Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department has offered grassroots football clubs in the last 12 months.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.
We are acting to support more people in getting onto the pitch wherever they live via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme, which will invest £123 million UK-wide throughout 2024/25.
In Northern Ireland, funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is invested through our delivery partner, the Irish Football Association, who invites bids from local authorities, clubs and community organisations. Application windows are currently closed. The constituency of Strangford has received a total of £513,015.98 worth of funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.
If MPs would like to discuss investment in their constituency, or potential applicants want to enquire about future funding available, they can contact the relevant delivery partner Irish Football Association on dcms.funding@irishfa.com.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to widen the eligibility criteria for a (a) free and (b) discounted TV licence.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues, including how we ensure that there is a sustainable funding model that is fair for those who pay for it.
In the meantime, the Government will be legislating to expand the Simple Payment Plan, to enable more households in financial hardship to pay their TV licence in flexible fortnightly or monthly installments.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 implications for her policies of reports that the sport of shooting has not been selected for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The sporting programme for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, and the recent decision not to include shooting as a sport, is a matter for the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Scotland.
Shooting has been an optional sport for Commonwealth Games since a decision made at the 2015 Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly, and its status as such is not, therefore, a decision for the UK Government.
In the last year, 315,700 people have participated in shooting activities, and Government continues to support the success of the sport. Sport England have funded British Shooting £1,197,420 from 2022-27 as part of their system partner investment. UK Sport will invest over £8m in supporting Olympic and Paralympic shooting 2021-2025, and will be making future funding decisions in due course.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 estimate of the amount of money (a) spent and (b) lost on illegal gambling sites in each of the last five years.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The issue of illegal gambling is a concern for this Government and we are committed to working closely with the Gambling Commission, the statutory regulator for gambling in Great Britain, to ensure that illegal gambling, in all its forms, is addressed. The Commission continues to monitor this area closely and take action against unlicensed operators where needed.
Estimating the size of the illegal gambling market is difficult due to the changing nature of the sites and channels through which customers are able to access illegal activity. While research in this space is improving, further research is required to confidently estimate the extent of illegal gambling within Great Britain, who is engaging with it, and the impact that it is having. The Gambling Commission is working to improve its evidence base around the unlicensed gambling market, using web traffic data and gambling behaviour data to estimate the size of the online unlicensed market and conducting qualitative research to understand consumer motivations for participation in illegal gambling. The Commission published a blog outlining its approach in October 2024.
Gambling regulation is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, where it falls under The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and The Betting, Gaming, Lotteries and Amusements (Amendment) Act 2022.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussion she had with the BBC on decriminalising non-payment of the TV license fee.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Culture Secretary believes it is important that the television licence fee has a fair enforcement regime that does not disproportionately impact vulnerable people, and has discussed her concerns on this issue with the BBC’s leadership.
As part of the next Charter Review, the government will engage with the BBC and others to consider how to ensure the BBC thrives well into the next decade and beyond. This will include discussions on a range of important issues, including future funding models for the BBC and their enforcement.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will undertake a review of the BBC licence fee in the context of changing viewing habits of the public.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to the licence fee for the remainder of the current Charter period. The Government will keep an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and will engage with the BBC and other relevant stakeholders before deciding on next steps.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 sustainability of library services.
Answered by Julia Lopez
The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires all upper-tier local authorities to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. It is for local authorities to identify the needs of local residents and to fund and provide a library service that meets those needs.
His Majesty’s Government has provided an additional £600 million on top of the £64 billion Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024-25 — an increase of 7.5% in cash terms. This uplift will help to reduce pressure on councils’ budgets, and protect services including public libraries.
We will be publishing a refreshed Government strategy for public libraries later this year, informed by the independent review of English public libraries conducted by Baroness Sanderson of Welton, which was published in January here. The forthcoming strategy will set out our plans to ensure that people across the country can benefit from excellent library services, and HM Government will explore opportunities to increase library use and engagement in line with the recommendations made in Baroness Sanderson’s independent review.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 impact of tourism on the local economy in (a) rural and (b) coastal communities.
Answered by Julia Lopez
With coastal and countryside destinations making up 25% of domestic day trips and 31% of domestic overnight stays in 2023, tourism is recognised as a key sector with the potential to contribute strongly to economic growth and pride in place of an area.
The Government is implementing a range of measures to support the sector and maximise its benefits for local economies, including working with VisitBritain to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience, and promoting rural areas such as the South Downs, Northumberland, Pembrokeshire and the Yorkshire Dales. Additionally, as mentioned at Heritage Day in March, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be launching a dedicated fund to support enhancements to our seaside heritage to help protect and rejuvenate coastal assets which are in need of love and attention.
To ensure that the tourism organisation landscape works for local communities, the Government has introduced the Local Visitor Economy Partnership accreditation programme and the North-East Destination Development Partnership pilot. These aim to bring clarity and coherence at a regional level and drive investment and both domestic and international visitor spend across a region including in rural and coastal areas. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, through VisitEngland, has accredited 33 LVEPs so far across a range of English regions.
As set out in the Tourism Recovery Plan Update (2023), the Government will work to ensure that the benefits of tourism are shared across every nation and region, and expects the sector to contribute to the enhancement and conservation of the UK’s cultural, natural and historic heritage and minimise damage to the environment.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Financial Conduct Authority on the potential lessons it has learnt from the collapse of Football Index.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The collapse of BetIndex Ltd, the operators of the novel gambling product Football Index, had a significant impact on former customers, and we recognise the frustration and anger that this has caused. As a result, the Government announced an Independent Review, conducted by Malcom Sheehan KC, which looked at how the company had been regulated and identified lessons learned for various agencies including the Financial Conduct Authority. These recommendations have since been implemented.
Following the collapse of Football Index, the then-Minister held several meetings with the Gambling Commission, and officials have worked closely with their counterparts at His Majesty’s Treasury on the role of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in this case.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 the sporting industry.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The government is committed to using technology to help drive increased participation at every level, as well as economic growth in the sector.
The government will continue to work with both the technology and the sport sectors to help identify innovative, inclusive digital solutions which help increase participation and activity.
On artificial intelligence specifically, for the development of the National AI Strategy and the AI regulation white paper, the government engaged with hundreds of businesses across a range of sectors, including civil society. We will continue this engagement to understand the impacts AI may have on different industries.