Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Gaelic Athletic Association with regard to increasing the £15 million intended to contribute towards the redevelopment of Casement Park in Belfast; and how much the overall project is currently estimated to cost.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland is responsible for the procurement process for the redevelopment of Casement Park, including direct engagement with local partners on their funding contributions.
We are working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to make sure that EURO 2028 leaves a lasting legacy across the whole United Kingdom.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with Scouts UK in regards to providing financial support towards the £1 million cost of relocating the UK Contingent from the site of the 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is in regular contact with the Scout Association about the incidents that occurred during the World Scout Jamboree.
HM Government has provided significant support in recent years to uniformed youth organisations, including the Scouts. This includes over £16 million so that uniformed youth organisations can recruit more volunteers, tackle waiting lists, and increase the locations able to offer positive activities to young people.
This forms part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025 every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and opportunities to volunteer. This is supported by a three-year investment of over £500 million in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending with a firm focus on levelling up.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much funding they are expecting to contribute to the redevelopment of Casement Park; and when the building work is due to be completed.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The joint UK / Republic of Ireland bid to host EURO 2028 was submitted to UEFA on 12 April 2023. The bid proposes 10 stadia, with the inclusion of Casement Park in Belfast enabling Northern Ireland to be a prospective host for the tournament, so that local communities can benefit from the considerable socio-economic benefits of hosting an event of this scale.
There has been a long-standing commitment in Northern Ireland, as part of the regional stadium development programme, to redevelop Casement Park – alongside the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park and Kingspan Stadium, which have already undergone improvements. Given the inclusion of Casement Park in the bid, HM Government is working closely with partners in Northern Ireland to ensure that the redevelopment is adequately funded, is delivered in good time, and complies sufficiently with UEFA’s technical requirements.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will release the funding for football stadia in Northern Ireland on a sub-regional basis in advance of the re-establishment of a Northern Ireland Executive; and whether the amount of funding will be increased to reflect inflationary pressures since the funding was announced in 2011.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sports policy is a devolved matter, and the allocation of funding for stadia is a matter for the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.
It remains the UK Government’s firm view that the right people to make these decisions are locally elected politicians in a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the BBC about cuts to local radio services; and whether they have had any indication that (1) BBC Radio Ulster, or (2) BBC Radio Foyle, will be affected by such cuts.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is disappointed by the extent of the BBC’s proposed changes to local radio services. We will be raising this issue with the BBC and wait to hear more from the BBC on how it expects these changes to affect local communities, including the provision of local news and media plurality.
The BBC’s recent announcement will only affect the BBC’s local radio services in England. There should be no impact on BBC Radio Ulster or BBC Radio Foyle.
Asked by: Lord Rogan (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with preparations for the Festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2022.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
We are in the early stages of planning the Festival 2022 which will be led by a Festival Director who, once appointed, will work with their team and collaborate across the sectors to create a range of exciting events across the UK. The department is currently working through the delivery options, and we expect to share more details on the Festival later in the year.