Jack Rankin

Paid advertising on X was suspended in April 2023 following a SAFE Framework assessment. X is currently used only for organic (non-paid) content to communicate policies and public services.

The Department for Business and Trade has spent £84.00 with X since July 2024 on X Premium, the platform’s premium subscription service.

The government is carefully reviewing responses to the consultation and will publish its formal response in due course. This will include a breakdown of respondents.

As part of the consultation process, we engaged with business organisations and unions on proposals put forward in the public consultation, including the proposed exemption from statutory access provisions for employers of a certain size. We are carefully reviewing all responses to this consultation and will publish a formal response in due course.

The government will introduce the new trade union right of access in a regulated and responsible manner, ensuring it is workable for employers who receive requests for access. Our published impact assessment titled "Strengthening workers’ rights to trade union access, recognition and representation" provides a further assessment of why these reforms will not disproportionately affect micro or small businesses. In the consultation document, Make Work Pay: Right of Trade Unions to Access Workplaces, the government sought views on exempting employers with fewer than 21 employees. This would mean that micro-businesses and most small employers would not be within scope of the policy. We are carefully reviewing all responses to the consultation and will publish a formal response in due course.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is committed to ensuring that the appointment of the Chair of Ofcom is fully compliant with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and the department is following the Code on Public Appointments including the principles of fairness, openness and merit.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based.

The Secretary of State for DSIT engages regularly with the SoS for DCMS about a range of matters.

The recruitment process will be conducted in full compliance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, ensuring it is fair, open and based on merit. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology treats all information about candidates for the Chair of Ofcom as strictly confidential.

The advisory assessment panel for the appointment of the new Ofcom Chair is constituted in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. In consultation with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, the panel includes a Senior Independent Panel Member who does not hold a ministerial or departmental role, and whose remit is to provide assurance that the process is fair, open and merit-based. The names of all panel members are included in the role advert which is published on gov.uk.

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 Advisory Group first met in November 2024, and has met four times since it was established, in order to provide technical advice as necessary. Membership of the group will be published at the same time as evaluation findings, in order to safeguard the integrity of the group and its advice in the meantime.

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.

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 Advisory Group first met in November 2024, and has met four times since it was established, in order to provide technical advice as necessary. Membership of the group will be published at the same time as evaluation findings, in order to safeguard the integrity of the group and its advice in the meantime.

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.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recruited the following number of apprentices in the specified years:

*Note that figures for 2025 are as of 17/03/2026 and are not yet final.

Paid advertising on X was suspended in April 2023 following a SAFE Framework assessment. X is currently used only for organic (non-paid) content to communicate policies and public services.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has spent a total of £481 since July 2024 on an X Premium Plus subscription.

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

The promotion of extremist views or terrorism in charities is unacceptable. The Charity Commission is alive to the risks of hostile state threats to the charity sector, and works with other agencies to protect the sector from the risks of being exploited. The Charity Commission has consistently been clear that it will respond robustly where there proves to have been wrongdoing and I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.

The Government takes the safeguarding of all children seriously and is committed to protecting them from harm across all settings, including out-of-school settings such as Scouts clubs. The Charity Commission has published guidance that explains in which circumstances a report about serious wrongdoing should be made, which details should be provided, and what it will do after receiving a report.

DCMS is planning to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers to tackle extremist abuse of charities. We will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers, and make it easier for the Charity Commission to take action against people promoting terrorism, violence or hatred

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission to discuss a range of issues relating to the regulation of charities.

There has been ministerial engagement between my Department and His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the specific way British horseracing is funded and the potential implications of any changes to taxation.

Future proposals on taxation are a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury. We would encourage interested parties and stakeholders to engage with ongoing consultations on the matter, which run until the 21st of July. Should legislative change be brought about following this consultation, we expect the impact of such changes to be outlined in tax and impact notes published alongside, as is standard practice.

The Gambling Commission is required by its statutory functions to strike a balance between supporting the growth of regulated businesses and providing protection for consumers and society. The Commission’s statement of principles for licensing and regulation includes ensuring that unnecessary regulatory burdens are not placed on businesses, prioritising the least intrusive regulatory tools to achieve compliance and ensuring that any regulatory action is proportionate. It also states that the Commission will have regard to promoting economic growth, insofar as it thinks it is consistent with pursuit of the licensing objectives.

The government’s priority is to ensure funding is being directed where it is needed most to deliver on our objective to reduce gambling-related harms. The Gambling Act 2005 is clear that DCMS and HM Treasury have powers to approve levy spending. To guarantee sufficient accountability and transparency within the new system, we will ensure robust governance arrangements are in place for the levy, including a Levy Board for central government oversight. Governance arrangements will be designed to manage conflicts of interest, while recognising that a wide spectrum of views and insights will be needed to shape our objectives and monitor the outcomes of the levy system.

DCMS is currently overseeing a number of projects reviewing the UK Youth Parliament and its funding. Further details on their conclusions will be published in due course.

The Government highly values the charity sector, and its positive contribution across society.

Due to the difficult economic inheritance from the previous government, we have had to take a number of difficult decisions on tax, welfare and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability.

The Government has considered the implication of this policy change on the charity sector, and the impacts have been published in the usual way by HMRC as part of the Autumn Budget process.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN), which gives a clear explanation of the policy objective and an assessment of the impacts, was published alongside the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on 13 November 2024. This Note includes the impacts of the policy on the Exchequer; the economic impacts of the policy; and the impacts on individuals, businesses, civil society organisations and equality impacts.

The Consultation on The Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2024 closed on 9 July 2024. Ministers recognise the high importance of this issue and are considering the responses carefully. Ministers take into account a wide range of issues and evidence when making a decision, and will publish the response in due course.

The Consultation on The Enterprise Act 2002 (Mergers Involving Newspaper Enterprises and Foreign Powers) Regulations 2024 closed on 9 July 2024. Ministers recognise the high importance of this issue and are considering the responses carefully. Ministers take into account a wide range of issues and evidence when making a decision, and will publish the response in due course.

The Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role when considering foreign state ownership, influence and control in newspapers and news magazines, and as such we cannot comment further.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation, and hope to publish a response in the near future.

There have been no Foreign State Intervention Notices issued in the last six months.

We are currently considering responses to the consultation, and hope to publish a response in the near future.