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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide funding to support the continued operation beyond June 2026 of (1) the National Glass Centre, and (2) the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art; and when they last discussed the future of those galleries with (a) Sunderland City Council, and (b) Sunderland Culture.

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

The government is aware of the challenges the National Glass Centre is facing. How these challenges are managed, and decisions about its future, are a matter for the University of Sunderland and its partners, as the owner of the building.

Sunderland Culture is currently in discussion with the University about the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art’s (NGCA) future programme. These talks include exploring how to continue the city-wide approach to displaying the collection, which is currently exhibited in City Hall and The Beam. The University is also looking to lease space within Culture House as a potential permanent home for the NGCA. In addition, Arts Council England (ACE), an arm’s-length body of government, is working with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland City Council to help preserve the city’s glass-making heritage and skills for future generations.

In January 2025 Sunderland Culture was awarded £5 million from the Government’s Cultural Development Fund for Glassworks, a new world class facility for glass making in Sunderland that will connect the city’s 1,350 years of glass-making heritage. ACE delivers the Cultural Development Fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for continued investment in the BBC World Service.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)

I refer the Noble Lady to the answer I provided on 24 June 2025 to Question HL8298.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the dangers of state-sponsored disinformation.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The government recognises the serious threat posed by state-sponsored disinformation and has a number of tools available to respond and protect against these threats. For example, the Foreign Interference Offence in the National Security Act is now a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, requiring companies to act against a range of state-linked disinformation online targeting the UK.

In addition, the Defending Democracy Taskforce was established in November 2022. Its mission statement is to reduce the risk of foreign interference to the UK’s democratic processes, institutions, and society, and ensure that these are secure and resilient to threats of foreign interference.