Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Code for Sports Governance in increasing female representation in sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Sport England and UK Sport's Code for Sports Governance ensures bodies in receipt of substantial public funding have ambitious diversity and inclusion action plans. This includes a drive for greater diversity on boards, which has helped female representation on the boards of partners complying with the Code rise to 44% since its introduction in 2016.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
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 provide financial support for grassroots music venues, in the context of the removal of business rate relief for retail, leisure and hospitality venues.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government response to the Culture, Media and Sport select committee report on grassroots music venues, sets out the steps the government is taking, working closely with industry, to support a sustainable grassroots music sector. In particular, we are calling on the music industry to introduce a voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets to support grassroots music venues, artists and promoters.
The government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from 2026-27, such as grassroots music venues. This reform, on which a Discussion Paper was published at Autumn Budget 2024, will provide certainty for businesses regarding their bills. It is incorrect to state that business rate relief has been removed. In fact, to provide further support, the government has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26.
In addition, at the 2024 Autumn Budget, this government has extended support for the Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music investment programme for 2025-26, ensuring sustained support for musicians, venues, and industry professionals.
Asked by: Rebecca Paul (Conservative - Reigate)
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 promote access to sports for (a) young people and (b) people with disabilities in Reigate constituency.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Inclusion 2024 programme is available to all schools in the country, including Reigate. It provides both expert support and free resources, and can help schools enhance opportunities for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to engage in P.E. and school sports.
The Government is committed to doing more to ensure that everyone, including children, young people, and those with disabilities, has access to and benefits from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.
The Culture Secretary recently attended the launch of ParalympicGB’s Equal Play Campaign where she expressed her determination to put sport at the heart of the school curriculum. This includes opening up opportunities for all young people, including those with disabilities, to be able to access sport and physical activity at school.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on bringing the health and sport sectors together at community level and to champion physical activity with local leaders to develop interventions tailored to communities. Since 2020, Sport England has invested over £548,525 in Reigate for grassroots sport & physical activity.
Sport England also works to ensure that each of their programmes impact directly on disabled people and those with a long-term health condition, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign and partnerships with disability organisations.