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

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to set up a protocol with the Welsh Government on the funding of opera.

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

The Government remains committed in its support for opera, with Arts Council England (ACE) providing over £30 million per annum to opera organisations through its National Portfolio programme. This includes funding for Welsh National Opera’s activity in England.

The government does not currently intend to establish a formal protocol with the Welsh Government for funding opera. Nevertheless, appropriate opportunities to discuss shared matters, including support for opera, will continue. Arts Council England (ACE) makes funding decisions independently to safeguard the arms-length principle and engages with Arts Council Wales as required, particularly for organisations like Welsh National Opera (WNO).

In 2024, ACE published the Let’s Create: Opera and Music Theatre Analysis which was prompted by debate over funding changes. The key aims of the study were to understand how the opera sector operates, identify issues in production and distribution, and inform future investment decisions.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their response to the independent review of Arts Council England led by Baroness Hodge of Barking, published on 16 December 2025.

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

The government’s response to Baroness Hodge’s independent review of Arts Council England was published on 26 March and deposited in the House Library. The response can also be found online on the UK Government Publications website.