Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what (a) statutory regulations and (b) safety guidance her Department has issued regarding the use of strobe and flashing lighting at live music and sporting venues to mitigate seizure risk for spectators with photosensitive epilepsy.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport does not issue regulations and guidance on the use of strobe flashing lighting, however event organisers and venue operators have duties under existing health and safety legislation to protect the public from risks associated with it.
Under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, dutyholders must conduct thorough risk assessments and ensure members of the public are not exposed to health risks.
To support compliance, comprehensive industry guidance is available in The Purple Guide (formerly the Health and Safety Executive’s Event Safety Guide), which outlines best practices for flicker rates, equipment positioning, and necessary audience warnings. Further guidance is available from the NHS, local authorities, and the Epilepsy Society.
It is standard good practice for venues and ticketing platforms to provide advance warning of strobe effects.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answers of 22 April 2026 to Question 127321 on Gambling: Regulation and of 28 April 2026 to Question 128520 on Horse Racing: Gambling, for what reasons her Department has not updated Parliament on the work of the Gambling Act Review Evaluation Advisory Group.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is undertaking an evaluation of the Gambling Act Review on behalf of DCMS. The findings will be published on gov.uk later this year.
The Gambling Act Review Advisory Group provides objective, external advice to NatCen on how best to take the Gambling Act Review evaluation forward. It has no role in policy development, and does not have access to collected data. It is an advisory group providing technical methodological input to NatCen on the design of the evaluation and its implementation, to ensure it meets the highest possible standards. There are therefore no plans to assess its work as part of the evaluation findings.
The Gambling Act Review evaluation is looking at the real-world impact of measures that have been implemented. Measures such as financial risk assessments have not been implemented and therefore are not included.
NatCen is separately working as an evaluation partner alongside the pilot of financial risk assessment, advising on methodology and data clarity and transparency. The Commission has also committed to ongoing review, evaluation and adaptation over time if Financial Risk Assessments are introduced.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the work of the Gambling Act Review Evaluation Advisory Group.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is undertaking an evaluation of the Gambling Act Review on behalf of DCMS. The findings will be published on gov.uk later this year.
The Gambling Act Review Advisory Group provides objective, external advice to NatCen on how best to take the Gambling Act Review evaluation forward. It has no role in policy development, and does not have access to collected data. It is an advisory group providing technical methodological input to NatCen on the design of the evaluation and its implementation, to ensure it meets the highest possible standards. There are therefore no plans to assess its work as part of the evaluation findings.
The Gambling Act Review evaluation is looking at the real-world impact of measures that have been implemented. Measures such as financial risk assessments have not been implemented and therefore are not included.
NatCen is separately working as an evaluation partner alongside the pilot of financial risk assessment, advising on methodology and data clarity and transparency. The Commission has also committed to ongoing review, evaluation and adaptation over time if Financial Risk Assessments are introduced.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding will be provided to (a) tennis and (b) padel up to 2028.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport in England through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to help tackle the lack of (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis and facilities in Harrow East constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
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 merits of increased funding for (a) tennis and (b) padel facilities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding she has allocated for (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) other court-based sports.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking with the Lawn Tennis Association to develop covered (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) multi-sport facilities to facilitate year-round all-weather participation.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support the development of (a) affordable and (b) accessible padel courts in (i) Harrow East constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has allocated for (a) tennis and (b) padel in the next five years.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
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. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.
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 Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.