Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 16th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Marsha De Cordova]

Again, I am sorry to hear about the right hon. Member’s constituency and the number of churches that are no longer in operation. I will certainly ensure that whatever best practice the Church Commissioners have can be shared with the Church of Scotland.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

4. What assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of church leaders on community relations.

[Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)]

6. What assessment the Church of England has made of the potential impact of church leaders on community relations.

[Jessica Toale]

Bournemouth has been made richer by its diversity and the communities that have chosen to make it their home, yet tensions rose over the summer due to protests about asylum seekers. I pay tribute to our local churches, particularly Lansdowne church and Gateway church, for the vital work they do to welcome asylum seekers and build community connection between our many communities. How can we do more to support those churches and the vital work they do?

[Marsha De Cordova]

I recognise and commend the work of all churches that are standing up for minority communities, refugees and those seeking asylum. Our diversity is our strength, and our strength as a Church lies in supporting every member of our communities, including those who face barriers, persecution or prejudice. I also want to recognise my hon. Friend’s leadership in the work she is doing to support her local community, as well as her local churches. It is so important that our churches work across faiths with all of our communities to enhance community cohesion.

Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

10. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of dormant assets funding on access to sport for young people in Bournemouth.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government recently published their first ever dormant assets strategy, setting out how £440 million will be distributed in England. Some £132.5 million will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the arts, culture, sport and wider youth services.

[Jessica Toale]

The Henry Brown centre in West Howe, in my Bournemouth West constituency, runs a range of activities for the community, including the Changes Are Made boxing club, which provides positive sport activities for local young people and aims to raise awareness about the dangers of knife crime. Like many community centres and clubs, it would like to expand but struggles to find the funds to do so. Will the Minister tell me how CAM and the Henry Brown centre can access the dormant asset funds to expand the amazing work that they are doing in the local area?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The Government will work with the National Lottery Community Fund to decide on the specific programmes, and we will outline how that funding will be allocated shortly. I pay tribute to the organisations in my hon. Friend’s constituency for their work and activities, and I would happily meet her to discuss the issue further.

Film Industry

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Wednesday 9th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lisa Nandy]

I thank him genuinely for that question on such an important issue. I have already held discussions with the Transport Secretary about young people having issues accessing art, sport, music and creativity in their communities because of transport challenges. I recognise exactly what he says from my own constituency in Wigan, which is for the most part very rural. He is right to raise the impact that the lack of rural transport has on employment and the industry. I will commit to taking that away and talking to the Transport Secretary to resolve it.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

I welcome the Government’s commitment to supporting our film and creative industries in all parts of the country. My constituency supports the full life cycle of our film industries, from our universities that train our technicians, producers and actors to the world-leading post-production companies that provide visual effects work for big budget film and TV productions. What more can be done to boost investment in jobs in the creative industries in Bournemouth and the south-west?

[Lisa Nandy]

My hon. Friend does a very good job of singing the virtues of Bournemouth, and our Government are very aware of that. Universities are incredibly important to our plans to put rocket boosters under the creative industries. Only yesterday I was at Pinewood Studios. Its partnership with the local university is introducing young people to skills and opportunities that some of them told me yesterday they would never have dreamed of. I met a young woman who is undertaking a course; she had had a dream to work in the creative industries, film in particular, since she watched “Mrs. Doubtfire” as a child and saw the amazing work that could be done through hair, make-up, and prosthetics. That gives us an idea of the enormous ecosystem of good, skilled jobs out there in the creative industries if we get this right. We are absolutely determined to make that happen.