Universal Theme Park and Resort: Bedford
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(1 week ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
This is a joint statement made with the Department for Business and Trade.
We are pleased to publish an update on the proposal for the construction of a Universal theme park and resort in Bedford. This follows the statement made on 22 April 2025 after we had reached the agreement in principle stage of negotiations—[Official Report, 22 April 2025; Vol. 765, c. 29WS.]
The Government have now formally signed an agreement with Universal Destinations and Experiences (“Universal”), a division of Comcast NBCUniversal, in which it has confirmed it will move ahead with its plans to develop an entertainment resort complex which contains a world-class theme park in Bedfordshire. The new development – which will be called “Universal United Kingdom Resort”—will join existing attractions around the world, in Beijing, Osaka and Florida, and will be Universal’s first world-class visitor attraction in Europe.
As part of the agreement, Comcast NBCUniversal has committed to invest over £5 billion in the entertainment resort complex during the expected five years of construction, as well as an additional £1 billion in capital investment over the first 10 years of operation. The Government will support the project with an investment of £1.3 billion on regional and local community infrastructure to ensure the park can operate successfully, with improved transport links for local residents and visitors from across the UK and abroad.
This is expected to be one of the most significant investments made in the United Kingdom in this Parliament, and remains among the largest single investments ever in the UK tourism and entertainment sector.
As previously outlined, the benefits of the project are substantial. Universal estimates that it will deliver over £50 billion for the economy by 2055; and that 8.5 million visitors will come to it in its first year of operation in 2031. Construction work has already begun, and over the next five years during the construction period, 20,000 jobs will be created, with a peak of 5,000 workers on site at the busiest time. The park and resort will employ 8,000 people in its first year, which is anticipated to rise to 10,000 by the 20th year of operation. Some 80% of the roles are expected to go to people in the local area, and Universal has already received thousands of expressions of interest from individuals and companies looking to be a part of this transformative and exciting venture. Jobs of all kinds will be created, giving opportunities to develop careers in a range of creative, administrative and technical fields. The development is expected to become the biggest visitor attraction in the UK, surpassing our current top attraction of the Natural History Museum, and be one of the largest in Europe.
The UK is open for business, and we will continue to engage with businesses and investors who can make a positive difference here. This is evidence of the confidence international investors have in the UK. The deal we have reached delivers value for money for the British taxpayer and secures Universal’s investment in the UK. As part of their commitment to the investment, the Government plan to provide a grant of £400 million through the exceptional regional growth fund. This grant is subject to compliance with subsidy control regulations, with which we are moving forward; and parliamentary approval. We will in due course ensure that an appropriate motion under section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 is tabled in the House of Commons.
DCMS will be making a separate grant of £438 million to invest in the public infrastructure necessary for the park to function including improvements to the local road network. The Department for Transport is also going ahead with plans to upgrade the strategic road and rail network, on the A421 and at Wixams station, which will provide wider resilience and improved connectivity within the region, at an expected cost of £474 million.
As one of the key investment commitments in “The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025”, this project directly supports the Government’s ambition to increase business investment in the creative industries from £17 billion to £31 billion by 2035, contributing to the broader UK growth mission. The UK’s creative industries are a global engine of innovation and growth, generating £124 billion for our economy and supporting over 2.3 million jobs. As a cornerstone of our modern industrial strategy, this sector drives creativity, competitiveness, and opportunity. The investment is also aligned with our ongoing work to unleash the potential of the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor, following previous investments announced in the region.
As we move into the delivery phase, it will be more important than ever to work closely with local stakeholders. We will continue to work with Bedford borough council and other stakeholders in the region to make this a success for the local area, and will continue to engage with neighbouring councils and local stakeholders in the coming months. Bedford borough council has been excellent partners in this project and we thank it for its ongoing dedication and commitment.
We welcome the ongoing support of colleagues across both Houses for this transformational investment. We commit to providing further updates at appropriate times.
[HCWS87]
Oral Answers to Questions
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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Kevin Bonavia (Stevenage) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
The Euros in 2028 will be an amazing opportunity to showcase the UK’s strengths in holding major events. That is why my Department is already working with numerous organisations across the football pyramid as we develop plans for the community programme to ensure the benefits are spread as far as possible across the whole country.
Kevin Bonavia
Our fantastic English Football League club, Stevenage FC, is pushing for promotion to the championship, and its community foundation has delivered nearly £10.7 million of social value to my constituents in the last year alone. Communities outside of host cities have not always felt the benefits of hosting major international tournaments. Can my right hon. Friend explain how the legacy of Euro 2028 will be felt beyond host cities, particularly EFL clubs and communities in constituencies like mine?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend raises an important point, and I could not agree with him more. Given that he has raised this point here in the Chamber, I will ask my officials to design the programme to ensure that the benefits are felt not just in Stevenage, but across the whole country.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for that answer and for her enthusiasm for what it is being brought forward. I want to ensure that Northern Ireland is very much a part of this; hopefully, the Minister will confirm that it will. With Northern Ireland being part of the host nations of Euro 2028, will the Minister confirm what steps have been taken to ensure that we in Northern Ireland are an intrinsic part of the event and not simply an afterthought? After all, we are part of this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, so we want to be part of it.
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Member will remember that when we were first elected to government back in 2024, the Northern Ireland Secretary and I worked very hard to try to ensure that Northern Ireland was able to host part of the games. Because of the timescales and the lack of action under the previous Government, we were not able to do that, but we made a firm commitment that Northern Ireland would feel the full benefit of these games, and we are still deeply committed to that.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. The successful bid to host the Euros in 2028 made under the previous Conservative Government has enormous potential to economically and culturally benefit the UK, giving fans lifelong memories as football comes home. But to deliver a truly lasting legacy, the Government must commit to protect pitches, properly fund grassroots sports and stop taxing clubs into oblivion. I ask the Minister again: will the Government finally U-turn on their proposed watering down of Sport England’s crucial role in protecting grassroots pitches?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Member is absolutely right to say that the Euros should be a cross-party endeavour that commands the support of the whole House and that it will have significant economic benefits for the UK; we believe that it will generate socioeconomic benefits of £3.2 billion across the UK. He is also right to say that there has to be a legacy for young people growing up in this country to have the opportunity to access sport. We have learned the lessons from the way in which the last Conservative Government squandered the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics and refused to cascade those benefits across the country. We are ensuring that we are investing in grassroots sport. He will know that the Sports Minister and I recently announced £400 million of investment to that end.
Mr French
The Secretary of State criticises the previous Conservative Government, but national sports bodies are fully aware that this Labour Government have cut sports funding, and increased regulation and taxes on clubs, and are putting at risk sports pitches across the country. Alongside these major own goals, the ongoing Whitehall ruck over how PE is funded risks reducing participation rates even further. This Labour Government have already cut millions from the likes of the opening schools facilities fund, and are overseeing huge uncertainty for the schools games organisers network. What discussions is the Secretary of State having with other Departments to ensure that children can continue playing sport, both at school and in their community?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Member will know that after the vandalism of the last Conservative Government, where sports, art, music, dance and drama—all those things that give young people the opportunities to live a richer, larger life—were downgraded on the curriculum and shamefully branded as Mickey Mouse subjects by a number of leading members of his Government, we have put them back at the centre of the curriculum. I think he referred to school sport partnerships, which we are strongly committed to. I have had discussions with the Health Secretary and the Education Secretary to ensure that we continue to fund those—it is something that the Prime Minister feels strongly about—to make sure that every young person has the opportunity to participate in sports.
Martin Rhodes (Glasgow North) (Lab)
Cameron Thomas (Tewkesbury) (LD)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
This Government believe strongly in the BBC. I recently announced at the Society of Editors event that the charter review period, which is incredibly important, will be the last of its kind. We intend to ensure through the charter process, subject to Parliament’s approval, that the charter puts the BBC on a permanent footing, so while the funding and terms of the BBC will continue to be renegotiated by successive Governments, its right to exist will never again be called into question.
Cameron Thomas
Trump donor Larry Ellison and his son David own CBS News, will soon own CNN, and part-own TikTok. In 2024, Ellison senior’s Oracle paid a six-figure sum to Hanover Communications, for whom Michael Prescott was a managing director. One year later, Prescott’s leaked internal memo landed the BBC a $5 billion lawsuit from Donald Trump. Rupert Murdoch and GB News founder Robbie Gibb know that when you own the news, you own the people. I believe that our independent news broadcaster is under attack from within and without. How are the Government going to protect it?
Lisa Nandy
As I said, we intend to put the BBC on a permanent charter, precisely because we believe it is a vital and essential part of our democracy, and it must be able to hold us all to account without fear or favour, free from political interference. The hon. Gentleman alludes to particular appointments to the board. I do not have the power to change those appointments, but I do have the ability to review them through the charter review, which I will do. When it comes to Governments overseas, we will always defend the BBC’s right to hold those in power to account, whoever they are.
Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)
Thankfully, the BBC is nothing like the public service broadcaster in Hungary—I was there monitoring elections; the winner, Péter Magyar, said that it is like North Korean propaganda. To protect Auntie Beeb, will my right hon. Friend reconsider the anomaly that, despite being a fixed-income public body—I am ex-staff myself—the BBC has not been given relief from the 2% rise in employer national insurance contributions, unlike schools and hospitals, leaving a yearly £20 million black hole at a time of falling licence fee income? Can the BBC be granted a partial or total waiver, so that we can keep getting good quality output and stop staff cuts?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend alludes to the fact that many countries around the world are investing heavily in propaganda. The BBC is a light on the hill for people in many parts of the world through its World Service, and other international services. We want to ensure that we safeguard that through the charter review. She talked about financial pressures on the BBC. Colleagues will know that yesterday the BBC interim director general announced significant cuts to staffing, which I know has had a strong effect on staff and is of real concern to people out in the country. I had the pleasure of meeting the new incoming director general of the BBC yesterday, and one of the first things we discussed was how we put the BBC on a sound financial footing going forward. I will of course look into the issues raised by my hon. Friend.
Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)
Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
The Government and policing partners are in regular contact with FIFA and with host country counterparts on a range of issues, including security and public safety planning for the world cup. Since I saw the hon. Gentleman’s question appear on the Order Paper, I have asked officials to ensure that those arrangements are robust.
Shockat Adam
I am sure that we are all looking forward to the world cup this summer, and that we all want the home nations to do well. When England finally brings it home, I am sure that we will all be delighted, including our friends from north of the border— I know my office staff member will be.
On a serious note, I am deeply concerned about the number of British citizens who have already been impacted by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and the threat of visa restrictions for international teams, amid lots of illegal wars—started by the FIFA peace prize winner, ironically. Furthermore, we have now learned that UK nationals may be required to surrender five years of personal social media data simply to obtain entry into the United States. Will the Secretary of State tell us urgently what she doing to ensure that British fans can travel to America safely, enjoy the games safely and get back home safely?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Gentleman raises some particular concerns. I am more than happy to look into them for him and ensure that everybody has the opportunity to go and participate in what should be a really positive and global sporting event. I have to say, though, that he has sparked some controversy on the Labour Front Bench with his desire for England to bring football home, because while the Minister for Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), and I strongly agree with him, I am afraid that the Arts Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), has a different view.
Sarah Coombes (West Bromwich) (Lab)
Football fans in my area are looking forward to the world cup and many hope to travel, but before we get to that competition, many are very concerned by reports of a potential points deduction for West Bromwich Albion due to allegations of financial rule breaches, which the club has strongly rejected. Given Albion’s recent run of seven unbeaten games, keeping us just above the relegation zone, a points deduction sending us down would be heartbreaking for fans, particular because the source of the issue seems to be a loan from the previous owners. Does the Secretary of State agree that such a situation is awful for fans and can she urge that it is resolved as quickly as possible?
Lisa Nandy
My hon. Friend will know that having been through some very difficult times with my own superb football club, Wigan Athletic, I know how much this matters to people in West Brom, and I know what a great champion she is for them. This is precisely why we delivered the Football Governance Act 2025, which clearly sets out the need to protect the integrity and sporting competitiveness of existing competitions. I am sure that the regulator will be looking at this situation closely.
Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) (LD)
Thousands of people across the country—although possibly not the Arts Minister—are very excited for the world cup this summer, but that excitement is being ruined by the prospect of fans, not football, coming home. Under new US border directives, fans face having their social media history weaponised against them, with the threat of being turned away at the gates for as little as sharing an unflattering meme of President Trump. Will the Secretary of State urgently meet with US counterparts to ensure British fans are not denied entry at the border, and will she demand that the US embassy picks up the tab for tickets and travel for any fan unfairly denied entry?
Lisa Nandy
In the notes that I was given, it says that security and safety arrangements for major international sporting events are a matter for the host authorities. That is true, but the Government can play a role. I reassure the hon. Lady and the hon. Member for Leicester South (Shockat Adam) that I will personally ensure that we as a Government are involved to ensure that fans are not deterred from being able to participate in what should be a really positive experience.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
My hon. Friend is a great champion for young people in her constituency. She and I have had many discussions over the last 18 months, as we have delivered the first national youth strategy in a generation, led and written by young people, to ensure that every young person in this country has somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares.
Sonia Kumar
Youth centres such as High Oak in Dudley, run by Angela Edwards, are finding it harder each year to stay open because of insecure funding, despite Dudley having some of the highest levels of young people not in education, employment or training. More youth centres and more secure long-term funding are desperately needed. What support can my right hon. Friend provide to these youth centres to ensure that the youth of today and of the future are supported?
Lisa Nandy
We have put £500 million behind the national youth strategy, and a major element of that will be to deliver the next generation of youth clubs and youth workers. Too many youth clubs exist around this country that are closed because there are not people to run them, and there are too many parts of the country where there is no facility at all. The Youth Minister is very happy to discuss that further with my hon. Friend to ensure that Dudley’s young people are well served and have the provision that they need.
Dr Danny Chambers (Winchester) (LD)
Greg Smith (Mid Buckinghamshire) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
As a Government, we are committed to ensuring that tourism drives growth and jobs across the country, including in rural Buckinghamshire. The hon. Gentleman may have seen VisitBritain’s “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign, through which we have showcased the UK’s film and TV locations to global audiences, and our upcoming visitor economic growth strategy will provide a long-term vision for boosting visitor numbers and delivering sustainable growth nationwide.
Greg Smith
I am grateful to the Secretary of State for that answer. With people coming to Buckinghamshire to enjoy the beauty of our countryside walking in the Chilterns, the tourism sector is important, but with the punitive levels of business tax hitting all those businesses—such as camping at Orchard View and country retreats at Starveall farm—talk of a tourist tax and an overnight levy could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Can the Secretary of State confirm that she is actively lobbying the Chancellor not to bring in such a levy?
Lisa Nandy
The tourism Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), has of course discussed these issues with the industry. She has held several meetings with the industry as part of English Tourism Week, and has also discussed this issue with colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and in the Treasury. However, the idea behind a tourism levy is that it would be locally driven and led. It would enable local areas to decide how they wanted to apply it, so that would be a matter for Buckinghamshire itself.
Lloyd Hatton (South Dorset) (Lab)
In the heart of Weymouth, the Rectory is an iconic building, but it has stood empty for over a decade. We want to transform the Rectory building into a cultural and visitor centre, hosting art, boosting the local tourism economy and welcoming visitors to Weymouth all year round. With that in mind, will the Secretary of State meet me and all the key stakeholders so that we can finally crack on and deliver the exciting Rectory proposals?
Lisa Nandy
It does sound very exciting. The tourism Minister and/or I would be happy to follow that up with my hon. Friend and make sure that we can deliver on that exciting project.
Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)
Tourism and hospitality businesses across the UK are struggling. Once profitable businesses are now letting people go, not hiring or closing altogether as a direct result of Labour’s policies, in particular the national insurance increases. That has led to 100,000 job losses in the UK in hospitality and tourism alone over the last two years. The Government have cut funding to our tourism bodies and are now planning on imposing more regulations and a whole new tourism tax. Can the Minister please explain how on earth less support, more regulations and higher taxes are meant to help the tourism industry?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the shadow Secretary of State for his support for the tourism industry. I recognise that it has had significant pressures in recent years, particularly with the pandemic, but I am proud of our tourism industry; it is second to none and delivering in every part of the country. We have put the tourism industry at the centre of our attention with the visitor economy growth strategy. We see it as an area of great potential, and the tourism Minister is working closely with the industry to unlock the benefits for the whole country.
Mr Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
Since we last met, we have been delighted to celebrate the sporting success of our incredible Paralympic athletes, and we have welcomed the Brits to Manchester for the first time. We have made a multimillion-pound investment in the iconic Crucible theatre in Sheffield, securing its future as a world-class venue for generations to come. Just this week, I announced almost £130 million to protect world-class theatres, museums and libraries in every part of our country. Taken together, this Government are delivering on our promise that arts, culture, sports, dance, drama and music are not a luxury for the privileged or something to be consigned to a few postcodes—they must be for everyone, everywhere.
Mr Brash
I refer Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. Swim England recently launched its report into the state of the nation’s swimming facilities. The report, “The Deep End”, clearly shows the crisis facing community swimming, largely due to issues with funding and infrastructure. While Hartlepool’s brilliant Labour council is delivering amazing new facilities in the form of the Highlight leisure centre opening in June, not every constituency is so lucky. What steps is the Secretary of State’s Department taking to improve access to swimming facilities where those facilities have been lost or are in danger of disappearing?
Lisa Nandy
I share my hon. Friend’s passion on this issue. We are intensely aware that, as well as the sweeping cuts to local authorities that were made under the last Government, the rise in energy costs has significantly affected swimming facilities in every part of the country. We have committed £400 million to transform sports facilities over the next four years, and swimming ought to be a beneficiary of that—I will certainly make sure that it is. I have also discussed these issues with the Energy Secretary to make sure that we are pulling every lever at our disposal to ensure that swimming facilities are protected from some of the impacts, in particular of war in the middle east.
Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)
William Hill announced that it is closing 200 betting shops as a result of Labour’s tax policies making them unsustainable. That is Labour’s decisions creating yet more unemployment and undermining sponsorship opportunities and the finances of the horseracing industry overall. Labour may not be as bad as the Greens or Plaid, which I understand want to ban altogether horseracing—a £4 billion industry—and I think greyhound racing, too. Can the Minister assure the racing and gambling communities that the Government will not do any more damage to these sectors, which bring joy to millions of Brits every week?
Lisa Nandy
In a rare moment of agreement, I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the gambling industry brings joy to a lot of people. He and I have discussed the harms that affect a minority of people. They are significant and important, but the industry as a whole brings positive benefits to the United Kingdom. I think he is underplaying the significant pressures on high street businesses that have existed over the last couple of decades—something that, frankly, his Government did absolutely nothing about over the 14 years that they were in government. We are dealing with those.
Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)
John Milne (Horsham) (LD)
Lisa Nandy
A moment ago, we discussed the importance of such facilities. I thank the hon. Gentleman for the way in which he has approached this issue by securing and demonstrating community consent. He will know that this Government have changed the way we fund so that it is community driven and led, rather than imposed from the centre, and it is very welcome that he has taken that approach. In addition to the answer that I gave a moment ago, we have backed local authorities, which lead on funding on these issues, with the first multi-year settlement in a decade. That will help them to ensure that they can better plan and better prepare to deliver on community needs.
Proposed Sale of The Telegraph: Axel Springer
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
On Friday 6 March 2026, I was informed by representatives of RB Investco Ltd that RB Investco Ltd intends to sell its call option to purchase the Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd, owner of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph, to the German media company Axel Springer SE. They have asked for my written consent to allow RB Investco Ltd to derogate from the Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Limited) (Preemptive Action) Order 2024 (the “2024 order”) to sell its option.
Today, I gave my written consent under the 2024 order to RB Investco Ltd to sell its call option to purchase the Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd to Axel Springer.
In my quasi-judicial role I have also assessed the proposed merger between Axel Springer and the Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd under the public interest media mergers regime and the foreign state influence regime as set out in the Enterprise Act 2002. I am currently not minded to intervene in this merger under either regime on the basis of the evidence available to me at this time. This is without prejudice to my ability to intervene in this merger within the applicable statutory time limits, if new or additional information comes to my attention.
I am pleased to be able to take these positive steps, which give greater certainty to The Telegraph and its staff.
[HCWS1508]
Hodge Review of Arts Council England: Government Response
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(2 months, 2 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
We are a nation of storytellers. Through literature, television, film, music, fashion, dance and drama, and through our galleries, our libraries and our museums, we light up the world. In a time when it feels like we have lost our ability to understand one another, the arts are an essential force for good in a divided nation and our gift to a troubled world.
But in this last, lost decade, the arts have been treated as an unaffordable luxury—or worse, as a nuisance or a weapon for Governments in their ongoing, exhausting culture wars. Culture and creativity have been erased from too many classrooms and communities, the routes for working-class artists and performers have narrowed almost to the point of extinction and the contribution of most of us, in places with a proud history of culture and contribution, has been written off. As a result, too many of us no longer see ourselves reflected in the story we tell ourselves, about ourselves, as a nation.
An inclusive national story does not mean making movies where posh boys play gangsters. It means harnessing the strength of our nation; the extraordinary diversity of our people, places, traditions and disciplines—across ballet, northern soul, opera and street art—that creates one of the most vibrant, sought-after artistic scenes in the world, drawing on the contribution of the whole nation and all the people in it. All of us deserve the chance to be part of it and, in turn, we need all of us to sustain it.
We have put arts back at the centre of the curriculum, worked with our national institutions to bring collections out of the basement and into our communities and launched a new town of culture contest to recognise the cultural contribution of our whole country.
We have announced the biggest capital uplift to the arts in a generation so that the battle to keep the lights on and the doors open for institutions—especially outside of London—is no longer the struggle it has been for so long.
But we are impatient for change and our country deserves more. That is why I asked Baroness Hodge of Barking to review the role of the Arts Council, to ensure that this most precious institution, founded by a visionary generation who put arts and culture at the heart of our efforts to rebuild a nation after war, can thrive for generations to come.
We are convinced that her vision will help us to anchor our arts in our people and places, and help us to recover our sense of self-confidence as a nation and turn outwards to the world.
That is why we are accepting every recommendation made by the Hodge review.
This is not a licence for business as usual. For so long arts organisations have had to exist day to day, focusing on protecting and preserving our institutions. We will work with them to rebuild the foundations but in return ask them to blow the doors off, to become anchors in our communities, enable access to excellence everywhere and provide the chance for every person in our country to live richer, larger lives.
This Government believe that the arts are for everyone, everywhere. We know this vision is shared by people across the country and together, through the actions outlined in this report, we will write the next chapter in our nation’s story.
I will place a copy of the Government’s response in the Libraries of both Houses.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arts-council-england-an-independent-review-by-baroness-margaret-hodge
[HCWS1464]
Local Media Strategy
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(2 months, 3 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
Today the Government launch our local media strategy, “Amplify: The Local Media Action Plan”, setting out our plans to support the sustainability of local journalism in the UK and empower communities through a thriving local media that highlights the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing, social cohesion and local growth.
Local media plays a vital role in the fabric of our society, keeping citizens informed about decisions and events that directly affect them, scrutinising the activities of local public services and other institutions, and helping to reflect the views and perspectives of citizens and communities.
As audiences converge online, the business models of many local media outlets have been challenged, posing a risk to the sustainable provision of high-quality, trustworthy news and information at local level.
The local media action plan outlines our proposed approach to tackling these challenges, building on previous studies into the sustainability of public interest journalism in the UK, including the Cairncross review and inquiries conducted by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee and the Lords Communications and Digital Committee. Our approach is based around three central pillars.
Financial sustainability in the short-to-medium term
We will support the industry’s existing innovation to accelerate the transition toward sustainable, digital-first business models by:
Launching a multi-year local news fund of £6 million in the first year—and up to a further £6 million in the second—to invest in digital innovation and infrastructure, ensuring funding is distributed in ways that benefit a broad range of local news providers and the diverse communities that they serve.
Increasing DCMS community radio funding to £1 million per year to strengthen the vibrant community radio ecosystem.
Making best use of local media as a key trustworthy channel for Government advertising and public information campaigns, for the benefit of both local media and audiences.
Meeting long-term challenges of changing audience habits
We will ensure that local media reaches younger audiences and thrives alongside BBC and the largest tech firms by:
Starting in the north-west, launching an inspiring the future campaign, to connect local media to schools, building news literacy and inspiring the next generation of journalists.
Ensuring young people from all backgrounds and in all parts of the country have access to high-quality local journalism.
Ensuring through the BBC charter review process that the BBC does more to support local media diversity, including future-proofing the local democracy reporting service.
Exploring greater transparency options and developing a healthy licensing ecosystem between AI developers and rightsholders including local media, helping local news providers to adapt to the emerging challenges of AI-generated news summaries.
Incentivising public interest news
We will make it easier for journalists to scrutinise local institutions and conduct other public interest news-gathering without fear or favour by:
Establishing a best practice framework for engagement between journalists and public services through a new regional media forum, in partnership with the West of England combined authority.
Consulting on the future of statutory notices to ensure they continue to support both community awareness and journalistic scrutiny.
Refreshing the national action plan for the safety of journalists to assess and mitigate the specific risks faced by local reporters.
A thriving local media is essential to a healthy democracy and a cohesive country. This action plan presents a robust programme of work in support of this vital industry but it is also only the beginning of our commitment to support local media. We intend to monitor our progress, and the impact on our communities and on citizens, over the coming years, and will provide a short annual update to summarise and track progress.
Our country is richer for the diversity of voices, views and experiences in every nation and region, and those voices will be heard.
[HCWS1414]
Telegraph Media Group: Proposed Sale
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(3 months ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
RB Investco Ltd, which previously sought to buy Telegraph Media Group Holdings, is in the process of selling its call option to do so. On 19 February 2026, I gave RB Investco permission to derogate from the pre-existing Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Limited) (Pre-emptive Action) Order 2024, in order to sell its call option to the Daily Mail and General Trust. This permission was granted without prejudice to any decision I might have made following the outcome of the investigations by Ofcom and the Competition and Markets Authority that were triggered by the public interest intervention notice I issued on 12 February 2026 in relation to the same prospective transaction.
On Friday 6 March 2026, I was informed by representatives of RB Investco that the existing deal with DMGT was no longer in prospect and that RB Investco intends to accept instead an offer from the German media company Axel Springer.
Under the terms of the 2024 order, transfer of the ownership of the Telegraph Media Group Holdings is only permitted with the prior written consent of the Secretary of State. On 6 March I also received a formal request from the representatives of RB Investco to allow RB Investco to derogate from the 2024 order in order to sell its call option to Axel Springer.
I will thoroughly assess the proposed new deal under the public interest and foreign state influence media mergers regime, in my quasi-judicial role, as set out in the Enterprise Act 2002.
I remain acutely aware that the ongoing uncertainty is detrimental to the stability of the Telegraph, and particularly for its staff, and it is of paramount importance to me that a resolution is reached without further delay.
I will update Parliament again at the earliest appropriate moment.
[HCWS1380]
Oral Answers to Questions
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I feel all warm and happy after that lovely little exchange. This Government believe in the power of grassroots sport and that everyone should have access to quality sport and physical activity. The hon. Member will know that we recently committed a further £400 million to grassroots sport facilities so that every child and young person have the chance to live out their dreams.
Lincoln Jopp
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. In Spelthorne, we love our sport. I was playing walking cricket last week with the cricket club. I have been in the ring at the boxing academy and I have been to the dance academy. We also have Spelthorne FC, Staines & Lammas FC and Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC. I am inviting my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Jack Rankin) to come and watch Windsor and Eton play against my Ashford Town (Middlesex) team, and we look forward to a fantastic game. However, the jewel in our crown is the year 11 girls football team at Thamesmead school, which is in the last 32 of the country. Will the Minister wish them the huge amount of success that we all hope they will achieve when they play the Beacon academy from Kent—
Lisa Nandy
We have just announced the first allocations of the £400 million that we are investing in grassroots sport, but I would pay a lot of money to see the hon. Gentleman at a dance academy. May I take the opportunity to wish Thamesmead—both teams actually—the best of success in what should be a fantastic competition.
Charlie Dewhirst
Swimming is not just a sport, but a very important life skill, particularly for those of us who represent coastal communities. Unfortunately, over 1,600 swimming pools across the country are now more than 40 years old. The previous Government committed £80 million to renovating those swimming pools. What are the plans of the Secretary of State or Minister to continue the legacy of the previous Government and improve our swimming facilities?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the hon. Member for that question, and many hon. Members will thank him for it, as they have raised it with me and the Sport Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), consistently over recent years. The Sport Minister is working very closely with her counterpart at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue. We have made more funding available, but we now need to ensure that it gets to the right places, so that every child can access good swimming provision in their local area.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
I refer hon. Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. On behalf of those on this side of the House, I congratulate everyone at Team GB for an incredible winter Olympics performance. Like many across the House, I was glued to the excellent coverage during recess, and was pleased to see online that the Sport Minister was in Milan supporting the team. We all know that the true value of Team GB’s success is their ability to inspire the next generation of athletes, so what steps is the Secretary of State taking to secure the legacy of these games in both the elite and grassroots facilities required for sports to succeed?
Lisa Nandy
The Sport Minister has just told me that more than 4,000 people have expressed an interest in the skeleton following Team GB’s fantastic performance, which really shows the power of these games. It was an absolute privilege to be out in Milan cheering on Team GB during the most successful winter Olympics ever.
The shadow Minister is absolutely right; we now must ensure that the lasting legacy of the games is in bringing forward the next generation. As well as committing future funding so that our athletes can succeed and we can bring people through from grassroots sport, as we have just discussed, one thing I discussed with the team in Milan was recognising in our honours system the people who helped those incredible athletes to get to where they were along the journey. It must not be just about the people who have succeeded and won medals; it is about time—it is long overdue—that our honours system recognised the ordinary men and women in grassroots sport who have helped people go on to do extraordinary things.
Mr French
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, and I am sure we all echo her comments. She will be aware of the widespread concerns regarding the Government’s plans to water down the powers of Sport England and the much-needed protection for grassroots pitches. Before Christmas, leading sports figures led by former Lioness Jill Scott and Fields in Trust wrote an open letter highlighting their concerns for people’s health and wellbeing and for sport more generally if the Government allow pitches across the country to be concreted over. What action is the Secretary of State’s Department taking to try to force the Government to U-turn on this bad policy decision?
Lisa Nandy
This Government believe that we need a much more sensible and lighter-touch system of regulation in this country. In principle, that is something that Members on both sides of the House should be able to agree with. What we do not want is a reduction in the grassroots facilities that are available to communities. The Sport Minister has been working with the Housing Minister, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook), and Sport England—they met recently to discuss this—to ensure that we proceed in a sensible way that sees no reduction in the amount of facilities that are available.
James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)
Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
In December, we published “Youth Matters”, the first national youth strategy that this country has had in nearly two decades. The youth investment and better youth spaces funds have together invested three quarters of a million pounds in youth services in Perry Bar, and we have recently announced an additional £100,000 of funding for Birmingham to undertake preparatory work for the Young Futures hub and local youth transformation.
Ayoub Khan
I know that I would not be in this House—the mother of all democracies—and I would certainly not be a barrister, if I had not benefited from youth centres in my ward of Aston. I recognise how important they are. We have lost somewhere in the region of 50 youth workers in Birmingham and my constituency lost out on the Pride in Place funding, which was £20 million that we could have benefited from. Given the importance of youth centres, the loss of Oakland youth centre and the risk of closure of Lozells Recreation Group, will the Secretary of State meet me and representatives of youth clubs in my constituency to see how we can ensure that that service remains in my area?
Lisa Nandy
I absolutely share the hon. Member’s assessment about the vital role of youth provision and the devastating impact that the 73% cuts to youth provision under the last Government made to the life chances of young people. The Sport Minister will be more than happy to meet him to discuss that issue.
Mr Speaker
Before the Minister responds, I point out that the question is linked to Perry Barr in Birmingham. The hon. Member is well away from Birmingham, and I am not quite sure that his question links to youth services—good luck.
Lisa Nandy
I am sure, Mr Speaker, that the people of Birmingham Perry Barr are clamouring for a hobby hub. In that spirit, I will address the important point that the hon. Member makes. Our national youth strategy is the first time we have put young people in the driving seat of their own lives. We handed over money and power to a generation of young people who told us that they need three things: somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. That is why we are investing in the next generation of youth centres and youth workers. To the point made by the Chair of the Select Committee, the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage), I was delighted to be in Grimsby a couple of weeks ago where we opened an OnSide youth zone, which had people queuing for miles down the road to come in and see the incredible provision that we have been able to fund and back. I will certainly consider his proposal, and I would be keen to work with him as we help to rebuild youth work and youth centres, connect people to one another and turn around over a decade of decline.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Maya Ellis (Ribble Valley) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion for young people in her constituency. She will know, having worked with us to deliver the first national youth strategy in decades, that we are allocating over £500 million of funding for youth provision over the next three years. She will also know that, most importantly, the way in which we allocate funding is changing. Rather than imposing settlements on communities for things that they did not ask for and do not need, our funding is driven by the grassroots and what communities need. If they need a new building, transportation or different facilities—whatever it may be—we will pay for it.
Maya Ellis
I welcome the universal approach of our new youth strategy, but in my Ribble Valley constituency, in which communities are small and often far away from city-centre youth hubs, young people miss out on support. Their family may be just about managing, but dual-career households and long hours leave little time to take children to activities. This country has an inequality problem, but it also has a productivity problem. I have had welcome conversations with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how we can unlock real entrepreneurship, ambition and opportunity for young people, in order not only to reduce unemployment rates but to unlock and capitalise on the incredible energy and ideas of our young people. How will the Secretary of State ensure that, while we rightly support those most in need, we also provide all young people with third spaces for ideas and creativity?
Lisa Nandy
I would be very keen to work with my hon. Friend to ensure that we get the right funding for the right provision in her constituency. As she would expect, I am working closely with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that we hang on to young people from the earliest age all the way through to adulthood. I represent a very rural constituency, so I recognise the challenges that my hon. Friend talks about. That is why we are doing things differently, led by the grassroots. I would be very happy to talk to her about how we deliver for people in Ribble Valley.
Joe Robertson (Isle of Wight East) (Con)
It is all very well for the Secretary of State to talk about her version of support for youth services, but that is of little consolation to young people who cannot get a job because youth unemployment is up under this Government. Will she relay that message to the Chancellor?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Gentleman talks about my “version of support”; it is not mine, actually. This Government have put this generation of young people, who were so badly let down by the hon. Gentleman’s party over many years, back in the driving seat of their own lives. This is not my strategy; it is theirs, and we are determined to deliver on their promise.
It is a bit rich for Conservatives to sit there and talk about letting down young people, after the devastation that they wreaked for so long on a generation, and given that, as the hon. Gentleman well knows, we announced in the Budget investment to ensure that the 1 million young people not in education, employment or training, who the Conservatives had left on the scrapheap, now have guaranteed work, education or training as a right. What did the Conservatives do? They opposed every single measure in that Budget, they opposed all the ways in which we proposed to pay for it, and they labelled it a boost to welfare provision. He knows full well that it is the lifeline that young people have been waiting for.
David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
Many Members from across the House have raised with me their deep concern following the broadcast of a highly offensive racial slur during the BBC’s broadcast of the BAFTAs. As Members would expect, I was in contact with the director-general immediately following the broadcast, and I am pleased that an investigation is now under way to ensure that this never happens again.
May I also take this opportunity to congratulate Team GB on their most successful winter Olympics ever? To update the House, since we last met, we have unveiled the biggest ever investment in the arts. This Government are committed to ensuring that the arts are for everyone, everywhere.
David Chadwick
Despite a spirited performance at the weekend, Welsh rugby is in crisis. Clubs are demanding a vote of no confidence, and supporters fear a stitch-up that wipes the Ospreys off the map, ending professional rugby in Swansea. Does the Secretary of State agree that the leadership of the Welsh Rugby Union has lost the confidence of the grassroots game, and should step aside?
Lisa Nandy
Rugby union plays a vital role in our national identity. It matters to hugely to many Members of this House, almost as much as rugby league—the finest form of rugby, Mr Speaker. I appreciate the serious concerns of Welsh rugby fans, including the hon. Gentleman. He knows that the UK Government have no role in the operations of Welsh Rugby Union. Welsh sports policy is the responsibility of the Welsh Government and Sport Wales, so I strongly suggest that he raise his concerns with them.
Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)
Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)
As mentioned by the Secretary of State, this week’s BAFTA awards—a great celebration of British creativity—were marred by the unnecessary airing of involuntary comments by Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson. It appears a microphone was placed close to John, and some offensive comments were aired, despite a two-hour delay. This no doubt well-intended attempt at inclusivity has caused great anxiety to John and great offence to many others. Does the Secretary of State agree that the BBC and BAFTA must not only investigate this matter but apologise?
Lisa Nandy
I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for raising this and to the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage), who I know has raised her concerns directly with the BBC as well. The shadow Secretary of State heard what I said a moment ago. I think it is fair to say that this Government and I were not satisfied with the initial response from the BBC, and we need to see much swifter action taken in these instances and action that results in this not happening again; I think we are all deeply concerned that there have been too many incidents of this kind.
I thank the shadow Secretary of State for the sensitive way in which he raised this. We all want to make sure that the BAFTAs and all our award ceremonies are inclusive places where people with Tourette’s, who have been shut out of society for too long, can be fully included. The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), met BAFTA this week to talk about how we exercise a better duty of care to all concerned.
Nigel Huddleston
I thank the Secretary of State for that response. When the Labour Government cut the budget for the listed places of worship scheme, it was suggested that we should not worry because it never runs out of money. Well, it has now run out of money. As the details for a new scheme have not yet been announced, uncertainty is growing, and vital repair work is being postponed or cancelled altogether. Will the Government follow the Conservative lead and commit to fully restoring the budget for the listed places of worship scheme and to releasing information about the new scheme as a matter of urgency?
Lisa Nandy
The shadow Secretary of State knows that this is important to this Government. These incredible buildings and places of worship stand at the centre of our communities, and it matters deeply that we preserve and protect them. But he will also know that there were serious challenges with the previous scheme, including the fact that his Government left the economy in such a parlous state that there was no funding available going forward, despite their commitments. We have committed to a new scheme that ensures we can get funding to not just those places that can already raise the money for their own buildings but those places where money is in short supply. We are designing that scheme and will bring forward details of it shortly.
John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)
Rishi Sunak (Richmond and Northallerton) (Con)
Richmond, North Yorkshire, is home to brilliant cultural assets like Richmond castle, the Georgian Theatre Royal, the Station and the Green Howards Museum. It has a unique place in our national story, with a history stretching back to Norman times and a record of successfully putting on community events, like MayFest. This gateway to the dales is also the UK’s most copied place name: it is the original Richmond but there are more than 100 across the world, from America to India. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company, which is putting a great bid together to be the UK’s town of culture?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for championing Richmond’s town of culture bid. I have been following the work of the community interest company with interest. It has brought together an incredible group of people and gathered huge public support for the bid. The question that the Mayor of Richmond asked recently was, “Why not Richmond?” I concur with those remarks and encourage the company to continue its work.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
On Saturday, the cream of UK music will gather in Manchester for the annual Brit awards, and I am sure the Secretary of State would like to wish everybody all the best for that. UK music has grown for the 11th consecutive year, and UK artists are starting once again to re-emerge in global markets, including through the success of Lola Young and Olivia Dean, but there are issues. Artist remuneration, touring in Europe and the threat of AI continue to emerge as threats. Will the Secretary of State continue to engage with the sector and ensure that all those issues are addressed?
Lisa Nandy
I am absolutely delighted that the Brits will be held in Manchester this year, and I will, of course, be in attendance. The hon. Gentleman raises a serious point. Whether through our work on the voluntary levy to get funding into grassroots music venues or our work with the music industry to solve the challenges posed by the issues around AI and copyright, he is right to say that we need to work to support what is not just an incredible industry that brings joy to millions of people all over the world, but one of the UK’s best exports.
Sale of Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
Written StatementsRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I wish to update the House on the sale of Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd.
On 12 February 2026, I issued a public interest intervention notice in relation to the anticipated acquisition of TMGH by the Daily Mail and General Trust plc.
Last week, on 19 February, I made a new order to prevent actions by the parties to the anticipated acquisition that might prejudice the regulatory process or impede my ability to take any action in relation to the merger following the conclusion of the regulatory process.
The Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Holdings Limited) (Pre-emptive Action) Order 2026 prohibits transfer of ownership or control of the TMGH business without my prior written consent, as well as integration of the relevant businesses or the transfer of key staff between the parties. The order ensures that the TMGH business continues to be managed separately and as a going concern, maintaining its editorial independence, while the merger is under review.
On 19 February I also gave my consent to RB Investco Ltd (which previously sought to buy TMGH) derogating from the pre-existing Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Limited) (Pre-emptive Action) Order 2024. This derogation provides formal consent for RB Investco Ltd to sell its rights (the so-called “call option”) to purchase TMGH shares to DMGT. The new 2026 order, however, ensures both that those rights cannot yet be exercised, thereby completing the sale, and that necessary legal safeguards are in place to prevent further integration of TMGH and DMGT while the merger is under investigation.
While convention normally requires a period of 21 days between the laying of a statutory instrument subject to the negative procedure and its coming into force, I determined that immediate action was necessary in this instance, given my consent to RB Investco Ltd to sell their call option to DMGT. Any delay in the new 2026 order coming into force would have potentially undermined the regulatory process. For the same reasons, it was also necessary to make and lay the order during the parliamentary recess. In the interests of transparency, copies of the order and the letter confirming my derogation consent were nevertheless published last week on gov.uk.
I will continue to update the House on progress with this media merger case as appropriate.
[HCWS1353]
Telegraph Media Group: Proposed Acquisition
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(3 months, 4 weeks ago)
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The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
My Department has today written to Penultimate Investments Holdings Ltd and the Daily Mail and General Trust, the current and proposed owners of the Telegraph Media Group Holdings, in relation to the proposed acquisition of TMGH by DMGT.
In my written statement to Parliament and by letters to the parties, all on 20 January 2026, I confirmed that I was minded to intervene in and refer the proposed acquisition to a phase 1 investigation under the Enterprise Act 2002. Having given the parties the opportunity to make representations to me regarding the concerns raised in my letters to them, and having considered those representations in detail, I have now reached my final decision.
I have today informed the parties of my decision to issue a public interest intervention notice in relation to the proposed acquisition of TMGH by DMGT.
My decision to issue a PIIN relates to concerns I have that public interest considerations—as set out in section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002—may be relevant to the proposed acquisition of TMGH by DMGT, and that these warrant further investigation. The public interest considerations concerned are the need for a sufficient plurality of views in each UK market for news media and the need for a sufficient plurality of persons with control of media enterprises serving every different UK audience.
My decision to issue a PIIN triggers a requirement for the Competition and Markets Authority to report to me on jurisdictional and competition matters and for Ofcom to report to me on the media public interest considerations in section 58(2B) and 58(2C)(a) of the Enterprise Act 2002. I have asked both the CMA and Ofcom to report back to me by 10 June 2026.
My role as the Secretary of State in this process is quasi-judicial and procedures are in place to ensure that I act independently and follow a process that is fair, transparent and impartial.
DCMS will update Parliament after both reports from the regulators have been received and considered.
The PIIN can be found on gov.uk.
[HCWS1338]
Telegraph Media Group: Proposed Sale
Lisa Nandy Excerpts(4 months, 3 weeks ago)
Written StatementsRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I wish to update the House on the sale of the Telegraph Media Group. As I set out in my written ministerial statement on 17 December 2025, I received a formal request from the representatives of RB Investco Ltd, the current owners of the call option to purchase Telegraph Media Group Holdings, to allow RB Investco Ltd to derogate from the Public Interest Merger Reference (Telegraph Media Group Limited) (Pre-emptive Action) Order 2024, in order to sell its call option to Daily Mail and General Trust. The 2024 order prevents the parties to the transaction from taking actions which may prejudice a reference to the Competition and Markets Authority and/or Ofcom for them to be able to carry out regulatory scrutiny. I am currently considering whether to grant the request to derogate from the order and will update Parliament once this decision has been made.
Following a thorough consideration of the terms set out in the derogation request and independent research, my Department has today written to the current and proposed owners of the Telegraph Media Group on my behalf to inform them that I am “minded to” intervene on the following public interest grounds specified in section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002:
Sufficient plurality of views;
Sufficient plurality of persons with control.
This will enable the necessary regulatory scrutiny to commence. These letters, and other relevant updates, will be published on gov.uk.
I have also considered the new merger under the foreign state influence regime, as specified in chapter 3A of the Enterprise Act 2002, and I am not minded to intervene. As set out in the Enterprise Act, if any new information comes to light which indicates influence from a foreign state, I must intervene.
It is important to note that I have not taken a final decision on intervention at this stage. The “minded to” letter invites further representations in writing from the parties and gives them until 9 am on Monday 26 January to respond.
If I decide to issue an intervention notice, the next stage would be for Ofcom to assess and report to me on the public interest concerns, and for the Competition and Markets Authority to assess and report to me on whether a relevant merger situation has been created, and any impact this may have on competition.
Following these reports, I would need to decide whether to refer the matter for a more detailed investigation by the CMA under section 45 of the Enterprise Act 2002.
I will update Parliament on my final decision at the earliest opportunity.
[HCWS1263]