Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on professional female footballers of the proposed changes to the tax treatment of image rights payments from 6 April 2027; and whether he plans to publish an impact assessment of those changes.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

At Budget 2025, the Government announced it would legislate to clarify the tax treatment of image rights to ensure that all image rights payments related to an employment are treated as taxable employment income. As with all tax measures, an assessment of the impacts relating to the policy will be provided through the Government’s Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which will be published alongside the relevant Finance Bill.

The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on technical detail of its announced policies and welcomes engagement with the Women’s Super League.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential differential impact on professional female footballers of the proposed changes to the tax treatment of image rights payments from 6 April 2027, including in relation to differences in salary levels and the proportion of income derived from commercial and image rights arrangements.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

At Budget 2025, the Government announced it would legislate to clarify the tax treatment of image rights to ensure that all image rights payments related to an employment are treated as taxable employment income. As with all tax measures, an assessment of the impacts relating to the policy will be provided through the Government’s Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which will be published alongside the relevant Finance Bill.

The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on technical detail of its announced policies and welcomes engagement with the Women’s Super League.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings his Department has had with representatives of the Women’s Super League on the proposed changes to the tax treatment of image rights payments.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

At Budget 2025, the Government announced it would legislate to clarify the tax treatment of image rights to ensure that all image rights payments related to an employment are treated as taxable employment income. As with all tax measures, an assessment of the impacts relating to the policy will be provided through the Government’s Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) which will be published alongside the relevant Finance Bill.

The Government regularly engages with stakeholders on technical detail of its announced policies and welcomes engagement with the Women’s Super League.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure children and young people can access (a) dance, (b) sport, (c) gymnastics and (d) cheer as part of the curriculum.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring all children and young people benefit from a high-quality PE curriculum. PE is compulsory at all four key stages, with schools able to choose the activities they use to deliver the curriculum. Dance is a specified element of the national curriculum, with programme of study content set out through to key stage 3.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review recommended greater clarity and specificity in areas such as dance. The government accepted these recommendations and is revising the PE national curriculum, while maintaining schools’ flexibility in delivery. The revised curriculum will be consulted on publicly and is intended for first teaching from September 2028.

Schools will be supported to deliver high-quality dance provision through the National Centre for Arts and Music. Supporting pupils to access PE, sport and physical activity opportunities such as gymnastics and cheer will also form part of the new PE and School Sport Partnerships.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 5 August 2026 to Question HL2380, how many people over state pension age he estimates will be income taxpayers in 2027-28; and how many people he estimates will benefit from the commitment that people whose only income is the basic or new State Pension, without increments, will not pay income tax over this Parliament, in that year.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The vast majority of pensioners paid income tax under the last Conservative government. The OBR produces projections of the number of income taxpayers in future years.

In line with the commitment made at Budget 2025, pensioners whose incomes only just exceed the Personal Allowance will not have the administrative burden of paying small amounts of tax in this Parliament. The Government will set out more detail at Budget.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing measures to prevent pensioners with small amounts of income in addition to the state pension from facing a higher tax liability than those whose only income is the state pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Pensioners whose only income is the basic or new State Pension, without any increments, do not currently pay income tax. This is because the full new State Pension is below the tax-free Personal Allowance this year.

In line with the commitment made at Budget 2025, pensioners whose incomes only just exceed the Personal Allowance will not have the administrative burden of paying small amounts of tax in this Parliament.

More details will be set out at Budget 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the Ministry of Defence Police budget is in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial year; and whether he undertook a risk assessment before determining the budget for the next financial year.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Ministry of Defence Police budget for financial year 2025-26 was £192 million. Forecast expenditure for 2026-27 is £206 million.

Risk is an integral part of the Department's financial planning process. Forecast expenditure and budget allocation decisions are informed by assessments of affordability, historical performance, planned requirements, anticipated demand and other factors that may affect future financial performance.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he will place a copy of the RFA's terms and conditions of service in the House of Commons Library.

Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) does not maintain a single Terms and Conditions of Service document. Instead, terms and conditions are set out in the RFA’s various ‘Statements of Particulars’, which vary widely according to role, rank or rate and employment category. As a result, there is no single document that could be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, dated 24 June 2026, which grants for the business events growth programme and related funds were allocated to BTA for the purpose of growing business events in the last five years.

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

DCMS recognises the economic contribution of business events, which facilitate trade and investment, support jobs and generate visitor spending across the UK. The UK’s business event sector is thriving and receives support from a number of national and local sources.

DCMS provides the British Tourist Authority (BTA) with funding each year to deliver an agreed set of objectives which the BTA allocates across a range of priority areas where it can most add value. Funding is also provided from the GREAT programme for international marketing.

From 2021/22 to 2025/26, BTA allocated approximately £1.25m of funding annually to support business events. In 2026/27, BTA reprioritised funding to avoid duplication with VisitScotland and VisitWales and to support smaller businesses to attend international trade shows. MeetEngland’s budget this year of £300,000 accounts for around 20% of VisitEngland’s core operational budget for 26/27.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, dated 24 June 2026, what funding was (a) allocated for and (b) provided to the British Tourism Authority's Business Events Growth Programme in the last five financial years.

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

DCMS recognises the economic contribution of business events, which facilitate trade and investment, support jobs and generate visitor spending across the UK. The UK’s business event sector is thriving and receives support from a number of national and local sources.

DCMS provides the British Tourist Authority (BTA) with funding each year to deliver an agreed set of objectives which the BTA allocates across a range of priority areas where it can most add value. Funding is also provided from the GREAT programme for international marketing.

From 2021/22 to 2025/26, BTA allocated approximately £1.25m of funding annually to support business events. In 2026/27, BTA reprioritised funding to avoid duplication with VisitScotland and VisitWales and to support smaller businesses to attend international trade shows. MeetEngland’s budget this year of £300,000 accounts for around 20% of VisitEngland’s core operational budget for 26/27.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the role of social care services in enabling unpaid carers to remain in employment.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The government recognises the vital contributions of unpaid carers. This is why we have established a Ministerial group to ensure a joined-up, cross-government approach to supporting unpaid carers.

A cross-government action plan on unpaid carers was published in July 2026, outlining the government’s commitments to supporting unpaid carers across health, social care, education, employment and the benefits system. This includes actions which will be taken forward by the Department for Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, including actions to support unpaid carers to remain in or return to employment.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for for Work and Pensions on supporting unpaid carers to remain in or return to employment.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The government recognises the vital contributions of unpaid carers. This is why we have established a Ministerial group to ensure a joined-up, cross-government approach to supporting unpaid carers.

A cross-government action plan on unpaid carers was published in July 2026, outlining the government’s commitments to supporting unpaid carers across health, social care, education, employment and the benefits system. This includes actions which will be taken forward by the Department for Health and Social Care, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, including actions to support unpaid carers to remain in or return to employment.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether legislation will be required to give effect to the commitment that people whose only income is the basic or new state pension will not pay income tax over this Parliament.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

In line with the commitment made at Budget 2025, pensioners whose incomes only just exceed the Personal Allowance will not have the administrative burden of paying small amounts of tax in this Parliament.

The Government will set out further detail at Budget 2026.

Found: Yours sincerely Dame Caroline Dinenage MP Chair, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Found: Street London SW1A 2BQ E: [email protected] www.gov.uk/dcms 5 October 2026 Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: 30 September 2026 Rt Hon Dame Caroline Dinenage MP Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Found: Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ E: [email protected] www.gov.uk/dcms Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ E: [email protected] www.gov.uk/dcms Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: SW1A 2BQ E: enquiri [email protected] www.goy.uk/dcms Z 2 September 2026 INT2026/08557/DC Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: Parliament Street London SW1A 2BQ E: [email protected] www.gov.uk/dcms Dame Caroline Dinenage

Found: Culture, Media and Sport Committee Tuesday 19 May 2026 Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage,

Found: 2022 Programme, directly accountable to the DCMS permanent Secretary under the oversight of Caroline Dinenage