Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to assess the (a) adequacy of levels of swimming pool provision and (b) long-term factors that might impact future levels of swimming pool provision.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that communities across the UK benefit from high-quality sport facilities to help enable people to get active and build pride in place in local communities. We are aware that factors including pressures around energy costs and ageing facilities may impact the future provision of sports facilities, including swimming pools. That is why at least £400 million is to be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities across the UK over the next four years. This investment will fund projects that promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timeline is for the allocation of £400 million into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that communities across the UK benefit from high-quality sport facilities to help enable people to get active and build pride in place in local communities. At least £400 million is to be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years. This investment will fund projects that promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
The Government has allocated £5 million of this funding towards basketball and basketball-led multi-sport facilities in England in 2026/27. This dedicated funding for basketball will be matched by the NBA, who will invest £5 million through to 2028.
Funding is subject to departmental business planning processes which are ongoing. We are working with the sports sector and local leaders to develop plans for delivering this funding, prioritising the areas which need it most across the UK and ensuring that investment best serves the needs of these communities. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
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 to help increase the number of children that are able to swim 25 metres confidently.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Swimming and water safety is a vital life skill, which is why it is a mandatory part of the primary PE National Curriculum.
All schools must provide swimming instruction in either key stage 1 or 2. In particular, pupils should be taught to: swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres; use a range of strokes effectively; and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.
Primary schools can use their PE and sport Premium funding to provide top-up swimming and water safety lessons for those pupils that do not meet national curriculum requirements after they have completed core swimming and water safety lessons.
The Department for Education is also funding the ‘Inclusion 2028’ grant at up to £300,000 per year to improve opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities to participate in school sport, including swimming and water safety.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has considered providing funding for the creation of a covid-19 memorial in Truro and Falmouth constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration consulted on how to commemorate the COVID-19 pandemic and mark this distinctive period in our history at a national and community level. The Commission made a number of recommendations, including the importance of local memorials in commemorating the Covid-19 pandemic in providing a place to grieve and remember their loved ones. Since the publication of the Commission’s report, a number of COVID-19 memorials have been developed across the country by local government, businesses and community groups.
This government is giving careful consideration to all the Commission's recommendations, working with Bereaved Family groups, wider stakeholders and the Devolved Governments to do justice to the hard work of the Commission, and will publish a response, including to the recommendation around the creation of new memorials, in due course.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 8706 on UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, when she plans to respond to the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration’s final report, published on 18 September 2023.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Further to the answer I gave on 21 October 2024/ Question 8706, we are continuing to give careful consideration to the recommendations made by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. I hope to be able to update the House in due course on our plans to publish a response.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has considered the potential merits of targeting the £400 million grassroots sports fund on swimming pools.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities, including swimming pools, which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities across the country.
The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level, with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
In June, we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will ensure that this funding promotes health, wellbeing and community cohesion and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how she plans to support listed places of worship with repairs and renovation after the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ends.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Future Government spending is a matter for the 2025 Spending Review.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which listed places of worship have received grants under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in Truro and Falmouth constituency.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Reliable data from before 2022 is not available, but since August 2022, 16 listed places of worship have received awards to a total value of £126,888.95 through the grant scheme in the Truro and Falmouth constituency.
These were Truro Cathedral receiving £72,954.73; Portscatho United Church receiving £10,851.15; St John the Evangelist Church receiving £6,800.77; St Moran Church receiving £5,916.02; St Ladock Church, Ladock receiving £5,000.00; St Mawes Church receiving £4,166.00; The Parish Church of St Probus and St Grace receiving £4,492.00; St Just in Roseland Church receiving £3,739.70; Kenwyn Parish Church receiving £3,508.00; St Budock Church receiving £1,804.81; King Charles the Martyr Church receiving £1,744.10; St Symphorian Church receiving £1,847.00; St Gerrans receiving £1,656.53; All Saints Parish Church, Falmouth receiving £1,400.00; All Hallows Church Of St Kea receiving £662.03; and Penryn Methodist Church receiving £354.11.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the funding criteria for the Museum Renewal Fund to include museums that are independent charities.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Museum Renewal Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, will invest an additional £20m in our treasured civic museums across England, and is now open to applicants.
Museums run by independent charities are eligible to apply, where they have links to Local Authorities, which can be evidenced in a number of ways, as set out in the guidance: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-open-funds/museum-renewal-fund-2025-26.
This government is committed to supporting museums to continue doing what they do best: serving communities, caring for and sharing Collections, and telling our national story at a local level. The government operates several tax and grant schemes for museums, including the Museum Estate and Development Fund, Museums VAT Refund Scheme, and Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax relief, to support large numbers of museums all over the country.
Asked by: Jayne Kirkham (Labour (Co-op) - Truro and Falmouth)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help support musical acts from Africa to perform in the UK.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The British Council supports a number of programmes that support cultural exchange between the UK and African music sector. Events such as The Great Escape and the Worldwide Music Expo connect African music professionals with UK platforms, promoters, and festivals such as Africa Oye. The British Council also supports talent development in sub-Saharan Africa, with programmes including Scripts and Bars in Zimbabwe.
Arts Council England (ACE) supports a number of organisations that promote African artists. The ACE National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) Africa Oye Limited receives £217,456 per annum, and delivers an annual festival in Liverpool’s Sefton Park that celebrates and champions African music and culture. Over the past 5 years the festival has brought many high profile African artists to the UK to perform. Yaram Arts Community Interest Company (CIC), another ACE NPO receiving £81,370 per annum, has promoted, presented and supported touring for hundreds of African and world music artists in the UK, Europe and Africa.