helps us to assess whether changes over time are statistically significant, giving us confidence that we are seeing a real effect, rather than due to change or random factors in the survey used to collect the data.

The Government's 27 January announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27 also set out that an additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

We are intent that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. This will allow us to make progress in reducing inactivity levels and improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

The Government's 27 January announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27 also set out that an additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

We are intent that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. This will allow us to make progress in reducing inactivity levels and improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

The Government's 27 January announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27 also set out that an additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

We are intent that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. This will allow us to make progress in reducing inactivity levels and improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

The Government's 27 January announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27 also set out that an additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.

We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

We are intent that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible. This will allow us to make progress in reducing inactivity levels and improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

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.

In 2026/27, we will invest £85m across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, building on the £98m being invested through the programme in 2025/26. This supports communities, including children and young people, to get active through funding artificial grass pitches, floodlights, changing pavilions and other facility improvements.

Last year, the Government announced a new PE and School Sport Partnerships model and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. A national network will be developed to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies to identify and break down barriers to sport for children who are less active. I recently met with colleagues in the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care to discuss this, as we move towards introducing this new approach.

Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

The department is actively supporting this work and regularly attends Cross-Whitehall fora on national resilience. The work is supported at official level through the Project Delivery and Major Events, and Media and International directorates, and the Permanent Secretary’s Office.

The British Library recognises three national Civil Service unions – FDA, Prospect and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).

The table below shows the facility time for each union expressed in headcount, FTE staff members and total hours. These figures are for the most recent period of time available, April 2024 to March 2025.

Prizes that can be won via loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They are therefore not legally classified as gambling and do not fall under gambling regulation. There are currently no plans to change this.

Heritage is a devolved competence, however some funders operate across the UK. To ensure continued support for listed places of worship across the UK, we are working 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 Scotland have access to investment.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.

Compliance with CRaGA is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission, which publishes Recruitment Principles setting out the detailed rules departments must follow.

For departments who use Civil Service Jobs to manage their recruitment, which DCMS does, applicants are asked to provide diversity data on a voluntary basis only and no details are shared with hiring managers.

The positive action measures in the Equality Act 2010 allows employers to take proportionate action that aims to reduce disadvantage, meet different needs and increase participation. More information on this can be found on gov.uk.

Employers who choose to use positive action can help people who share a particular protected characteristic to overcome certain barriers under the measures. However, employers need to ensure they do this in a way which does not unfairly disadvantage other groups as this could amount to ‘positive discrimination’, which is unlawful.

The Department is fully compliant with Cabinet Office guidance relating to standalone EDI roles.

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

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

At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments generally receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. Barnett consequentials were confirmed taking into account the overall DCMS allocation, which includes funding for the Places of Worship Renewal fund. Decisions on the allocation of this funding are then for the Devolved Governments to take.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

This Government’s ambition is to make the UK the best place in the world to make film and television. Central to that ambition is a workforce that is skilled, supported, and able to build sustainable careers.

The concerning findings of the Film and TV Charity’s Looking Glass Survey demonstrate why workforce wellbeing sits at the heart of our Creative Industries Sector Plan, including our focus on more stable employment and stronger career pathways.

We are working with industry to improve working conditions and standards of behaviour, including through our continued support of the Good Work Review action plan and the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).

The British Film Institute, as a DCMS Arm’s Length Body, has invested £1.5 million in WorkWise for Screen to help production companies strengthen their management practices. We will also appoint a Creative Freelance Champion to advocate for freelancers, who make up a disproportionate share of this workforce, in government.

Action is also being taken across Government. The Employment Rights Act 2025 and the Plan to Make Work Pay will tackle late payments, establish the right to a written contract, and extend health and safety protections. The government will also support industry to develop skills passports and begin implementation from 2026, which will support progression and help reduce the precariousness that fuels poor mental health.

The Government is clear that the strength of our film and television sector depends on a workforce that is valued, supported, and able to thrive. With opportunities ahead - including the BBC Charter Review, wider sector growth, and the continued delivery of our Sector Plan - we are focused on ensuring the workforce can flourish in a changing industry.

DCMS Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.

The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

DCMS is actively supporting this work.

DCMS Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

DCMS is actively supporting this work.

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be published in due course.

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process will be published in due course.

Officials have engaged with the senior leadership of the V&A and the Science Museum Group in recent weeks on this issue. Both museums are exploring options to resume deliveries to Northern Ireland.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has less than five employees who are reliant on a visa for employment. The exact number has been redacted to avoid identification of individuals.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources, including the opening hours, staffed and unstaffed, of its libraries. This includes ensuring children and young people have access to their services.

As the libraries development agency for England, Arts Council England collects and publishes data on library opening hours in its annual English Public Libraries Location Dataset.

The ACE English Public Libraries Location Dataset 2024 indicates that 408 statutory static libraries have an automated system to support the public when this facility is open but unstaffed.

DCMS recognises the vital role libraries play in supporting children and young people in their literacy and providing a safe place to study. DCMS’s 2024-25 Participation Survey shows that 16-19 year olds are more likely to use library services than the average adult. DCMS’s Youth Participation Pilot Survey, published in 2024, also shows that 43% of young people (10-19) visited a library in the 12 months prior. DCMS will be considering a range of evidence and best practice in development of the forthcoming Libraries Strategy.

In our response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we set out the levy’s overarching principles to ensure that the lead commissioning bodies are supporting the government in delivering on our vision for the future system. This includes a coordinated approach to prevention at the local, regional and national level and providing investment to develop and deliver harm reduction activities across Great Britain.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities holds responsibilities for prevention programme design and commissioning in England, alongside appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales. We are collectively committed to ensuring the levy system is effective, evidence-based and aligned with wider public health principles.

The Gambling Commission has a duty to ensure that the necessary controls are in place to prevent gambling businesses being used for illicit purposes.

As part of the Operator’s Gambling Licence in Great Britain under the Condition of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), operators are required to keep up-to-date with emerging risks information published by the Gambling Commission. This assessment is a trigger for operators to review their own money laundering and terrorist financing risk assessments and related policies, procedures and controls to ensure that they remain appropriate and effective.

The Gambling Commission regularly publishes its enforcement actions which identifies and enforces penalties for breaches. We have regular engagement with the GC on appropriate measures and keep these under review.

All operators who advertise in the UK must comply with advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority independently of government. The codes include a wide range of provisions which are designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm and ensure that adverts are socially responsible.

However, we recognise that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm. We are working closely, across government and with industry, to ensure children and the most vulnerable are protected, and to tackle illegal gambling advertising.

In addition, the new statutory gambling levy will raise around c.£100 million in funding every year. This funding will be ringfenced to deliver priority projects and services for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm, further increasing awareness, understanding and treatment of gambling-related harms across Great Britain.

The Government is acutely aware of the impact that gambling harm can have on individuals, families and communities and we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk.

We consider a wide range of evidence when making policy and regulatory decisions. This includes consideration of the recommendations in Chapter One’s report “Ten Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention”.

The Government's National Youth Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to ensure that every young person nationwide has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them, and a community they feel a part of. Halving the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers is one of the clear ambitions of this cross-government strategy. Full details of the measurement of the participation gap will be published in due course. The Local Outcomes Framework has already committed to including an indicator on participation in youth services.

We are working closely with other government departments to ensure the successful delivery and accountability of the National Youth Strategy. This includes developing a set of shared outcomes to be used across departments, which will allow us to track progress against key outcomes in the strategy.

As part of the Government’s ambition to halve the participation gap, DCMS, in partnership with DfE, will invest £22.5 million through the Enrichment Expansion Programme (EEP). This funding will support up to 400 schools in areas of greatest need across England to provide youth-voice led, tailored and high-quality enrichment offers.

The programme is currently being designed, and further details on delivery timelines and school selection will be shared 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. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what each local community needs.

We are working closely with the sport sector stakeholders and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs.

This government is committed to broadening access to arts education, including specialist training for our most promising musicians and dancers irrespective of their personal or financial background through the Music and Dance Scheme. The scheme supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians, dancers and performing artists.

My department works closely with the Department for Education who continues to fund the scheme, providing means-tested support to over 2,000 students from lower-income families. The Department for Education currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.

This government is committed to broadening access to arts education, including specialist training for our most promising musicians and dancers irrespective of their personal or financial background through the Music and Dance Scheme. The scheme supports the Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment to increase access to quality specialist creative education provision across England to strengthen our cadre of highly trained young musicians, dancers and performing artists.

My department works closely with the Department for Education who continues to fund the scheme, providing means-tested support to over 2,000 students from lower-income families. The Department for Education currently provides £36.5 million for the MDS this academic year and future funding will be announced in due course.

My Department meets regularly with representatives of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on a range of matters.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator for advertising in the UK and enforces the ‘CAP Code’ and ‘BCAP Code’, which set the standards for non-broadcast and broadcast advertising, respectively. These codes include specific rules intended to protect consumers from misleading marketing communications. If advertising includes the omission, exaggeration, or ambiguous presentation of information, for example in relation to prices, it can be considered misleading.

Further, Ofcom has overall responsibility for the regulation of non-geographic service numbers and premium rate services. Organisations using these numbers in broadcast and non-broadcast advertising must ensure that the service charge is displayed prominently and in close proximity to the number itself.

The Government published a Call for Evidence on reforming the licensing system on 7 October. This invited views on the impact of licensing reforms, including in relation to Recommendation 4 of the Licensing Taskforce, that the requirement for printed statutory notices in local newspapers for alcohol licences should be removed. The reforms collectively aim to create a modern, proportionate, and enabling system that supports economic growth, revitalises high streets and fosters vibrant communities.

The Government is also concerned about the sustainability of local journalism and DCMS is developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We recognise that local press continues to play a central role in informing local communities, and that statutory notices, including alcohol licensing notices, can be an important way of keeping residents informed about decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property.

As part of the Local Media Strategy, we will be conducting a statutory notices review, which will take forward final decisions on the future of alcohol notices. As part of this, we will consider the merits and risks of making changes to existing requirements to place statutory notices in print local newspapers, including the impact this has on digitally excluded adults and local newspapers. More will be announced on the Strategy and the review in due course.

The UK has a self-regulatory system for the press, which is independent from Government. This is vital to ensure the public has access to accurate and trustworthy information from a range of different sources. The Government therefore does not intervene in the work of the press or independent press regulators.

Within the self-regulatory system, the majority of traditional publishers are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). Some publishers have joined the Independent Monitor for the Press (Impress), while others, including the Financial Times and the Guardian, have chosen to stay outside either regulator with their own detailed self-regulatory arrangements.

These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, which include reporting on suicides. Both regulators also signpost to the Samaritans’ media guidelines for reporting on suicides and publish further advice for journalists and editors relating to reporting on suicide. Impress’ guidance is https://www.impressorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Guidance-on-the-Impress-Standards-Code.pdf#page=65 and IPSO’s is https://www.ipso.co.uk/resources/reporting-suicide-guidance/.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.

As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.

The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.

As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.

The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.

As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.

The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.

As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.

The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

On 2 March DCMS announced £150,000 for public libraries to support the National Year of Reading. Funding will be delivered by The Reading Agency in support of the Go All In campaign to reconnect people with reading for pleasure.

The £150,000 fund is expected to support projects across 72 library authority areas which are disadvantaged by high deprivation, weak social infrastructure and low library engagement with the aim of encouraging greater library use and new members.

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