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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the funding announced for her Department in the Spending Review 2025 is (a) new funding and (b) was funding allocated to the Department by the previous Government.

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

Spending Review 2025 (SR25) formally set all Departmental budgets for the upcoming SR period, no budgets had been formally set before for this period. As such, all SR25 funding was agreed by the current government.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to refer the boycott of GB News by advertisers to the Competition and Markets Authority; and what assessment they have made of the implications of this on broadcasting freedoms.

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

The Government is committed to supporting a free, sustainable, and plural broadcasting landscape, and we want the public to be able to access information from a wide range of sources in order to form their own opinions. However, the placement of adverts is a commercial decision made by advertisers and individual businesses. The Government is not aware of any co-ordinated boycott of GB News by advertisers and has no plans to make a referral to the Competition and Markets Authority.

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 update the Government's loneliness strategy, entitled, A connected society: a strategy for tackling loneliness, published on 15 October 2018.

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

The Government is committed to supporting people to have the social connections they need. This is a key part of achieving wider government priorities across health, community cohesion, and supporting young people. Rather than a standalone strategy for tackling loneliness, we are embedding this important issue in wider government strategies, including the new National Youth Strategy which is due to be released in the autumn. The National Youth Strategy will set out a new long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.

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 merits of including capital purchase costs for the acquisition of (a) run‑down or (b) former cultural venues within the eligibility criteria of the Creative Foundations Fund.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries.

This is part of this government’s ongoing commitment to ensure arts and culture are fit for the future and to ensure everyone has access to high quality institutions in the places they call home. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work.

We have worked with the sector to understand the variety of capital needs it is facing. Through this assessment we know there is a significant urgent need for organisations at risk of closure if urgent capital works are not completed. This fund will offer vital support to prevent the closure of operating cultural spaces and the potential irrevocable loss this would have to local communities and economies. However, property purchases have been excluded from the CFF. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.

Looking ahead, we know that the cultural sector continues to have significant capital needs. This is why the recent Spending Review committed to significant capital spend that will support cultural institutions in towns and cities across the country. Individual programme decisions will be determined in due course and made public in the usual way.

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 the (a) preservation and (b) public accessibility of the legacy photographic archives documenting the (i) industrial and (ii) cultural heritage of Tiverton and Minehead constituency; and if she will allocate funding to ensure their (A) full restoration and (B) public release.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Since 2013, The National Archives has served as the archive sector leader in England, and is responsible for providing guidance and support to archives.

The National Archives is a non-ministerial government department which is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Archival institutions which require information and support on how best to protect their collections, and ensure such collections are accessible to the public, are encouraged to contact officials in The National Archives.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to bring forward legislation to make it illegal to resell tickets for events above the original face value, as applies in Ireland under the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Act 2021.

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

This government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events. We have committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, and launched a consultation on 10th January to seek views on potential options. The consultation closed on the 4th April, and the responses are being considered. The Government will respond later in the summer to set out next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to protect ticket buyers on secondary market sites.

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

This government is committed to putting fans back at the heart of live events. We have committed to introducing new protections for consumers on ticket resales, and launched a consultation on 10th January to seek views on potential options. The consultation closed on the 4th April, and the responses are being considered. The Government will respond later in the summer to set out next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the online auction of a human female half skeleton by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 14 July, whether they plan to issue advice to relevant trade associations, internet auctioneers, and regulatory authorities, to regulate or prevent the further sale of human remains and body parts.

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

This government calls on all auction houses to scrutinise their activities and for anyone trading in human remains to consider carefully the ethical implications of this activity which many understandably find deeply disturbing. All human remains should be treated with respect and dignity. This did not happen with this sale. I have written to Richard Winterton Auctioneers and other relevant bodies to raise concerns about this issue. UK auction houses currently set their own standards and best practice, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will meet with the Department for Health and Social Care in the Autumn to discuss the sale of human remains at auction and online.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to update consumer rights law to prohibit publishers from disabling video games they have sold without providing recourse for customers to retain or repair those games.

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

The Government is aware of concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has responded to a recent petition on this issue.

There are no plans to amend existing consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering adding the church choral tradition to the list of inventories under the UN Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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

Communities of practice will be able to submit their living heritage to the inventories when we open for submissions later this year. We would welcome a submission on church choral tradition.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they plan to take following the online auction of a human female half skeleton by Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 14 July.

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

This government calls on all auction houses to scrutinise their activities and for anyone trading in human remains to consider carefully the ethical implications of this activity which many understandably find deeply disturbing. All human remains should be treated with respect and dignity. This did not happen with this sale. I have written to Richard Winterton Auctioneers and other relevant bodies to raise concerns about this issue. UK auction houses currently set their own standards and best practice, taking into account the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will meet with the Department for Health and Social Care in the Autumn to discuss the sale of human remains at auction and online.

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 with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations to promote staycations.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

While tourism in Wales, Scotland and Ireland is devolved to the respective Governments and tourism bodies, VisitBritain retains responsibility for marketing Great Britain on the international stage. Its GREAT-funded international marketing campaign launched at the beginning of this year. ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Great Britain. Staycations are by definition the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.

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 adequacy of the distribution of financial awards by the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.

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

As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex-miners and stakeholders about the practices of CISWO. I would strongly encourage CISWO to strengthen its engagement with the coalfield communities that it was established to support.

As the Minister for Civil Society, I have met with the Charity Commission to discuss CISWO’s support for coal mining communities, and I know that the Charity Commission is in contact with CISWO directly. CISWO is an independent charity that does not receive direct government funding. It is for the charity trustees to make decisions about how it should deliver its charitable purpose. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Charity Commission cannot become involved in the internal decision making of a charity.

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 ex-miners and stakeholders on the financial practices of CISWO.

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

As an MP representing a mining community and previous member of the Coalfields Communities APPG, I understand the concerns raised about the performance of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO). As a constituency MP I have spoken to both ex-miners and stakeholders about the practices of CISWO. I would strongly encourage CISWO to strengthen its engagement with the coalfield communities that it was established to support.

As the Minister for Civil Society, I have met with the Charity Commission to discuss CISWO’s support for coal mining communities, and I know that the Charity Commission is in contact with CISWO directly. CISWO is an independent charity that does not receive direct government funding. It is for the charity trustees to make decisions about how it should deliver its charitable purpose. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Charity Commission cannot become involved in the internal decision making of a charity.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to issue, under Schedule 6B of the Enterprise Act 2002, a foreign state intervention notice in relation to the sale of the Telegraph Media Group to RedBird Capital Partners.

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

The Secretary of State takes her quasi-judicial responsibilities under the Enterprise Act 2002 very seriously. She will take all relevant information available into consideration when determining whether any of the public interest tests or conditions for foreign state influence are met in any proposed purchase of the Telegraph Media Group. DCMS will keep Parliament updated on decisions relating to the transaction.

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 registration scheme for short-term lets will include appropriate (a) checks and (b) enforcement to ensure that holiday lets are both (i) legal and (ii) safe.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

During the Short Term Lets registration process, providers of short-term lets will be reminded of their legal responsibilities and required to confirm that their properties comply with legal requirements and meet safety standards. Details of the scheme, including enforcement, are still being determined and will be announced in due course. Public testing on the register is due to start later in 2025 and a full version of the scheme is due to arrive in 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the National Visitor Economy Strategy will include provisions to support areas with a majority of domestic tourism.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

We are in the process of developing a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy with the Visitor Economy Advisory Council and are happy to hear representations on what it should include, but we want to grow the tourism industry beyond London and champion visits to the British countryside and coastal areas to a worldwide and domestic audience.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to make a decision about the long-term future of digital terrestrial television beyond 2034.

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

The Government has an ongoing project on the future of TV distribution that is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. This will include assessing the advantages of hybrid television distribution models, as well as other options such as IPTV transition.

As part of this project, the Government published independent research led by Exeter University last year that included data on the use of different distribution methods by a range of different demographic groups, which included rural communities. A wide range of views are being sought from across the TV sector, audience groups and infrastructure through the Stakeholder Forum.

This includes a number of groups representing rural and UK-wide audiences, such as the Rural Services Network.

With regards to vulnerable groups, the Government has now published qualitative research that was commissioned to understand in more detail the specific preferences, motivations and barriers regarding TV viewing among groups who are currently unconnected. This research included groups who could be vulnerable. Affordability is a factor that is in scope of the Stakeholder Forum, which includes members with specific expertise on this issue; such as the Digital Poverty Alliance.

The future of DTT is secured in legislation until at least 2034. Before any decision is made in relation to the availability of services beyond this point, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television. The government stakeholder forum will conclude later this year and then the government will make a decision.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the child protection benefits of streaming services partnering with the British Board of Film Classification to ensure that content is appropriately age-rated.

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

The Government has not made an assessment of the child protection benefits of streaming services partnering with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Ofcom, as the independent regulator, now has a new duty introduced through the Media Act 2024 to assess audience protection measures used by video-on-demand (VoD) services, such as age ratings, to ensure they are adequate to protect audiences from harm. The Government will in due course be designating mainstream VoD services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Ofcom will then consult on a new standards code for these services, similar to the Broadcasting Code. This could include the use of age ratings, if Ofcom considers it appropriate.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term future of digital terrestrial television, in particular the national resilience value of a commercially viable broadcast network.

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

The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios, including scenarios where other communications may be disrupted.

The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.

The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of digital terrestrial television to critical national infrastructure.

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

The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios, including scenarios where other communications may be disrupted.

The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.

The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the financial impact on vulnerable groups of the costs of moving from terrestrial television broadcasts to internet protocol television.

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

The Government has an ongoing project on the future of TV distribution that is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. This will include assessing the advantages of hybrid television distribution models, as well as other options such as IPTV transition.

As part of this project, the Government published independent research led by Exeter University last year that included data on the use of different distribution methods by a range of different demographic groups, which included rural communities. A wide range of views are being sought from across the TV sector, audience groups and infrastructure through the Stakeholder Forum.

This includes a number of groups representing rural and UK-wide audiences, such as the Rural Services Network.

With regards to vulnerable groups, the Government has now published qualitative research that was commissioned to understand in more detail the specific preferences, motivations and barriers regarding TV viewing among groups who are currently unconnected. This research included groups who could be vulnerable. Affordability is a factor that is in scope of the Stakeholder Forum, which includes members with specific expertise on this issue; such as the Digital Poverty Alliance.

The future of DTT is secured in legislation until at least 2034. Before any decision is made in relation to the availability of services beyond this point, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television. The government stakeholder forum will conclude later this year and then the government will make a decision.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of digital terrestrial television to rural connectivity.

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

The Government has an ongoing project on the future of TV distribution that is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. This will include assessing the advantages of hybrid television distribution models, as well as other options such as IPTV transition.

As part of this project, the Government published independent research led by Exeter University last year that included data on the use of different distribution methods by a range of different demographic groups, which included rural communities. A wide range of views are being sought from across the TV sector, audience groups and infrastructure through the Stakeholder Forum.

This includes a number of groups representing rural and UK-wide audiences, such as the Rural Services Network.

With regards to vulnerable groups, the Government has now published qualitative research that was commissioned to understand in more detail the specific preferences, motivations and barriers regarding TV viewing among groups who are currently unconnected. This research included groups who could be vulnerable. Affordability is a factor that is in scope of the Stakeholder Forum, which includes members with specific expertise on this issue; such as the Digital Poverty Alliance.

The future of DTT is secured in legislation until at least 2034. Before any decision is made in relation to the availability of services beyond this point, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television. The government stakeholder forum will conclude later this year and then the government will make a decision.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the needs of viewers in Northern Ireland are taken into account in the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum.

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

The Government’s project on the future of TV distribution is seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, a wide range of views are being sought. The Stakeholder Forum benefits from the perspectives of a number of groups representing the interests of Northern Irish and UK-wide audiences, such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Digital Poverty Alliance and Silver Voices as well as the BBC. The Government has been engaging and will continue to engage with the devolved governments alongside industry representatives from Northern Ireland to understand the unique characteristics of broadcasting in each nation well in advance of any decision being taken.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Twycross on 22 July (HL Deb col 136–40), what consideration they are giving to the legal opinion by Tom Cross KC on 16 July that the Secretary of State is required to undertake a fuller investigation of the proposed acquisition of the Telegraph Media Group by Redbird Capital, having particular regard to evidence of the latter's links to China; and whether they will issue a response to that opinion.

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

The Secretary of State takes her quasi-judicial responsibilities under the Enterprise Act 2002 very seriously. She will take all relevant information available into consideration when determining whether any of the public interest tests or conditions for foreign state influence are met in any proposed purchase of the Telegraph Media Group. DCMS will keep Parliament updated on decisions relating to the transaction.

Seven years and four governments ago, the-then Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) published its 'A connected society: a strategy for tackling loneliness' policy paper that subsequently reported every year until 2023.

Found: Seven years and four governments ago, the-then Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS

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