Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

The Government does not have any plans for a formal national memorial for the late Duchess of Kent.

The Government is committed to spreading the benefits of our world-leading film and TV sector across the country. The Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June 2025, announced a £75 million Screen Growth Package, which includes dedicated funding for Production Support Services across England's regions outside London.

As part of this initiative, DCMS and BFI are revising the approach to production service support, including support currently delivered through Filming in England. Filming in England, part of Creative UK, is currently funded by BFI National Lottery funds to provide advocacy and assistance to emerging hubs such as Shropshire. DCMS ministers and officials meet regularly with Creative UK to discuss a wide range of issues, including support for the film and TV sector across England.

Our scaled-up production support will provide nationally coordinated assistance to film and television productions, regional film offices and local authorities, ensuring areas like Shropshire have the resources to grow their production capacity.

On Tuesday 15th July, the Prime Minister set out plans to open 50 hubs over the next four years in England.

The local authorities for the first eight early adopter Young Futures Hubs were selected using knife crime and anti-social behaviour metrics to place them where they will benefit the most at-risk young people. They were published on gov.uk in December. Local Authorities will select the precise location of their Young Futures Hub based on local needs

The locations for the remaining 42 Hubs will be determined in due course, using appropriate data and learning from the eight early adopter hubs. Further details will be provided in due course

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport held successful working groups to consider all options with regard to issues concerning copyright and AI in the creative sector. The working groups consisted of representatives from both the creative and AI sectors, with some independent creators amongst the panels. There were also organisations present which represented individual creators and their interests concerning copyright and AI, as well as independent creators who were also organisational representatives. The department will continue to identify areas of collaboration with independent creators going forward, to support their perspectives during these important discussions.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology held successful working groups to bring together representatives from both the creative and AI sectors. The working groups worked with a wide range of different representatives, including companies that have operations in Wales and organisations representing creatives across the UK, including Wales. DCMS officials met with Welsh government officials to discuss the creative sector and AI, and will continue to identify areas of collaboration going forward.

The Government is committed to ensuring that video games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, particularly children, and that where they contain in-app purchases, guidance is followed so that consumers of all ages can play with confidence.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. CAP codifies standards for non-broadcast advertising, which includes online and in-game advertisements, as part of its UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’). In September 2021, CAP consulted on, and published, specific guidance on in-game purchases, which covers types of in-game storefronts, platforms for purchasing games, and broader advertising for the games themselves. The guidance was subsequently reviewed and updated in May 2024. This guidance reiterates that, where an ad is directed at children, there should be no direct exhortation to purchase or ask a parent or guardian to purchase.

The Government’s announcement of £400m of investment into grassroots sports over the next four years will ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in communities that need them across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, in order to increase participation and allow people to be active.

According to Sport England’s Active Places database, as of December 2025 there are 56,855 non-pitch-based sport facilities in England, which can be broken down by local authority. More details can be found here.

We are working on our plans for future grassroots sports funding and we will continue to engage the Devolved Governments and our local partners across the UK on this matter. We will provide an update early in 2026.

The Government’s announcement of £400m of investment into grassroots sports over the next four years will ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in communities that need them across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, in order to increase participation and allow people to be active.

According to Sport England’s Active Places database, as of December 2025 there are 56,855 non-pitch-based sport facilities in England, which can be broken down by local authority. More details can be found here.

We are working on our plans for future grassroots sports funding and we will continue to engage the Devolved Governments and our local partners across the UK on this matter. We will provide an update early in 2026.

The Government’s announcement of £400m of investment into grassroots sports over the next four years will ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in communities that need them across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, in order to increase participation and allow people to be active.

According to Sport England’s Active Places database, as of December 2025 there are 56,855 non-pitch-based sport facilities in England, which can be broken down by local authority. More details can be found here.

We are working on our plans for future grassroots sports funding and we will continue to engage the Devolved Governments and our local partners across the UK on this matter. We will provide an update early in 2026.

The Net Zero target in the Climate Change Act 2008, is a target for the whole of the UK, not individual departments or arms-length bodies.

Greening Government Commitments are the central framework setting out the actions UK government departments and their agencies will take to reduce their impacts on the environment, including setting targets to reduce emissions, during the framework period.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport committed to a 33% reduction in direct emissions and a 58% reduction in overall emissions by 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is reviewing the Greening Government Commitments to ensure that they remain aligned with government priorities.

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025

Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report andAccounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dcms-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport operates a continual performance management approach throughout the year, which includes data on those not meeting performance expectations through the Managing Poor Performance process.

There is no common definition of ‘top performance’ across Government, and we do not hold performance data for top performers for staff below SCS level at this time.

For Senior Civil Servants, DCMS follows the SCS framework for performance management. There are four possible ratings available with the top marking being ‘Exceeding’. Given the relatively small number of Senior Civil Servants in scope of the process, sharing the number and proportion of those receiving the top box marking could be disclosive and is therefore being suppressed.

Following representations made by TG4 and by Irish Ministers, we are considering whether to extend prominence for TG4 services broadcasting in Northern Ireland.

We are discussing the request with the Northern Ireland Office and other Cabinet colleagues and will make a statement on this early in the new year.

The Government remains committed to a pluralistic media landscape. A free, strong and plural media plays an essential role in democracy. It is a key source of trustworthy information and plays a vital role in holding power and public institutions to account.

Under the Enterprise Act 2002’s newspaper merger regime, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has a quasi-judicial role and can intervene on public interest grounds to refer a merger to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), subject to a jurisdictional test. These public interest grounds for intervention include plurality of views and plurality of persons with control, within the United Kingdom, or a part of the United Kingdom.

More broadly, the Government is 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 the industry has faced significant financial challenges for some time, and consolidation and mergers have been a part of the response in order to keep many struggling titles open. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities in a varied and balanced way, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

This is a complex and evolving area. The government’s priority is to get this right - not legislate prematurely. We have said that we won’t act unless that action works for creators. We continue to engage with a range of stakeholders across sectors, and with parliament as we consider all options. This includes engagement through our technical working groups and the parliamentary working group chaired by the DCMS and DSIT Secretaries of State. We will also publish an economic impact assessment and a report on the use of copyright works in the development of AI systems, by 18 March 2026.

The Secretary of State is in regular discussion with the BBC about Charter Review and other BBC matters, including on the options for funding the BBC set out in the Charter Review Green Paper. DCMS officials also hold regular meetings with the BBC and Ofcom about Charter Review, including issues relating to BBC funding.

The Government is developing its understanding of the impact of commercial options and will continue to build this throughout the Charter Review process, including through the public consultation and our engagement with stakeholders, including the BBC and Ofcom.

The Secretary of State is in regular discussion with the BBC about Charter Review and other BBC matters, including on the options for funding the BBC set out in the Charter Review Green Paper. DCMS officials also hold regular meetings with the BBC and Ofcom about Charter Review, including issues relating to BBC funding.

The Government is developing its understanding of the impact of commercial options and will continue to build this throughout the Charter Review process, including through the public consultation and our engagement with stakeholders, including the BBC and Ofcom.

The Secretary of State is in regular discussion with the BBC about Charter Review and other BBC matters, including on the options for funding the BBC set out in the Charter Review Green Paper. DCMS officials also hold regular meetings with the BBC and Ofcom about Charter Review, including issues relating to BBC funding.

The Government is developing its understanding of the impact of commercial options and will continue to build this throughout the Charter Review process, including through the public consultation and our engagement with stakeholders, including the BBC and Ofcom.

The Secretary of State is in regular discussion with the BBC about Charter Review and other BBC matters, including on the options for funding the BBC set out in the Charter Review Green Paper. DCMS officials also hold regular meetings with the BBC and Ofcom about Charter Review, including issues relating to BBC funding.

The Government is developing its understanding of the impact of commercial options and will continue to build this throughout the Charter Review process, including through the public consultation and our engagement with stakeholders, including the BBC and Ofcom.

The Government’s aim is to support a sustainable and fair funding model for the BBC, and we are considering a broad range of options to deliver this at Charter Review.

A thriving media sector is vital for the UK. We acknowledge that the BBC carrying advertising would represent a significant shift and have impacts on the wider media sector, including the other Public Service Broadcasters and local media providers, as well as on audience experiences.

The Government is seeking further views and evidence about the potential impacts of the BBC carrying adverts on the market, on audience engagement and on willingness to pay the licence fee before making any final decisions, including through the public consultation on the Charter Review Green Paper and through evidence from stakeholders and the BBC. This will build on modelling the department commissioned under the previous government on the BBC’s potential to generate commercial revenue from advertising.

The Government’s aim is to support a sustainable and fair funding model for the BBC, and we are considering a broad range of options to deliver this at Charter Review.

A thriving media sector is vital for the UK. We acknowledge that the BBC carrying advertising would represent a significant shift and have impacts on the wider media sector, including the other Public Service Broadcasters and local media providers, as well as on audience experiences.

The Government is seeking further views and evidence about the potential impacts of the BBC carrying adverts on the market, on audience engagement and on willingness to pay the licence fee before making any final decisions, including through the public consultation on the Charter Review Green Paper and through evidence from stakeholders and the BBC. This will build on modelling the department commissioned under the previous government on the BBC’s potential to generate commercial revenue from advertising.

The Government’s aim is to support a sustainable and fair funding model for the BBC, and we are considering a broad range of options to deliver this at Charter Review.

A thriving media sector is vital for the UK. We acknowledge that the BBC carrying advertising would represent a significant shift and have impacts on the wider media sector, including the other Public Service Broadcasters and local media providers, as well as on audience experiences.

The Government is seeking further views and evidence about the potential impacts of the BBC carrying adverts on the market, on audience engagement and on willingness to pay the licence fee before making any final decisions, including through the public consultation on the Charter Review Green Paper and through evidence from stakeholders and the BBC. This will build on modelling the department commissioned under the previous government on the BBC’s potential to generate commercial revenue from advertising.

The Minister of State (then Sir Chris Bryant MP) had the pleasure of visiting both the New Vic Theatre and Brampton Museum on 27 August 2025. I will ask my officials to keep the Apedale Heritage Centre and attractions across Newcastle-under-Lyme in mind when planning future visits.

Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestions of places to visit in your constituency. I am always delighted to support and promote the vital work being done across the cultural sector.

DCMS was alerted by Arts Council England at the end of October to a recent theft incident involving a storage facility operated by Bristol Museums. Fuller details about the scale of that incident were provided by the museum in mid December, at the time a police appeal was launched, following a museum-led audit. The museum holds human remains, however the department is not aware of any human remains being amongst the items stolen.

Museums in England operate independently from the government, and subscribe to ethical codes produced by the sector, and so it is for the museum’s leadership team to ensure the proper care of human remains, with policies kept under review. DCMS’ Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums, and recommends both the active management and monitoring of human remains storage, and adherence to suitable standards of security, access management and environmental conditions.

DCMS was alerted by Arts Council England at the end of October to a recent theft incident involving a storage facility operated by Bristol Museums. Fuller details about the scale of that incident were provided by the museum in mid December, at the time a police appeal was launched, following a museum-led audit. The museum holds human remains, however the department is not aware of any human remains being amongst the items stolen.

Museums in England operate independently from the government, and subscribe to ethical codes produced by the sector, and so it is for the museum’s leadership team to ensure the proper care of human remains, with policies kept under review. DCMS’ Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums, and recommends both the active management and monitoring of human remains storage, and adherence to suitable standards of security, access management and environmental conditions.

DCMS was alerted by Arts Council England at the end of October to a recent theft incident involving a storage facility operated by Bristol Museums. Fuller details about the scale of that incident were provided by the museum in mid December, at the time a police appeal was launched, following a museum-led audit. The museum holds human remains, however the department is not aware of any human remains being amongst the items stolen.

Museums in England operate independently from the government, and subscribe to ethical codes produced by the sector, and so it is for the museum’s leadership team to ensure the proper care of human remains, with policies kept under review. DCMS’ Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums, and recommends both the active management and monitoring of human remains storage, and adherence to suitable standards of security, access management and environmental conditions.

The Shared Island Media Initiative is led and funded by the Government of Ireland. While from a UK perspective, only Northern Ireland will be able to benefit from the initiative, DCMS officials have had some initial conversations with Ireland’s Department of Culture, Communications and Media to learn about it. I have not been directly involved in these discussions, but my officials remain interested in how this initiative advances the UK's and Ireland's shared priorities.

The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to Sport England’s statutory consultee role in the planning regime and I encourage anyone interested to feed into that process. The aim of this consultation is not to reduce access to sports facilities. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposed reforms.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport delivers a wide range of communications campaigns through digital and traditional channels. It is not possible to provide the exact number of staff employed solely to create social media content. These responsibilities are integrated into the broader roles of staff within the digital and communications teams to ensure the best value for the taxpayer.

Section 9.5 of the Governance Code on Public Appointments sets out the reporting requirements for panel members of public appointment campaigns. I can confirm that the published appointment details for the Independent Football Regulator x4 Non-Executive Board Members is compliant with the Governance Code.

DCMS has had discussions with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding the future for the Old Royal Naval College. The College is not an arms-length body of DCMS and the Department is not directly responsible for ensuring the stewardship of the site. However, the Department has been supporting conversations between local interested parties, including the MoD, and is keen to see those discussions progress.

The Government is acutely aware of the impact that harmful gambling can have on individuals, their families and communities, and we are committed to strengthening protections to safeguard those at risk of both harm caused by, and associated with, gambling.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape. For this reason, UK horseracing bets will not be subject to the new rate of general betting duty and will remain taxed at 15%.

The Horserace Betting Levy is important for the financial sustainability of horseracing. We will provide an update on next steps in due course.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape. For this reason, UK horseracing bets will not be subject to the new rate of general betting duty and will remain taxed at 15%.

The Horserace Betting Levy is important for the financial sustainability of horseracing. We will provide an update on next steps in due course.

The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to Sport England’s statutory consultee role in the planning regime and I encourage anyone interested to feed into that process. The aim of this consultation is not to reduce access to sports facilities. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposed reforms.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the British Equestrian Federation, which receives up to £6.3 million between 2022-2029 to invest in community horse riding initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.

DCMS recognises tourism’s vital contribution to the economy of the North East, where a diverse range of historic sites and natural landmarks, from the architectural heritage of Alnwick Castle and Hexham Abbey to the expansive Kielder Water & Forest Park, support the local economy.

The British Tourist Authority’s data for Northumberland, which incorporates Hexham, reveals that for inbound travel, Northumberland welcomed 35.6k visits, 191.8k nights and a spend of £20.7 million in 2024. For domestic visits, Northumberland welcomed 800k trips, 2.6 million bednights and a spend of £225 million from September 2022 to September 2024.

Destination North East England’s Quarterly Research Report for Spring 2025, reported that the North East region’s visitor economy is worth £6.6 billion and supports almost 63,000 jobs. The report also notes that North East England welcomed 68.44 million visitors and hosted 7.82 million overnight visitors in 2024.

DCMS recognises tourism’s vital contribution to the economy of the North East, where a diverse range of historic sites and natural landmarks, from the architectural heritage of Alnwick Castle and Hexham Abbey to the expansive Kielder Water & Forest Park, support the local economy.

The British Tourist Authority’s data for Northumberland, which incorporates Hexham, reveals that for inbound travel, Northumberland welcomed 35.6k visits, 191.8k nights and a spend of £20.7 million in 2024. For domestic visits, Northumberland welcomed 800k trips, 2.6 million bednights and a spend of £225 million from September 2022 to September 2024.

Destination North East England’s Quarterly Research Report for Spring 2025, reported that the North East region’s visitor economy is worth £6.6 billion and supports almost 63,000 jobs. The report also notes that North East England welcomed 68.44 million visitors and hosted 7.82 million overnight visitors in 2024.

DCMS recognises tourism’s vital contribution to the economy of the North East, where a diverse range of historic sites and natural landmarks, from the architectural heritage of Alnwick Castle and Hexham Abbey to the expansive Kielder Water & Forest Park, support the local economy.

The British Tourist Authority’s data for Northumberland, which incorporates Hexham, reveals that for inbound travel, Northumberland welcomed 35.6k visits, 191.8k nights and a spend of £20.7 million in 2024. For domestic visits, Northumberland welcomed 800k trips, 2.6 million bednights and a spend of £225 million from September 2022 to September 2024.

Destination North East England’s Quarterly Research Report for Spring 2025, reported that the North East region’s visitor economy is worth £6.6 billion and supports almost 63,000 jobs. The report also notes that North East England welcomed 68.44 million visitors and hosted 7.82 million overnight visitors in 2024.

DCMS has undertaken extensive research into the impact of arts and creativity on health. Through the Culture and Heritage Capital (CHC) Programme, the Department published a 2024 study monetising the health and wellbeing benefits of cultural and heritage engagement. Our analysis has found that even general adult engagement in culture contributes around £8 billion in health related benefits for our society each year. This evidence helps explain continued Government investment in the sector, with one third of organisations funded through Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Investment Programme (334 organisations) reporting delivery of creative health activity.

Arts Council England has invested nearly £1 million in National Lottery Project Grants to artists and organisations delivering creative health work in Surrey over the last three years. In addition, Arts Council England provides over £3 million per annum to National Portfolio Organisations (2023 – 2026) in Surrey that deliver creative health programmes, such as The Lightbox, an award winning gallery and museum in Woking that puts wellbeing at the centre of its mission. Initiatives such as Art in Mind dementia workshops and Open Mind tours with local mental health partners provide safe, welcoming spaces where participants can connect with others, build confidence, and engage in creative activities to support their mental health and resilience.

In addition, the benefits of using heritage sites and projects to reduce isolation and improve quality of life are increasingly being explored and integrated. The National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting such projects in Surrey, with recent grants including £100k to the heritage and wellbeing partnership project What Keeps Us Well in conjunction with Surrey Heritage, and a grant of over £780,000 to the Cranleigh Heritage Trust to transform Cranleigh Cottage Hospital into a multi-purpose heritage and wellbeing community hub.

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. DCMS has full oversight of these plans and works with Cabinet Office and other lead Government Departments to ensure BBC’s capabilities are integrated into wider resilience planning.

Detailed planning and preparations for a range of risks including power outages is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC has informed the Government that its plan for maintaining emergency communications to the public in an extended national power outage includes a detailed assessment of back up power generation capacity and capabilities at key BBC sites and transmitter sites operated by third-party providers. The plan for this risk is designed to maintain broadcasts of key BBC radio channels nationally to both urban and rural communities. The BBC regularly tests its plan and procedures including live tests of its broadcast systems.

The loss of broadcast coverage to a specific geographic area is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC collects and holds detailed information about the disruption of its radio services from individual transmitters.

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. DCMS has full oversight of these plans and works with Cabinet Office and other lead Government Departments to ensure BBC’s capabilities are integrated into wider resilience planning.

Detailed planning and preparations for a range of risks including power outages is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC has informed the Government that its plan for maintaining emergency communications to the public in an extended national power outage includes a detailed assessment of back up power generation capacity and capabilities at key BBC sites and transmitter sites operated by third-party providers. The plan for this risk is designed to maintain broadcasts of key BBC radio channels nationally to both urban and rural communities. The BBC regularly tests its plan and procedures including live tests of its broadcast systems.

The loss of broadcast coverage to a specific geographic area is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC collects and holds detailed information about the disruption of its radio services from individual transmitters.

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. DCMS has full oversight of these plans and works with Cabinet Office and other lead Government Departments to ensure BBC’s capabilities are integrated into wider resilience planning.

Detailed planning and preparations for a range of risks including power outages is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC has informed the Government that its plan for maintaining emergency communications to the public in an extended national power outage includes a detailed assessment of back up power generation capacity and capabilities at key BBC sites and transmitter sites operated by third-party providers. The plan for this risk is designed to maintain broadcasts of key BBC radio channels nationally to both urban and rural communities. The BBC regularly tests its plan and procedures including live tests of its broadcast systems.

The loss of broadcast coverage to a specific geographic area is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC collects and holds detailed information about the disruption of its radio services from individual transmitters.

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. DCMS has full oversight of these plans and works with Cabinet Office and other lead Government Departments to ensure BBC’s capabilities are integrated into wider resilience planning.

Detailed planning and preparations for a range of risks including power outages is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC has informed the Government that its plan for maintaining emergency communications to the public in an extended national power outage includes a detailed assessment of back up power generation capacity and capabilities at key BBC sites and transmitter sites operated by third-party providers. The plan for this risk is designed to maintain broadcasts of key BBC radio channels nationally to both urban and rural communities. The BBC regularly tests its plan and procedures including live tests of its broadcast systems.

The loss of broadcast coverage to a specific geographic area is an operational matter for the BBC. The BBC collects and holds detailed information about the disruption of its radio services from individual transmitters.