Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
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 effectiveness of the British Council in delivering the Cultural Protection Fund in support of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in conflict-affected and fragile regions.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Since 2016, DCMS and the British Council have partnered to deliver the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF). This fund safeguards cultural heritage at risk due to conflict and climate change. The fund responds to open calls to protect heritage that is significant to the communities closest to it, regardless of UNESCO World Heritage status.
Since 2016 DCMS has awarded £56m to the British Council and the CPF has awarded over 150 grants to projects in 20 countries. DCMS has confirmed a further £9m of funding to the CPF until March 2029. The British Council’s plans remain ambitious over the coming period, opening a new call for applications in June 2026.
As reported in the 2019 tailored review of the British Council, DCMS feels the CPF has made a significant contribution to the department’s priorities. Three evaluations of the CPF have been published and the evaluation of the CPF’s 2022-2025 programme will be published in spring 2026.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
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 the British Council’s delivery of the Cultural Protection Fund on (a) strengthening support for communities connected to UNESCO World Heritage Sites and (b) promoting international cultural partnerships.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The CPF supports communities to safeguard cultural heritage threatened by conflict and climate change regardless of UNESCO World Heritage status. Funded projects strengthen individual, community and societal identity alongside protecting cultural heritage. The fund is well placed to strengthen support for communities connected to UNESCO World Heritage Sites if that is part of the project scope, and has done for many previous projects.
DCMS has confirmed a further £9m of funding to the CPF until March 2029. A new call for projects will launch in June 2026. While UNESCO sites may apply, and some have received funding from the CPF in the past, applicants must demonstrate local significance.
In 2026, CPF will also take on the stewardship of the Culture in Crisis programme, which will convene international heritage actors to learn from each other and international cultural partnerships.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
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 adequacy of the contribution of the British Council’s delivery of the Cultural Protection Fund on the safeguarding and long-term preservation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Since 2016, the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) has worked to safeguard cultural heritage globally threatened by conflict or climate change. It supports projects significant to local communities through open calls, irrespective of UNESCO status.
The CPF has delivered projects in UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Lamu Old Town in Kenya and Aleppo in Syria. The safeguarding of heritage, both tangible and intangible, is core to all projects delivered by the CPF.
DCMS is positive about the impact the CPF has had on keeping international cultural heritage sites and culturally significant objects safe, as reported in the 2019 Tailored Review of the British Council. Three evaluations of the CPF have been published and the evaluation of the CPF 2022-2025 programme will be published in spring 2026.