Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s main Whitehall building is 100 Parliament Street, housed within the Government Offices Great George Street (GOGGS). GOGGS is managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA) on behalf of the departments which occupy the building. It has 201 single sex cubicles, 80 urinals and 2 non-gendered universal toilets (individual self-contained lockable toilet rooms which contain a toilet, washbasin and hand-drying facilities). This is in addition to 40 wheelchair accessible toilets.

These figures come from an audit carried out by the GPA and therefore reflect the facilities across both 100 Parliament Street and 1 Horseguards Road.

Information regarding employment levels at the Charity Commission and Gambling Commission is included in each public body’s annual report and accounts. These are published annually on GOV.UK.

The average number of employees in each year since 2005 is detailed in the following table:

The report that the Honourable Member refers to estimates the economic and social costs of gambling-related harm and provides a useful addition to our evidence base. As we have previously set out in a number of gambling-related impact assessments, we recognise that the report has limitations relating to both data availability and methodology, which means that the cost estimates may be under- or over-estimating the true cost of harm. This is true of many reports that try to estimate the cost of harm. However, we continue to consider this report in the context of the wider evidence base, and as such have no plans to exclude it from use in the Department.

The Government recognises the importance of using impartial, accurate and up-to-date statistics on gambling behaviour and harms. We are committed to ensuring that policy decisions are guided by the best available evidence from a broad range of reliable sources.

Developing impartial and accurate evidence on gambling-related harms is a key priority for the statutory gambling levy. That is why 20% of funding will be directed towards high-quality, independent research to fill gaps in the evidence base, which will be used to inform policy related to tackling gambling-related harm.

The Department intends to publish the Terms of Reference for the Gambling Levy Programme Board and the Gambling Levy Advisory Group before the end of the year.

The government recognises AI’s established role in the UK's video game sector, such as supporting content generation and character behaviours. As technology advances, AI has the potential to further enhance creativity, efficiency, and accessibility in games development.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has invested in the Centre for Doctoral Training in Intelligent Games and Game Intelligence (IGGI) since 2014. IGGI has produced over 60 PhD graduates at the intersection of AI, games, and human-computer interaction, focused on using games to drive innovation, improve well-being, and tackle societal challenges. Graduates have turned research into business value across the creative industries, including roles at Sony AI and Google DeepMind. The Government will continue engaging with the games industry to understand opportunities and challenges regarding responsible use of AI, to ensure the UK’s innovative games industry thrives in the age of AI.

Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June, announced a number of measures that will support innovation across the creative industries. This includes a £100 million investment to support R&D creative clusters across the UK; and the UKRI will lead efforts to significantly increase public funding and leverage substantial industry investment to promote R&D and innovation in the Creative Industries.

The UK Government is working closely with the Home Nation Football Associations and the Devolved Governments to develop the UK-wide bid for the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As the largest single sport women’s event in the world, this tournament has the potential to generate significant socio-economic benefits, impact communities across the UK, and build on our world-leading reputation as a host of major events.

To illustrate, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 was estimated to have generated AUS$1.32bn for the economy in Australia and New Zealand. We are working closely with UK Sport, the FAs and Devolved Governments to assess the potential benefits of hosting to inform our collective bid.

Following confirmation that the UK would be the sole bid for 2035, our bid is due to be submitted by the end of November, with a final decision by FIFA expected in April 2026.

The Government is acutely aware of the impact that harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families.

We recognise the importance of using impartial, accurate and up-to-date statistics, in the context of the wider evidence base, to inform policy and regulatory decisions. A number of studies have looked at this issue. This includes the Gambling Commission’s recent Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) 2024 annual report which highlighted how approximately 2.7% of adults in Great Britain had a score of 8+ on the Problem Gambling Severity Index.

We have always been clear that when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

It is for each sport's National Governing Body to set their own policies for who can participate in domestic competitions, and it is for International Federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition.

This Government remains committed to working with UK Sport, the British Olympic Association, and the British Paralympic Association to ensure that UK athletes can compete under clear, fair, and legally robust international regulations.

Since a universal, one-time genetic test for all athletes in the female category across all Olympic and Paralympic sports is not yet set out or mandated, no estimate of the total cost has been made by the Government.

We have always been clear that when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

It is for each sport's National Governing Body to set their own policies for who can participate in domestic competitions, and it is for International Federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition.

This Government remains committed to working with UK Sport, the British Olympic Association, and the British Paralympic Association to ensure that UK athletes can compete under clear, fair, and legally robust international regulations.

Since a universal, one-time genetic test for all athletes in the female category across all Olympic and Paralympic sports is not yet set out or mandated, no estimate of the total cost has been made by the Government.

We have always been clear that when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.

It is for each sport's National Governing Body to set their own policies for who can participate in domestic competitions, and it is for International Federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition.

This Government remains committed to working with UK Sport, the British Olympic Association, and the British Paralympic Association to ensure that UK athletes can compete under clear, fair, and legally robust international regulations.

Since a universal, one-time genetic test for all athletes in the female category across all Olympic and Paralympic sports is not yet set out or mandated, no estimate of the total cost has been made by the Government.

It is great that Birmingham is a host city, and Villa Park is a brilliant venue. As part of the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament launch on 12 November 2025, the government announced it is investing up to £557 million into hosting the tournament, which will generate significant socio-economic benefits of £3.2 billion across the UK.

As part of this funding, the UK Government will contribute £23 million towards a wider commitment from Government and Football Partners to a social impact fund of around £45 million. The UK Government is working in close collaboration with host cities, including Birmingham, to ensure that we deliver a safe and successful tournament that benefits the whole of the UK.

Plans for the legacy and impact fund are still in development. We will have more to share on this in due course.

With four matches due to be played at Villa Park, hosting UEFA EURO 2028 games in the West Midlands will help to deliver on the government’s mission to boost economic growth by creating jobs, driving regional prosperity and encouraging visitors to the region.

As part of the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament launch on 12 November 2025, the government announced it is investing up to £557 million into hosting the tournament, which will generate significant socio-economic benefits of £3.2 billion across the UK. The government’s investment will ensure the tournament is safely and securely delivered, with fans, players and officials having a positive experience. We are working closely with a number of partners across the UK and Ireland to ensure we host an outstanding tournament. As part of our investment, the UK Government will also contribute £23 million towards a wider commitment from Government and Football Partners to a social impact fund of around £45 million.

Regular financial updates on the allocation of government funding will be provided in the lead up to the event, including via the DCMS Annual Report and Accounts.

Please note that not all artworks owned by the UK government are in the Government Art Collection. 15,118 artworks are in the Government Art Collection (GAC). 8,250 of these are on display in public exhibitions and across the Government’s global estate. These works are seen by hundreds of thousands visitors each year, promoting British art and contributing to cultural diplomacy in over 125 countries. 6,868 are not currently on display; of these some will be awaiting conservation and many will be reserved for a display or exhibition loan. 156 artworks are currently on loan to public exhibitions in the UK and 23 are on loan to public exhibitions outside of the UK.

Under the new government the Government Art Collection has radically expanded its public engagement programme, sharing more of the artworks with communities through partnerships and by participating in local, national and international events. In 2025 the Collection was shown in Bradford for I AM ME, an exhibition curated by 125 young people seen by 22,000 visitors. In 2026 over sixty works will be shown at The Box in Plymouth, selected and co-curated by a group of young people. Since July 2024, 62% more artworks have been loaned from the GAC to public exhibitions.

An estimated value of the Collection cannot be provided. Like other national collections, the GAC is not normally commercially insured nor treated as a financial asset. Against a background of constant fluctuations in the art markets, current valuations of every work of art in the Collection cannot be maintained. By governing legislation the national collections held by DCMS-sponsored museums are held in trust for the nation by trustees, not owned by the Government.

The government is committed to ensuring the EURO 2028 football tournament is a safe, secure and enjoyable event for all. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Home Office, policing partners, delivery bodies and a range of organisations to ensure comprehensive and proportionate security plans are in place at a national and local level.

No. The Football Governance Act (2025) sets out in Schedule 2, Part 2, that in relation to the Board of the Independent Football Regulator “the non-executive members are to be appointed by the Secretary of State”. In this case the decision to appoint the Chair was delegated to the Minister for Sport.

The UK is open for investment from people around the world, provided that, in the case of investment in media sectors, their investment complies with the foreign state influence and public interest media merger regimes.

The Culture Secretary considers all mergers involving any newspaper, broadcaster or news media enterprise that reach certain thresholds as set out in the Enterprise Act 2002. This legislation applies to all relevant investors, wherever they are based, or - in the case of companies - wherever their headquarters are located. We consider these regimes to be sufficient, but continue to keep them under review to ensure their effectiveness.

The government is currently developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the vital importance of local journalism and its role in countering misinformation at local level. As part of this we are exploring the role of the BBC in the local news market. During her oral statement to the House of Commons on BBC Leadership, the Secretary of State confirmed that the government is looking at how we can help to support and defend local news through the BBC’s work as a part of the Charter renewal process. More will be announced on the Local Media Strategy in due course.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is interested in a range of evidence concerning public attitudes to news media and we have noted the publication of the report.

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. Our aim as a Government is to ensure we strike the balance between freedom of the press and protecting the public from harm. We are carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to safeguard public trust in our news media.

DCMS Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues.

It is for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is fulfilling its obligations to audiences, including on impartiality and accuracy, as outlined in the Charter.

Ofcom does not have any functions in relation to the BBC World Service. The BBC agrees objectives, priorities and targets for the World Service directly with the Government.

The Government has partnered with leading tech firms to deliver AI skills training to 7.5 million UK workers. In the creative industries, Skills England have conducted research and analysis to identify AI-related skills gaps across the creative industries and support emerging creative AI roles. As outlined in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we will introduce short courses in England, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, in areas including AI. We will also work with the Digital Skills Council, an industry-led advisory body, to support sector training pathways and ensure the workforce is prepared for the future of work.

The Government recognises that AI already plays an established role in the UK's video game sector, having multiple use cases from content generation, character behaviours, and more. As technology advances, AI has the potential to further enhance creativity, efficiency, and accessibility in games development.

DCMS will continue to engage with the games industry to understand opportunities and challenges related to the responsible use of AI, ensuring that we continue to support our innovative games industry to thrive in the age of AI.

The development of the CCE functions in tandem with the Government’s work on copyright, and we will ensure a copyright regime that values and protects human creativity, can be trusted, and unlocks new opportunities for innovation across the creative sector and wider economy. Supporting rightsholders in licensing their work in the digital age while allowing AI developers to benefit from access to creative material, such as through the CCE, will unlock new opportunities across the whole economy.

We are developing a proof-of-concept pilot scheme for the Creative Content Exchange (CCE) to test the need for a new marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets. The pilot scheme is being developed as a research project with the input of a broad range of partners - including public organisations - to design an exchange that best suits the needs of content owners and data users. We are also working with licensing and rights management societies to benefit from their input and expertise.

We are developing a proof-of-concept pilot scheme for the Creative Content Exchange (CCE) to test the need for a new marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets. The pilot scheme is being developed as a research project with the input of a broad range of partners - including public organisations - to design an exchange that best suits the needs of content owners and data users. We are also working with licensing and rights management societies to benefit from their input and expertise.

We are developing a proof-of-concept pilot scheme for the Creative Content Exchange (CCE) to test the need for a new marketplace for selling, buying, licensing, and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets. The pilot scheme is being developed as a research project with the input of a broad range of partners - including public organisations - to design an exchange that best suits the needs of content owners and data users. We are also working with licensing and rights management societies to benefit from their input and expertise.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has responsibility for the Dormant Assets Scheme, which is providing funding to support the primary school library commitment, previously announced by the Chancellor.

Through the Scheme, £132.5 million has been allocated to increasing disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sports and wider youth services, aimed at improving wellbeing and employability over the long term. This includes a commitment to ensuring that every primary school in England has a library space by the end of this Parliament.

The Government is working with The National Lottery Community Fund to co-design the programme and develop more of the specifics around its delivery. Further details will be announced in due course, including expected timelines and funding criteria.

Mr Kogan’s donations are publicly disclosed on the Electoral Commission donation register. On 7 May 2025 Mr Kogan declared additional political donations, beneath the thresholds required by the Governance Code, when he appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee.

All the Secretary of State’s meetings are published Quarterly as part of the transparency data available on Gov.uk

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots sport and ensuring everyone has access to high quality facilities.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through its Arm’s Length Body Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. They offer support to clubs impacted by increased energy costs.

Sport England’s Movement Fund allocates 10% of the funding to clubs implementing measures to improve environmental sustainability and reduce energy costs. They also provide detailed guidance to sporting clubs on managing energy costs and making their facilities energy efficient.

I have not had discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) about the inclusion of netball, or any other sport, in the Olympic Games.

The Olympic sports programme is determined by the IOC. The British Olympic Association, as the National Organising Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is the domestic representative to the IOC and does so operating independently of the Government.

Ofcom, by law, carries out its duties independently of the Government. Ofcom is required by legislation to enforce a Broadcasting Code for television and radio, to ensure that news, in whatever form, is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. The Government believes broadcasters should uphold the highest standards and ensure polemic is not presented as fact.

Providing BSL translations of pre-recorded audio and video content on public services is a legislative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Through the Service Standard and Service Assessments, the Government Digital Service encourages departments to incorporate BSL into service design. In May this year DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) launched the UK Government’s first British Sign Language (BSL) online translation service for candidates booking their theory test online. DVSA held a series of user research session with BSL users, with one participant calling the service ‘life-changing’.

There are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL, they would be required to conform with both WCAG and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Regardless of if AI generated, services must also make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.

This Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the UK’s publishing sector - one of our most successful and long-standing creative industries, contributing over £11 billion to the economy.

The Government is preparing to publish the Report and Impact Assessment required by Sections 135 and 136 of the D(UA) Act.

This Impact Assessment will include an assessment of each of the options put forward in the government’s consultation on copyright and AI, including the economic impact of each option on copyright owners and AI developers. This will include the publishing sector.

In the meantime, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have jointly chaired three meetings with representatives of the creative and AI sectors.

We’re also convening expert working groups and parliamentary working groups as we consider all options.

We are dedicated to protecting our world-leading creative industries and ensuring they continue to thrive in the age of AI.

There are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK and they are equally crucial to growth. We are keen to ensure that there are no cultural not-spots in the country and that everyone has an equal chance to pursue a career in the creative industries whether they live in a major metropolitan area or not.

The CI Sector Plan includes a universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in any place in the UK, outlining new measures to break down barriers such as access to finance, supply of skills, and new support to kickstart innovation.

The Government is dedicated to making sport in this country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including deaf people.

Through our arm's length body, Sport England, we have provided £1.2 million to support the work of UK Deaf Sport.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this. I also visited Barnsley Padel Club a few weeks ago to discuss local padel provision.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this. I also visited Barnsley Padel Club a few weeks ago to discuss local padel provision.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

The new national short-term lets registration service entered its user testing pilot at the end of October to ensure it is robust, easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme ahead of launch in 2026. Feedback will be gathered from users who provide short-term lets across England as part of this development phase, in line with the Government Service Standard.

In line with appropriate procedure, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport did not submit a representation to the planning application.

As set out in my response to WPQ 89121, the Secretary of State has been speaking regularly to the Chair of the Board in relation to the points raised in a letter written by Michael Prescott. The public expects and deserves the highest editorial standards from the BBC. The Secretary of State has been consistently clear that where these standards are not met, firm and transparent action must follow.

The BBC is editorially and operationally independent from the Government and this is a crucial component of why people trust it. As such, the BBC Board is responsible for setting and overseeing the BBC’s editorial guidelines and standards.

It is then for Ofcom, as the independent regulator, to ensure the BBC is fulfilling its obligations to audiences, including on impartiality and accuracy, as outlined in the Charter.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) supports the vital role of local news, helping communities and local businesses to scrutinise decisions that impact them and holding public services to account through fact-based local reporting. The Government welcomed the recent retendering of LDRS contracts and the extension of the scheme until the end of the current BBC Charter period (December 2027).

Separately, we are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. As part of this work, we are exploring the role of the BBC in the local news market, including the contribution made by the LDRS, as we move towards the next Charter Review. We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. An industry working group was set up in June to consider the issues in more detail and has been meeting regularly since then, including with BBC representatives to discuss the LDRS. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.

This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.

This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.