Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has provided in grants for a) opera and b) brass bands in each of the last three years.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The tables in the attached PDF set out Arts Council England grants which support a) opera and b) brass bands for the years 2022/2023, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025. Please note that the distinction between Primary and Non-Primary Subclassifiers is important. It clarifies the difference between organisations primarily focused on opera or brass bands, and those for whom the disciplines form only part of their wider work.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, whether her Department plans to review the minimum thresholds for (a) subtitling, (b) audio description and (c) signing after the initial four-year implementation period.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.
Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, whether YouTube will be included in the additional video services to be regulated.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government will shortly lay the On-demand Programme Services (Tier 1 Services) Regulations 2026. These regulations will designate video-on-demand services with more than 500,000 average monthly users in the UK as Tier 1 services, bringing them under enhanced regulation by Ofcom. Under the Media Act 2024, YouTube channels that commercial public service broadcasters use to fulfil their public service remit will also be Tier 1 services. Other channels hosted on video-sharing platforms, such as YouTube, are exempt from the regulations. However, these channels may still have other legal obligations, for example under the Online Safety Act 2023. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
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 17 February 2026 to Question 111615, for what reason does her Department not have the facility to offer payroll deductions for employees who wish to join a credit union.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The DCMS employee benefits package is directly shaped by employee demand. At present, joining a credit union is not included in our provision as we haven’t seen a significant appetite or interest. There is no requirement for DCMS to provide a facility for payroll deductions for employees who wish to join a credit union.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, what information her Department holds on the proportion of content by major video streaming services which does not have accessibility support meeting the new criteria.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.
Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Department’s press release entitled New requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, what steps she is taking to ensure that non-UK based video streaming services comply with the updated accessibility standards for UK consumers.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.
Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, what discussions she has had with disability campaign groups on the accessibility proposals for video streaming services.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.
Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
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 requirements for UK’s biggest video-on-demand services, published on 24 February 2026, what discussions she has had with video streaming companies on the new accessibility proposals.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged extensively with video-on-demand services and disability advocacy groups throughout the passage of the Media Act 2024 and its implementation. This included organisations such as the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The Act sets minimum requirements for accessibility features, including that Tier 1 services must ensure that 80% of their total catalogue is subtitled, 10% is audio-described, and 5% is signed. These requirements mirror the existing access service requirements in place for commercial broadcasters and will be kept under review. The Government is also clear that these are minimum requirements, and fully expect services to go beyond this where feasible.
Ofcom will shortly consult on and draft a new accessibility code, which will be an opportunity for the public and providers to share their views on the new rules. Once implemented, where Tier 1 services do not meet the requirements set out in the new accessibility code, Ofcom has powers to issue statutory sanctions, including financial penalties, where appropriate. These sanctions can be applied to both UK and non-UK Tier 1 services. Further information, including a draft of the regulations, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statement-on-designation-of-tier-1-video-on-demand-vod-services.
Ofcom reports annually on the access services provided by UK-regulated video-on-demand services. The most recent report covers 2024, and is available here: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv-radio-and-on-demand/accessibility/television-and-on-demand-programme-services-access-services-report--january-to-december-2024.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 trends in the level of the tv license.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
As of 1 April 2026, the annual cost of the colour TV licence will increase by £5.50, in line with CPI inflation. This uplift will provide the BBC with a stable financial footing to continue delivering for audiences and supporting the wider creative industries.
Under the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, the cost of the licence fee was frozen for two years and then required to increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of the current Charter Period (2027). The Culture Secretary committed to increasing the licence fee in line with CPI annually for the remainder of this Charter Period in a Written Ministerial Statement in 2024.
As part of the Charter Review, the government is looking at a range of options to ensure the BBC’s funding model is sustainable while also being fair and affordable for households.
Asked by: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what opportunities her department has for independent cinemas to apply for national support schemes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Independent cinemas play an important role in our communities, providing an accessible form of culture for people across the UK. Independent cinemas can apply for various public funding schemes through DCMS's Arm's Length Bodies if they meet the eligibility criteria. For example, through the British Film Institute, cinemas can access support for audience-facing projects through the BFI National Lottery Audience Projects Fund; and can join the BFI Film Audience Network and apply for funding to support projects that bring audiences together for screenings of UK independent and international films. Cinemas based in not-for-profit mixed arts venues in England may also meet the eligibility criteria for Arts Council England's Creative Foundations Fund; we estimate this applies to approximately 13% of the 218 full-time independent cinemas in the UK. This sector will also benefit from permanently lower business rates multipliers for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure venues, starting this year.