Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support (a) Newquay Airport and (b) other small regional airports as part of the development of the National Tourism Strategy.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS has no direct responsibility for regional airports such as Newquay, but they play a critical role in supporting an efficient aviation sector that in turn supports tourism, business travel, and the wider UK economy.
DCMS recently established the Visitor Economy Advisory Council to bring together industry leaders, regional voices and expert advisers to inform policy and ensure that the sector's growth is inclusive and sustainable. DCMS’ upcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will consider how best to support the sector’s development, including the role of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) - ensuring a coordinated approach to driving growth across destinations and sectors.
The Government is committed to continued collaboration with the DfT and other relevant authorities to address challenges and continued improvement of the aviation sector for England's regional airports, and that the UK continues to be an attractive destination for international visitors and businesses alike.
Asked by: Noah Law (Labour - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the financial challenges facing leisure centres; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing funding to support their (a) operation, (b) expansion and (c) long-term sustainability.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.
The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement.
The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.
Future funding of community sports facilities will be considered as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.