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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government has sought legal advice in relation to the US President's planned legal action against the BBC.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This is a matter for the BBC, whose lawyers are now dealing with the issue. The BBC is independent of the UK government and so it is a matter for them and the US President.

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 potential impact of hosting the 2035 women's football world cup on the economy.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The UK Government is working closely with the Home Nation Football Associations and the Devolved Governments to develop the UK-wide bid for the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup. As the largest single sport women’s event in the world, this tournament has the potential to generate significant socio-economic benefits, impact communities across the UK, and build on our world-leading reputation as a host of major events.

To illustrate, the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 was estimated to have generated AUS$1.32bn for the economy in Australia and New Zealand. We are working closely with UK Sport, the FAs and Devolved Governments to assess the potential benefits of hosting to inform our collective bid.

Following confirmation that the UK would be the sole bid for 2035, our bid is due to be submitted by the end of November, with a final decision by FIFA expected in April 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of hosting the 2035 women's football world cup on the level of participation by women and girls in sport.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

Hosting the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup has the potential to be a transformational opportunity for the women’s game, and for women’s sport in the UK more generally. Following the 2022 Women’s EUROs, we saw a 140% increase in participation among women and girls with over 519,000 new grassroots opportunities were created specifically for women and girls across England.

Creating a strong legacy, including boosting participation levels, will be a core aim of delivering the tournament. Should the UK’s bid to host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035 be successful, planning will begin on developing the legacy programme, drawing inspiration from events such as the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup as we embark on a decade of women’s sporting moments in the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to make weight loss medications available to people living with obesity who are unable to afford them privately and who fall below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Our 10-Year Health Plan highlights the risk that these medicines will be accessed by those who can pay over those with the highest clinical need. The plan makes a commitment to expand access on the National Health Service through innovative industry partnerships, delivering weight loss services and treatments to patients. Continuing to make these medicines more widely available on the NHS will help reduce inequalities in access.

NHS access is being prioritised for those with the highest clinical need first. NHS England has worked with clinical experts, integrated care boards, patient and public representatives, healthcare professionals, charities, and royal colleges on its prioritisation approach, which is set out in its interim commissioning guidance and available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interim-commissioning-guidance-implementation-of-the-nice-technology-appraisal-ta1026-and-the-nice-funding-variation-for-tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-the-management-of-obesity/

We do not currently have plans to make these medicines available to those who have fallen below the weight threshold required for NHS prescription as a result of using the medication privately. For patients prescribed these medicines by the NHS, they will continue to receive these medicines for as long as clinically appropriate.

For those not currently eligible for weight loss medications, there are a variety of weight management services provided by the NHS and local government. These range from multi-component behavioural programmes to specialist services for those living with severe obesity and associated co-morbidities.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring England into line with Scotland by making the Agent of Change a statutory principle in planning.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is exploring how it can improve the implementation of the ‘agent of change’ principle in the planning system as part of the development of a new suite of national policies for decision-making that we will consult on before the end of this year.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new higher rate multiplier on the costs faced by sport and recreation premises.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The existing business rates retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief has been repeatedly extended year-on-year as a temporary stopgap measure. We recognise that this creates cliff-edges and uncertainty for businesses, as well as significant fiscal pressure.

Therefore, from April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business rates multipliers for qualifying RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000. The Government recognises the importance of grassroots sports clubs and recreation and community organisations, with this permanent tax cut ensuring they and other RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

To fund these lower RHL multipliers sustainably, from April 2026, we are also introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. The rates for the new multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that we can take into account the revaluation outcomes, as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis on the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support grassroots (a) sports clubs and (b) community organisations will receive to help manage any additional costs they will face as a result of the introduction of new RHL multipliers for properties with a rateable value under £500,000 in April 2026.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The existing business rates retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief has been repeatedly extended year-on-year as a temporary stopgap measure. We recognise that this creates cliff-edges and uncertainty for businesses, as well as significant fiscal pressure.

Therefore, from April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business rates multipliers for qualifying RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000. The Government recognises the importance of grassroots sports clubs and recreation and community organisations, with this permanent tax cut ensuring they and other RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

To fund these lower RHL multipliers sustainably, from April 2026, we are also introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. The rates for the new multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that we can take into account the revaluation outcomes, as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis on the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the retail, hospitality and leisure relief from April 2026 on grassroots sport and recreation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The existing business rates retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) relief has been repeatedly extended year-on-year as a temporary stopgap measure. We recognise that this creates cliff-edges and uncertainty for businesses, as well as significant fiscal pressure.

Therefore, from April 2026, we are introducing permanently lower business rates multipliers for qualifying RHL properties with rateable values below £500,000. The Government recognises the importance of grassroots sports clubs and recreation and community organisations, with this permanent tax cut ensuring they and other RHL businesses benefit from much-needed certainty and support.

To fund these lower RHL multipliers sustainably, from April 2026, we are also introducing a higher multiplier on properties with RVs of £500,000 and above. The rates for the new multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that we can take into account the revaluation outcomes, as well as the economic and fiscal context. When the new multipliers are set, HM Treasury intends to publish analysis on the effects of the new multiplier arrangements.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what an accurate valuation method is for the business rates of grassroots music venues.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Please see the response to UIN 22711 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2025-01-08/22711

Huckyduck Carnival Club

UK Youth Parliament 2025

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

Buying community energy locally

Fly-tipping and illegal waste dumping by criminal gangs

Digital-only immigration status

On the 4 September 2025 the House agreed the following Resolution: