Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to help promote maritime tourism for both (a) ferry and (b) cruise markets.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The UK is a leading hub for the global cruise industry, with ports such as Southampton, Dover, Greenock and Liverpool welcoming more than 3 million passengers annually.
The Department regularly engages with a range of stakeholders across the tourism sector, including the cruise industry, to understand their perspectives and challenges. As an example, the Cruise Lines International Association is a member of the Government’s Visitor Economy Advisory Council to ensure that we maximise the potential of maritime tourism to deliver growth. DCMS remains committed to maximising the benefits of cruise and ferry tourism for the UK, noting the sector’s significant contribution to the UK economy.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the creative industries in Heywood and Middleton North constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The creative industries are one of the government’s eight priority Industrial Strategy (IS) sectors. In 2023, the sector employed 2.4m people, and contributed £124bn in UK GVA – more than 5% of total UK GVA.
The Industrial Strategy is being designed and implemented in lockstep with local and regional leaders. We have selected Greater Manchester as a priority region for the Creative Industries: as a result, Greater Manchester will receive additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to encourage sustainable investment in the creative industries.
Greater Manchester has also received funding from the Create Growth Programme, which supports high-growth creative businesses in 12 English regions outside of London. Government has awarded a further £16.3 million for the programme for the next financial year – part of the £60 million package of support for the sector announced at January’s Creative Industries Growth Summit.
We also set out new commitments from the British Business Bank, the UK’s economic development bank, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) in January to strengthen their support for the creative industries, in addition to making shorter apprenticeships available from August 2025, building towards a more flexible growth and skills levy. These are the first steps we have taken in delivering on our ambitions for the creative industries, with more to be set out with the publication of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, alongside the Industrial Strategy, in late Spring.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to provide support to (a) community and (b) social enterprises to help re purpose churches that are now closed.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Over 350 Grade I or II* closed listed churches have been saved by the Churches Conservation Trust. The Trust works with the public to ensure these churches once again stand at the heart of their communities, enjoyed as cultural, visitor, educational and social spaces.
The new Heritage Revival Fund will provide £4.85m in 2025/26 to support community organisations to bring neglected heritage buildings into community ownership and back into good use. Further details will be set out in Spring.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 adequacy of the modifications to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Based on the Department’s analysis of previous data, 94% of applications between 2022-2024 have been under £25,000, and most of these claims are for under £5,000. We believe that the modifications were necessary and adequate within the tight fiscal circumstances and considering competing financial demands in other parts of the heritage and cultural sector.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
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 artificial intelligence on intellectual property rights in the creative industries.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Both artificial intelligence (AI) and the creative industries are central to this government’s driving mission on economic growth. AI may foster innovation and efficiency but may also risk creators losing a portion of their existing income due to AI's substitutional impact on human-created works. In relation to intellectual property rights, rights holders are finding it difficult to control the use of their works in training AI models and to be remunerated for its use.
Our 10-week consultation, published on Tuesday 17 December and closing 25 February, engages AI and creative industries stakeholders widely on the impact of AI on the copyright regime. The aims of the consultation are to seek views on how the copyright framework should apply in the context of AI. Key topics under review include text and data mining, transparency and labelling, computer generated works and digital replicas.
The consultation was published alongside an accompanying options assessment. The consultation seeks to gather further evidence on the potential impact on the creative industries of any change to the copyright regime in the context of AI training. Following the consultation, if legislative changes are needed, a full economic impact assessment will be undertaken.
Asked by: Elsie Blundell (Labour - Heywood and Middleton North)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help mitigate the potential impact of (a) loneliness and (b) isolation on the mental health of (i) boys and (ii) young men.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Chronic loneliness (feeling lonely often or always) can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender or background, although some groups, such as young people aged 16-25, are known to be at a higher risk. Research commissioned by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) has shown that chronic loneliness increases the risk of a young person experiencing mental health challenges.
The Department for Education (DfE) is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities in school. These activities can strengthen the sense of community and belonging within a school and reduce loneliness among children and young people.
As part of government’s mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and ensure that those with mental health issues get the support they need, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers. We will also provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, roll out Young Futures hubs in every community and modernise the Mental Health Act.