Submit Evidence (by 17 Apr 2026)

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee is inviting written submissions on the future of the BBC as part of a new inquiry into the Royal Charter Review. 

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support age-appropriate news content for children that promotes civic engagement.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings.

The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production.

The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions.

More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of plans for the future of children’s programming.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings.

The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production.

The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions.

More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support funding for effective UK-produced programming for children.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings.

The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production.

The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions.

More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of educational children’s programming to children's development.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings.

The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production.

The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions.

More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children’s programming is culturally relevant and promotes positive values.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings.

The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production.

The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions.

More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to introduce new duties on councils to deliver youth services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

As set out in the National Youth Strategy, we will explore reviewing the current local authorities’ statutory duty for youth services and how to empower local authorities to better deliver on their responsibilities for youth services.

DCMS recognises the importance of ensuring that Local Authorities are appropriately supported to deliver safe and effective youth provision. DCMS has committed £70 million over the next three years to support local authorities to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people and create a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release entitled New and upgraded grassroots sport facilities to get the UK active, published on 27 January 2026. how does she plan to allocate the remaining £400 million.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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. 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.

Alongside the Government’s announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme (MSGF) in 2026/27, we 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. This builds on £98 million delivered through the MSGF in 2025/26, which has benefitted nearly 1000 community grassroots sport projects.

Our programme delivery partner for the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, the Football Foundation, makes decisions on which projects they fund based on a variety of factors, including how a project demonstrates an ability to satisfy programme objectives linked to multi-sport provision, investment into areas of need, and increased participation for women and girls.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the announcement of £85m funding for football facilities in 2025/2026, how much funding will the Department for Culture, Media and Sport be allocating to a. Tennis, b. Padel, and c. Other court based sports.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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. 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.

Alongside the Government’s announcement of £85 million of investment via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme (MSGF) in 2026/27, we 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. This builds on £98 million delivered through the MSGF in 2025/26, which has benefitted nearly 1000 community grassroots sport projects.

Our programme delivery partner for the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, the Football Foundation, makes decisions on which projects they fund based on a variety of factors, including how a project demonstrates an ability to satisfy programme objectives linked to multi-sport provision, investment into areas of need, and increased participation for women and girls.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans to financially aid or support local leisure facilities, and is this doable with local government making cuts to services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

In June, we committed another £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with the public leisure sector, sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to business rates liability from 1 April 2026 on participation in grassroots sport in England; and whether she has made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on that issue.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS engaged extensively with HM Treasury in the run up to the Autumn Budget 2025 and provided evidence to HM Treasury on the anticipated impact to the sport and leisure sector.

The Government has announced a support package worth £4.3 billion to protect against ratepayers seeing large overnight increases in their business rates bills because of the revaluation.

In addition, the Government is introducing new permanently lower multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties, which are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties.

As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down, next year. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential for Shropshire’s 2026–2029 Destination Management Plan and the inter-county partnership between Shropshire and Essex to lead to a national renewal of the ‘Grand Tour of England’.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

While DCMS has not made a specific assessment of the potential for these initiatives to lead to a national renewal of the historic Grand Tour of England, we continue to encourage creative proposals that celebrate England’s cultural heritage and landscapes and contribute to economic development across communities.

DCMS encourages innovative partnerships and thematic product development, such as proposals to revive the Grand Tour linking Shropshire and Essex, to create a powerful thematic draw for both domestic and international visitors. To support this, VisitEngland is working with the VisitBritain international network and events programme to ensure regional offerings are integrated into the global travel trade and bookable by international travel trade.

DCMS welcomes Shropshire’s consultation on their Destination Management Plan (DMP) 2026–2029, which references the potential of working with Essex on the Grand Tour concept as a strong example of the partnership working. The DMP provides a strategic framework for enhancing the visitor economy in Shropshire, home to world-class attractions including the UNESCO-listed Ironbridge Gorge, the medieval Ludlow Castle and the scenic Shropshire Hills AONB.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the level of the funding gap between the BBC, ALBA and S4C; and whether she plans to take steps to address disparities in long-term funding security between Gaelic and Welsh language broadcasting.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the valuable contribution that providers of minority language broadcasting have in our society and the preservation of our national heritage.

The Media Act 2024 makes clear in legislation the importance of programmes broadcast in the UK’s indigenous and minority languages - including Scottish Gaelic - by including it in the modernised public service remit for television in the UK.

The Public Service Broadcasters, as well as MG ALBA, are operationally and editorially independent from Government, and specific decisions regarding content are a matter for them. MG ALBA committed in its 2024/25 annual plan to explicitly consider international reach and opportunities.

The Government launched the BBC Charter Review last year, which will consider how the BBC can best support minority language broadcasting, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The Green paper also sets out that we are considering what further obligations the BBC should have to ensure a broad range of public service content is promoted within the BBC’s own platforms.

On funding, we will consider options for providing MG ALBA with more certainty over its partnership arrangements with the BBC and its funding as part of the Charter Review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that Gaelic-language services are given clear and equivalent visibility alongside other UK national language services on BBC digital platforms.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the valuable contribution that providers of minority language broadcasting have in our society and the preservation of our national heritage.

The Media Act 2024 makes clear in legislation the importance of programmes broadcast in the UK’s indigenous and minority languages - including Scottish Gaelic - by including it in the modernised public service remit for television in the UK.

The Public Service Broadcasters, as well as MG ALBA, are operationally and editorially independent from Government, and specific decisions regarding content are a matter for them. MG ALBA committed in its 2024/25 annual plan to explicitly consider international reach and opportunities.

The Government launched the BBC Charter Review last year, which will consider how the BBC can best support minority language broadcasting, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The Green paper also sets out that we are considering what further obligations the BBC should have to ensure a broad range of public service content is promoted within the BBC’s own platforms.

On funding, we will consider options for providing MG ALBA with more certainty over its partnership arrangements with the BBC and its funding as part of the Charter Review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential audience for Gaelic-language broadcasting among the global Gaelic diaspora.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the valuable contribution that providers of minority language broadcasting have in our society and the preservation of our national heritage.

The Media Act 2024 makes clear in legislation the importance of programmes broadcast in the UK’s indigenous and minority languages - including Scottish Gaelic - by including it in the modernised public service remit for television in the UK.

The Public Service Broadcasters, as well as MG ALBA, are operationally and editorially independent from Government, and specific decisions regarding content are a matter for them. MG ALBA committed in its 2024/25 annual plan to explicitly consider international reach and opportunities.

The Government launched the BBC Charter Review last year, which will consider how the BBC can best support minority language broadcasting, including Welsh and Scottish Gaelic. The Green paper also sets out that we are considering what further obligations the BBC should have to ensure a broad range of public service content is promoted within the BBC’s own platforms.

On funding, we will consider options for providing MG ALBA with more certainty over its partnership arrangements with the BBC and its funding as part of the Charter Review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department of the report by BBC Children’s & Education entitled Socioeconomic Impact of BBC Children’s and Education, published on 3 March 2026.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government has noted the BBC report on Socioeconomic Impact of BBC Children’s and Education, published on 3 March 2026, and strongly supports the BBC providing high quality children’s and educational content.

The BBC’s Royal Charter sets out its Mission and Public Purposes, including to inform, educate and entertain; support learning of people at all ages, including children and teenagers. The BBC is a significant provider of original UK children’s programmes, and in 2024, accounted for 88% of all first-run UK-originated children’s programming by Public Service Broadcasters. The volume of informal learning content on BBC iPlayer has also grown by 60% since 2021.

The Government published a Green Paper on BBC Charter Review last year, which also sets out our ambition for the BBC to support ‘at risk’ content, including children’s and educational content. We also want the BBC to build on its work helping people of all ages build digital skills and confidence - through services like BBC Bitesize - to ensure that everyone can continue to benefit from its services.

The BBC is a cornerstone of our world-leading creative economy because of its reach and impact - nurturing home-grown talent, driving technological change, and encouraging investment into the UK creative sector. The Charter Review is a vital way we can support this ecosystem and will focus on ensuring the BBC is able to continue playing a central role in the growth of the UK’s creative economy, including entering into mutually beneficial partnerships.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions sha has had with the with the Welsh Government in developing the BBC Charter Review Green Paper.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government launched the BBC Charter Review on 16 December, including the publication of a Green paper.

DCMS consulted the Welsh Government on the Terms of Reference for Charter Review, and had multiple discussions as the Green Paper was being developed. We are continuing to engage with the Welsh Government, and the other Devolved Governments, as we progress the Charter Review.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland about ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme; and whether the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be subject to the Barnett formula.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I wrote to Angus Robertson MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, regarding the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. DCMS officials have also met with counterparts in the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to discuss the closure and confirm Barnett consequentials were applied as a proportion of overall departmental settlements.

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether funding will be made available to the Scottish Government under the Barnett Formula from the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

I refer him to Written Parliamentary Question HL14753.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the financial pressures facing listed places of worship in Scotland, including Sacred Heart Parish Church in Cumbernauld, in the context of changes to heritage and capital funding streams.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Heritage funding is devolved, however listed places of worship in Scotland have benefitted from VAT rebate grants from the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which ran from 2001 to the end of this financial year.

The Department conducted an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. Our evaluation showed that while it had many benefits, 80% of respondents said that they would still have carried out the work without the rebate. The evaluation included an extensive survey of current and past scheme users and is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-the-listed-places-of-worship-scheme-final-report. We are aware that grants from the scheme will have benefited many recipients across Scotland, with a total of 1,513 Listed Places of Worship grant claims to a value of £6.9m being awarded to Scottish applicants since August 2022.

The Government has recently announced the Places of Worship Renewal Fund in England which will provide upfront capital support in the areas where it is needed most.

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of libraries in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Within Northern Ireland, the Department of Communities funds the public library service and it is administered by the Northern Ireland Library Authority, known as Libraries NI. The National Year of Reading in Northern Ireland was launched on 2 February at Stormont with a roundtable event that brought together primary school pupils, authors, government officials, community groups, charities and businesses to explore how the initiative can help more of the nation’s children, young people and adults to rediscover reading through the things they already love. Libraries NI is actively celebrating and participating in the National Year of Reading programmes with various activities and events at their library branches throughout the year.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, in each year since 2001 (1) what the total budget was, (2) how much was claimed by listed places of worship, and (3) whether the total grant amount available was exhausted before the end of the scheme year.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Data for years prior to 2014 is no longer available.

Between 2012 and March 2025, the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme had an annual budget of £42 million. Recorded spending shows the following annual spend against the total budget: 2014/15 (£20,151,149), 2015/16 (£27,563,903), 2016/17 (£31,323,039), 2017/18 (£33,200,829), 2018/19 (£34,533,968), 2019/20 (£35,798,654), 2020/21 (£27,251,724), 2021/22 (£27,634,699), 2022/23 (£29,667,865), 2023/24 (£29,215,586). In 2024/25, the amount claimed was £42,468,941, of which £469,000 was paid from the 25/26 budget. In the 2025/26 financial year, the budget was £23 million. This has been fully allocated to applicants.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2026 to Question 109971 on Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum: Northern Ireland, what indicative dates for re-commencing online sales to Northern Ireland residents were discussed.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Victoria and Albert Museum have indicated that they are aiming to resume online sales to Northern Ireland by the end of the financial year 2026/27. The Science Museum Group has not yet shared a target date, but is exploring options to re-open ecommerce sales in Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations took place with young people in Young Offender Institutions as part of the development of the report Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, published on 10 December 2025.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ and ‘Youth Matters: State of the Nation’ report are informed by the voices of over 14,000 young people. To ensure a broad and representative range of perspectives were included, my officials conducted deep dives with specific underrepresented cohorts, including with 50 young offenders at HMP Forest Bank in Manchester, supported by the Hope Collective. Our findings were shared with the Ministry of Justice.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to increase revenue funding for youth services.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ is a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of.

The strategy is supported by more than £500 million in funding from DCMS over the next three years, including £150 million in revenue funding. Additionally, the government’s ‘Every Child Can’ programme is backed by £132.5m of dormant assets to break down barriers for disadvantaged young people to access to culture, sport and enrichment opportunities

Through working with philanthropists, social impact investors, and businesses to unlock match funding, we aim to increase the revenue funding available for youth services and support them further.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the national heritage significance of the Byrga Geniht studies identifying Soulton Hall as the likely place of reburial for Erkenwald and the location of the High Altar stone of Old St Paul’s.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

At this stage, the Government has not made an assessment of the interesting studies identifying Soulton Hall as the likely place of reburial for Erkenwald and the location of the High Altar stone of Old St Pauls.

Currently, the architectural and historical significance of Soulton Hall is recognised through its Grade II* listing designation. Historic England, the government's statutory advisor on the historic environment, has received an application to amend the current List entry for Soulton Hall, and is considering the information provided. Historic England will then submit any subsequent recommendation to amend the List to DCMS for consideration.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support private stewards who manage significant national patrimony in private hands.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment, provides a wide range of resources and support to private owners of historic buildings, on matters from energy efficiency to maintenance to helping owners secure the most appropriate insurance for their properties. In addition, the planning reforms on which the government is consulting will make it easier for owners to make appropriate changes to buildings.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department provides for faith interface and reconciliation work carried out following cultural discoveries.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

While there is no specific support available for faith interface and reconciliation work, Historic England, the government’s statutory advisor on the historic environment, provides grants for projects that repair, conserve and care for historic places including buildings, structures, monuments, landscapes and areas. Such grants can also be provided for unexpected discoveries, including objects.

Historic England can then support further stages of work through separate research grants, where applicable, such as for removal and transportation of objects, and conservation and archiving. Details of such ‘emergency funding’ can be found on Historic England’s website.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department was invited by the Office for National Statistics to provide evidence or input into its review of the ethnicity harmonised standard.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.

A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments.

The ONS has committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to protect owners of listed buildings from changes in insurance premiums.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Insurance providers make commercial decisions about the terms and price on which they will offer cover following an assessment of the relevant risks. This is usually informed by the insurer’s claims experience and other industry-wide statistics. For listed properties, insurers may consider factors such as the building’s grade and heritage value, alongside the higher costs of specialist materials and skilled labour required for repairs.

The Government is working with Historic England, our statutory advisor on heritage matters, to look at the impacts of increased insurance premiums for historic properties.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 17th February 2026 to questions 112546 and 112547 on listed places of worship, if he will provide a target date for the publication of the guidance for applicants of the scheme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Further details regarding the eligibility criteria and application process for the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be published in due course. We are not yet in a position to confirm a date for the publication of this guidance.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer about the potential impact of budget changes to betting and gaming levies on the viability of British sports.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing and other sports make to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape. DCMS and HMT Ministers have regular engagement on betting and gaming levies.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure people with hearing loss don’t face (a) loneliness and (b) social exclusion.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

This Government is committed to supporting people at risk of loneliness, including those with hearing loss, to have the social connections they need. Our ambition to strengthen positive social connections is a key part of achieving wider government objectives to create a healthier society and more connected communities that benefit everyone. My department has been working hard to ensure social connection and tackling loneliness are key themes throughout government policy.

The Action Plan on Hearing Loss (2015) sets out key objectives on hearing loss including, prevention, early diagnosis, maximising independence, and enabling people to take part in every-day activities. The government also funds the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online forum for people working on loneliness, including health practitioners, to come together and share insights, research and best practice. The Hub frequently spotlights issues affecting specific demographics; this March, an event will be hosted to address loneliness among older people with hearing loss.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for skilled volunteers with repair and re-use expertise to help to reduce (a) waste and (b) public spending on repairs.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to transitioning to a circular economy which will present an opportunity to create a more inclusive economy, building shared social and economic value for citizens, businesses and communities. The Government recognises that repair and reuse are fundamental tenets of any circular economy, and acknowledges the important role that skilled volunteers and community repair groups play in supporting repair and re‑use and in helping reduce waste. This will be considered within Defra’s forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, which will outline how we will support the transition to a more circular economy.

Volunteering and social action are a cornerstone of society, with more than half of England’s adult population volunteering at least once a year. In recognition of volunteering's vital role in communities, the Government is investing in a new open data infrastructure to make it easier for volunteers to find opportunities that align with their skills, expertise and routines. The Department is also supporting The Big Help Out 2026, which aims to make volunteering opportunities more accessible and inspire new volunteers.

From 1 April 2026, the government will introduce a new VAT relief for businesses that donate goods to charities. This will help boost the supply of essential items to charities, enabling them to reach the people and communities who need them most. It will also make it easier for businesses to give surplus stock a second life, reducing waste and landfill.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of public liability insurance requirements on volunteering opportunities for volunteers with repair and re-use expertise.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The government is committed to supporting volunteers, who play a vital role in supporting charities, strengthening communities, delivering services and driving positive change in local areas.

Organisations have a dual responsibility to protect volunteers from harm and to secure indemnity against third-party claims arising from volunteer activities. While public liability insurance is a decision for individual organisations, the Charity Commission advises charities to provide volunteers with the same insurance protections as employees, extending standard Employers’ Liability and Public Liability policies to cover them.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on moving decisions on youth services funding to local communities.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The National Youth Strategy includes a shift from ‘national to local’ - this means there is a renewed focus on the role, capability, and leadership of local authorities, working closely with local partners. It also means local young people being more involved in funding decisions.

The £70m Local Youth Transformation programme is improving local authorities’ capability to rebuild a high-quality youth offer and develop a network of 50 Young Futures Hubs which will be co-designed by local authorities and young people. Through the Richer Young Lives Fund, we are also investing over £60 million over the next 3 years, enabling local organisations to deliver high-quality youth work and activities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Music and Dance Scheme Schools on the performing arts sector.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken with the Secretary of State for Education to secure an uplift in funding for the Music and Dance Scheme Schools.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department plans to measure progress towards her target for reducing the enrichment gap; and what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to do so.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to begin delivery of the Enrichment Expansion Programme; and how her Department plans to work with selected schools to roll out the programme.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how does the her Department intend to ensure that the £400m of funding earmarked for grassroots sports facilities benefits a wide range of sports which appeal to different demographics and communities.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she will take to support a) local newspapers and b) digitally excluded adults in the context of the proposed removal of the legal requirement for alcohol licensing notices.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Samaritan's media guidelines for reporting suicide; and if her Department will take steps to promote those guidelines.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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/.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Advertising Standards Authority on the print size of the costs of phone lines on advertising in relation to the main body of the advertisement.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what data her department holds on the number of deaths at (a) white collar and (b) regulated boxing events in the last five years.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the regulatory framework for white-collar boxing.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading 2026; and what steps are being taken to increase library engagement with the campaign.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the National Governing Bodies for Boxing and (b) white collar boxing event promoters on improving safety at white collar boxing events.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's planned timeline is for publishing its response to the consultation on safety at white-collar boxing events.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to paragraph 88 of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, how many meetings Ministers in their Department have attended related to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of 31% of libraries now using unstaffed hours on early literacy rates and access to libraries for children.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current regulatory requirements on gambling operators to carry out due diligence in verifying the source of funds when accepting customer deposits; and whether she plans to introduce further measures to strengthen such requirements.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to raise awareness of gambling-related harms and mitigate the impact of gambling advertisements.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the statutory gambling levy takes a public health approach.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the forthcoming Places of Worship Renewal Fund will provide grants for adaptations, alteration and the addition of facilities alongside repairs.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the forthcoming Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be open to non-listed as well as listed buildings.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of Chapter One's report entitled Ten Point Plan for Gambling Harm Prevention.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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”.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 117246 on Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum: Northern Ireland, if she will ensure that Departmental officials hold urgent discussions with the directors of the Science Museum Group and the Victoria and Albert Museum to resume online sales to Northern Ireland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in her Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to comply with the Cabinet Office’s guidance not to hire standalone EDI roles.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether any civil servants hired by her Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether prediction markets will be regulated by the (a) Gambling Commission and (b) Financial Conduct Authority.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support religious organisations to make repairs to listed buildings in Scotland.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether additional funding has been provided to the Scottish Government to support religious organisations following the end of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to bring loot boxes under gambling regulation.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which trade unions are recognised by the British Library; and how much facility time is allocated to each expressed as (a) headcount and (b) FTE staff members, in the most recent period of time for which figures are available.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK's creative economy of findings in the Film and TV Charity's report Looking Glass Survey 2024, published on 3 February 2025, that 73 per cent of workers in the screen production workforce have considered leaving the industry due to mental health concerns; and what steps they are taking to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the workforce.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with industry bodies and broadcasters regarding the finding in the Film and TV Charity's report Looking Glass Survey 2024, published on 3 February 2025, that 30 per cent of film and television workers surveyed had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months; and what plans they have to provide additional support to the sector.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings in the Film and TV Charity's report Looking Glass Survey 2024, published on 3 February 2025, that instability of employment and high-pressure working conditions in the screen production workforce are leading 73 per cent of workers surveyed to consider leaving the industry; and whether they intend to strengthen mental health protections for that workforce as a result.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage the adoption of the Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions, launched by the Film and TV Charity on 25 February, across publicly funded broadcasters, studios and production companies; and whether compliance with those principles will be considered within commissioning frameworks supported by public funds.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the finding in the Film and TV Charity's report Looking Glass Survey 2024, published on 3 February 2025, that 35 per cent of UK film and television workers describe their mental health as poor or very poor; and what steps they are taking to improve mental health outcomes in the screen production workforce.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local and regional (a) breweries and (b) beer brands on the tourism economy in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the vital role of breweries and beer brands in both local communities and the attractiveness of the UK as a visitor destination. While DCMS has not made a formal assessment, we continue working with other Government departments to ensure that targeted support is provided for the sector.

The Government is committed to helping breweries grow through exports and supports all businesses, including exporters, via the new Business Growth Service (Business.gov.uk) which has integrated our support in a single, accessible platform, designed to help businesses across the UK start, scale, and succeed globally. The Chancellor also announced in January that pubs will get a 15% cut to new Business Rates bills from April followed by a two-year real-terms freeze.

The Government also provides showcase opportunities for the British Beers such as at embassy tastings, trade missions and global trade shows that connect producers directly with buyers and distributors. Breweries of all sizes can also access UK Export Finance (UKEF), which offers a wide range of financial products to support exporters and export-ready businesses.

The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will set out a long-term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth. Central to this strategy is the delivery of greater regional dispersal, ensuring that visitor income is spread effectively across regional destinations, including rural and coastal communities.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues and local authorities to increase the number of community libraries to mark the Year of Reading 2026.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading, as free and trusted spaces for learning and connection at the heart of their communities.

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.

Community managed libraries can complement the variety of services available across the public library network, and add value through building upon available services and ensuring close collaboration with the community. However, it is important that councils continue to invest in their statutory library networks, employing skilled and experienced staff.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for covered tennis and padel facilities in Lancaster and Wyre constituency.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will support the development of covered tennis, padel and multi-sport facilities to facilitate year-round, all-weather participation.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing funding for court-based sports facilities such as tennis and padel.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will commit to funding court-based sport facilities such as tennis and padel to support economies of scale and partner funding.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the [i] FA and [ii] other football bodies the use of [a] schools and [b] multi-use sports facilities by local youth football clubs for training and playing matches.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether any decision-making process regarding switching off the UK's digital terrestrial television will take into account the impact on rural areas with poor broadband quality.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Digital inclusion and ensuring that all households across the country have access to high-quality, reliable broadband is a priority for the Government. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working closely with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to ensure that all aspects of digital inclusion, including those relating to rural communities, are considered as part of any decisions we make on the future of digital terrestrial television.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish the new policy on copyright assertion.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

We have published a progress update on our position on AI and copyright on 15 December 2025. By March 18 2026, we will publish a comprehensive report on the key issues and a full economic impact assessment, alongside the government’s response to the consultation.

We remain committed to providing clarity for all stakeholders, and to ensuring that the UK’s copyright framework continues to support the success of our creative industries while fostering the benefits that AI can bring.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people employed in the creative industries in each of the last five years.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on disabled people of leisure and cultural venues requiring paid-for access cards or third-party certification as proof of disability in order for customers to access reasonable adjustments.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

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.

Found: Parliamentary select committees wrote to the FCDO and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Found: Manager 25 House of Commons Library – UK disability statistics: Prevalence and life experiences 26 DCMS

Found: Culture, Media and Sport relating to recommendations 1 and 4a of the Committee’s Twentieth Report on DCMS

Found: previously ran the Community Organisers programme for the Cabinet Office, Place-Based Social Action for DCMS

Found: tax system HC 645 22nd Government’s support for biomass HC 715 21st Fixing NHS Dentistry HC 648 20th DCMS

Found: A defined ring-fenced funding stream (via DHSC, or jointly with DCMS) for creative health provision targeting

Found: There is a very uneven distribution of ALBs across Government; some Departments—DCMS, for example—have

Found: Department for Culture, Media & Sport BCT OUT to Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, further to the Westminster Hall debate of 14 January 2026 titled ‘impact of Science and Discovery Centres on national science and technology priorities', whether science and discovery centres now fall within the remit of her department.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Science and Discovery Centres are primarily cultural institutions and visitor attractions which would normally fall under the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) remit.

Where they carry out research, they are funded for those activities, for example through UK Research and Innovation or other funders.

DSIT is engaging with DCMS to discuss how government’s relationship with these important institutions can best be supported.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, when she plans to write to the Science and Technology Committee in response to questions 50-52, on Science and Discovery Centres, in the oral evidence session of 3 December 2025.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the contribution of Science and Discovery Centres to inspiring young people to pursue STEM interests and careers. Where they carry out research, Science Discovery Centres are eligible to apply for funding through UK Research and Innovation or other funders. Science and Discovery Centres are mainly cultural institutions and visitor attractions. Eligibility for, and access to, central Government funding streams for arts, culture and heritage infrastructure is a matter for the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

DSIT is engaging with DCMS to consider how best to support Science and Discovery Centres and will write to the Science and Technology Committee, responding to questions 50–52, in due course.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Science and Discovery Centres have access to central Government funding streams, including eligibility for Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding for arts and heritage infrastructure.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the contribution of Science and Discovery Centres to inspiring young people to pursue STEM interests and careers. Where they carry out research, Science Discovery Centres are eligible to apply for funding through UK Research and Innovation or other funders. Science and Discovery Centres are mainly cultural institutions and visitor attractions. Eligibility for, and access to, central Government funding streams for arts, culture and heritage infrastructure is a matter for the department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

DSIT is engaging with DCMS to consider how best to support Science and Discovery Centres and will write to the Science and Technology Committee, responding to questions 50–52, in due course.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans the Government has to work with the British Iranian community to create a memorial to those killed in Iran during protests on the 8th and 9th of January 2026.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As I made clear in my statements to the House at the time, I have the greatest respect for the courage of those Iranians who peacefully exercised their right to protest around the turn of the year, and the greatest sympathy for the friends and families of all those who were killed for doing so. However, decisions around the construction of public memorials are a matter for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), so it would be for DCMS ministers to consider my Hon Friend's suggestion.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of the decline in council run library hours and what steps he is taking with local authorities to help protect library opening hours.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of the increased use of unstaffed hours at community libraries on access to local library services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase pay for library workers.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of UNISON research that indicated that library opening hours have decreased in England by 22% since 2010, with 4 in 5 councils cutting back on library opening hours.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of reductions in library staff numbers since 2010 on access to library services for the most vulnerable.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase access to local library services.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26.

The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on how many days in 2025 did the Pride Flag fly on the main Whitehall building operated by her Department.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

During 2025 the Pride Flag was not flown on 1 Horse Guards Road on behalf of HM Treasury

HM Treasury is only one department in GOGGS (Government Offices Great George Street, encompassing 1 Horse Guards Road and 100 Parliament Street). Flag flying is administered by DCMS and Government Property Agency.

Found: The financial resilience of DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries

Found: The financial resilience of DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries

Found: The financial resilience of DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries

Found: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working to ensure the UK continues to benefit

Found: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working to ensure the UK continues to benefit

Found: DCMS Local Media Strategy – England Community radio – UK-wide Take action to revive high streets

Found: Consequently, the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have launched

Found: Consequently, the Home Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have launched

Found: Government Education and Children’s Services (Wales) Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS

Found: A degree of churn is expected in programmes such as this - the 2022 DCMS business case envisaged a cohort

Found: cabinetoffice.gov.uk Resource Estimates Armed Forces Pensions, Cabinet Office, Civil Superannuation, DCMS

Found: Self-funded capital projects (HMT delegated limit for DCMS Freedom Bodies only).

Found: Sport 1st Floor 100 Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ E: enquiries@dcms.gov.uk www.gov.uk/dcms