Oral Answers to Questions

Jeevun Sandher Excerpts

Thursday 27th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

As I have stated, £123 million has been invested across the UK this year. That has led to the building or upgrading of 637 facilities to date.

[Dr Jeevun Sandher (Loughborough) (Lab)]

6. What steps her Department has taken to help support creative industries in Loughborough constituency.

[Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)]

7. What steps her Department has taken to help support creative industries in Bradford.

[The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)]

The creative industries are one of the industrial strategy’s eight priority sectors, and they play a critical role in driving growth across the country. In January, we named West Yorkshire as a creative industries priority region, with funding to be devolved to support growth in the region. That is a sign of our belief in West Yorkshire and the role that it has played, and will continue to play, in the heritage, culture, arts and cultural life of our nation.

[Dr Sandher]

Local theatres, art centres and galleries enrich our lives and our local economies. Each job in the creative sector creates two elsewhere in our local economy. In my constituency of Loughborough, we are building the Generator, an arts and community hub, restoring a disused building to do so. I could not be prouder of the people who have made that happen, including Jill Vincent, a local alderwoman and former councillor; Jonathan Hale; the late Kev Ryan; and many others. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating them on getting the project going, and will she come and visit me when the Generator opens later this year? If she does come, I will buy her a pint— I have about 60 left on my tour.

[Lisa Nandy]

Mr Speaker, you will know that I have never willingly turned down a pint, so my hon. Friend tempts me with his offer. I congratulate him on the work that he is doing to support cultural life in his constituency. Last week, we announced the Arts Everywhere fund in memory of the legacy of Jennie Lee, who was the first ever Arts Minister; 60 years ago this year, she published the UK’s first ever arts White Paper. We have provided £85 million for precisely the infrastructure that my hon. Friend describes. It was left to crumble under the last Government, but we are determined to support it.