Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on what date the mandatory national registration scheme for short term lets in England will be introduced.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Parliament legislated for a national registration scheme for short-term lets in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023. The government remains committed to implementing this registration scheme.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding is available to local authorities in England to develop (a) new and (b) restored outdoor public swimming facilities, including lidos; and what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of that funding to meet public demand for safe, accessible and affordable outdoor swimming provision.
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 swimming facilities, which are great spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.
The ongoing responsibility for 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 last year, we committed £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 sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration she has given to rejoining Creative Europe.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s rich culture. We also understand the value of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes – this is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus and Erasmus+.
However, we have no intention to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with her US counterpart regarding New York and New Jersey’s investigations into ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the significant concerns that many supporters have raised about ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Decisions on ticket pricing are a matter for FIFA and the tournament organisers and the Secretary of State has had no discussion with her counterparts.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
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 Cabinet colleagues on a) local and b) national infrastructure improvements in the context of the Universal United Kingdom Resort.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS has been working closely with the Department for Transport on delivering the infrastructure that will bring visitors to the park as well as provide benefits for both local communities and those travelling through Bedford. This includes upgrades on the A421 and a new station at Wixams, both of which will facilitate visits to the resort and improve access in the local area for residents.
The investment from Comcast NBCUniversal is this Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy in action, and DCMS is working closely with the Department for Business and Trade to make Universal United Kingdom Resort a success.
I was delighted to visit the site on 3 June alongside the Chancellor, where I met the first of the new employees who will be based in Bedford, and have an essential role in delivering this transformational project.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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 secure multilateral and bilateral agreements for relaxed cabotage rules for the cultural sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is aware of concerns raised by the cultural and creative sectors regarding the impact that cabotage arrangements can have for the cultural sector.
Cabotage terms are governed by international agreements, including the UK‑EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) multilateral permit system, which provides additional but limited access. While there are currently no plans to pursue sector-specific cabotage agreements, the Government engages regularly with international partners to explore opportunities to facilitate transport operations more broadly, including through existing bilateral road haulage agreements where appropriate.
The Government also engages with the EU, EU Member States and wider international partners on barriers affecting cultural exchange, including touring. As part of this engagement, we continue to make the case for practical measures that support the movement of artists, crews, equipment and the specialist services that underpin international exchange, as well as engaging with the cultural and the live touring sector to understand the practical impacts of cultural arrangements, including for organisations that operate ‘own account’ vehicles transporting their own equipment.
Asked by: Helen Maguire (Liberal Democrat - Epsom and Ewell)
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 public community health initiatives continue to be inclusive for all participants.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There is no established definition of public community health initiatives. Most local health services are commissioned by NHS integrated care boards. Each integrated care board must have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities, with respect both to the ability of people to access health services and the outcomes achieved for them by the provision of health services.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
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 whether the £92 million allocated for the Places of Worship Renewal Fund is sufficient to meet the total cost of repairs for listed places of worship.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Given the current fiscal climate, it is essential that Government support is targeted towards the areas where it can have the greatest impact, and where it is needed most. The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (£92 million over four years) will provide grants from £10,000 to £1,000,000 to support urgent structural repairs, physical access improvements or the installation of new facilities to expand community use. Priority will be given to projects in areas of England with the highest levels of deprivation and need for investment.
Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, a) whether listed places of worship will be able to reclaim VAT on essential repairs under the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund and b) when she will publish the finalised details of the fund.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF) is a capital grant scheme. Where capital grants have been awarded, VAT on eligible works and costs will be rebated where it is not otherwise reclaimable.
The PWRF is open for Expressions of Interest, and further details, including the PWRF criteria and application guidance, are published on the dedicated Historic England webpage: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/grants/what-we-fund/places-of-worship-renewal-fund/.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
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 HSE's review of the current laws on working safely with lead on traditional stained glass window making.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is consulting on proposed changes to the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002, the response deadline was 7 June 2026. This will allow HSE to gather evidence to assess the impact of these proposed lead exposure levels in the working environment, including heritage workforce, before finalising reforms. The HSE’s sponsor department, the Department for Work and Pensions, will then discuss these with DCMS. During the consultation period, HSE has engaged heritage organisations, including Historic England, a DCMS arms length body to ensure the historic environment is fully considered.