Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2024 to Question 18400 on 10 Downing Street: Government Art Collection and to the answer of 4 December 2024 to Question 16604 on 11 Downing Street: Art Works, if she will publish a list of each of the Government Art Collection works that have been removed from the 10 Downing Street estate since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
No. It is standard practice, as followed by the previous government of which he was a member, for new ministers to select works from the Government Art Collection for their ministerial offices. All such changes of displays of works from the Government Art Collection constitute 'business as usual' for the Collection. All artworks in the Government Art Collection are on the website and their present locations can readily be searched and identified. The Collection does not publish the history of the locations of artworks.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on which flags other than the Union flag should be flown on Government buildings to mark days of (a) national and (b) international significance; and if she will publish her Department's proposed schedule for which flags should be flown on which days in 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There is a standing encouragement for Government Buildings to fly the Union Flag every day, and the Ukrainian Flag on a second flagpole if they are able. Government Departments are generally free to fly whichever other flags they deem appropriate, provided they have the necessary consent from their local planning authority.
Regarding the flags flown by DCMS, a decision has not yet been taken on which non-Union flags will be flown in 2025. Over the last two years, this decision was finalised in February.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 November 2024 to Question 12252 on Charity Commission: Correspondence, if she will publish the regulatory advice and guidance issued by the Charity Commission to the Hope not Hate Charitable Trust.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Charity Commission is not subject to Ministerial or departmental direction or control. It is for the Charity Commission to decide whether to publish correspondence or statements about its work on specific regulatory cases. The Charity Commission does not usually publish statements about regulatory cases that are not statutory inquiries, unless there is significant public interest in doing so.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2024 to Question 12252 on Charity Commission: Correspondence, if she will publish that letter; and if the Charity Commission will issue a public statement on the contents of that letter.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Charity Commission is not subject to Ministerial or departmental direction or control. It is for the Charity Commission to decide whether to publish correspondence or statements about its work on specific regulatory cases. The Charity Commission does not usually publish statements about regulatory cases that are not statutory inquiries, unless there is significant public interest in doing so.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 25 November 2024 to Question 15230 on 10 Downing Street: Government Art Collection, whether the Government Art Collection website shows what artworks have been removed from 10 Downing Street since 5 July 2024.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government Art Collection website has all artworks belonging to the Collection and their current location. You can also search for all artworks in a specific location.
The website does not have lists of works removed from a location.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Prime Minister has had with (a) representatives of the British Museum and (b) the Greek government on the Elgin Marbles.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Prime Minister met the Greek Prime Minister on 3rd December. I would refer the Rt Hon Member to the read-out of their meeting. Decisions relating to the care and management of the Parthenon Sculptures are a matter for the British Museum Trustees.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 grassroots music venues.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is working closely with the live music sector to support an economically sustainable grassroots music sector. Following the Autumn Budget, we are continuing to support Art Council England’s (ACE’s) successful Supporting Grassroots Music fund which provides grants to grassroots music venues, recording studios, promoters and festivals of live and electronic music gig-goers across the UK.
The Government response to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee’s report on grassroots music venues will be published soon. It will set out in further detail the Government’s position on working with industry to support the grassroots music sector.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
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 prepare the BBC for its charter review.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The next Charter Review has to ensure the BBC doesn’t just survive but thrives for decades to come.
My Department is in the early stages of preparation for the upcoming Charter Review, which we expect to launch in 2025. My Department is already in discussions with the BBC about Charter Review.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many heritage railways have received grants or financial assistance from the Government since 1999; and how much each of those which have been given support has received.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Since 1999, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £70,562,212 to the UK’s heritage railways.
Within that amount, DCMS funded over 60 heritage steam organisations through the Culture Recovery Fund (2020 - 2021) providing nearly £15 million in support for the heritage rail sector. This has included multiple awards supporting the infrastructure of iconic heritage railways such as Ffestiniog, Bluebell and Severn Valley, as well as the restoration of individual locomotives and elements of rolling stock, including the world-famous Flying Scotsman.
Since 1999, Historic England (previously English Heritage) has awarded £280,396 to the UK’s heritage railways. This included sites such as Bowes Railway Company in the North East which received seven grants since 2002 totalling £515,834. In addition, Bowes Railway Company received £36,241 (July 2020 to March 2021) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Community Interest Company received £3,374 (June 2020 to September 2020) through a Covid-19 Emergency Grant. A £49k repair grant was provided towards the cost of the restoration of a Grade II* listed turntable in St Blazey, Cornwall in 2021. The turntable has been restored to operational condition by a social enterprise company, and allows main line steam engines to run into Cornwall on railtours bringing tourists to the Duchy, and be turned ready for their return journey. Historic England has also been supporting the Railway 200 celebrations in many ways including research, outreach and listing sites with links to heritage rail.
We do not hold information on grants given from parts of Government that are not DCMS and its arms length bodies.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to charge non-UK nationals to visit free museums.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
No.