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 much (a) their Department and (b) its arm’s length bodies have spent on (i) installing electric vehicle charging facilities and (ii) purchasing electric vehicles since 4 July 2024; and what estimate their Department has made of the difference in capital cost between (A) the electric vehicles purchased by their Department and (B) comparable (1) petrol and (2) diesel models.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department has not incurred any expenditure on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities since 4 July 2024. The Department has also not purchased any electric vehicles since 4 July 2024.
We are unable to provide data relating to the expenditure of arm’s length bodies on the installation of electric vehicle charging facilities or the purchase of electric vehicles as we do not collect such data centrally.
The Department has not made an estimate of the difference in capital cost between the electric vehicles purchased and comparable petrol or diesel models.
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, if she will make it her policy to ensure that large-scale commercial prize draws are subject to the same advertising regulations as other gambling products.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises that prize draws are a significant and growing market, and we want to ensure that people who participate in prize draws are confident that proportionate protections are in place.
Independent research was commissioned in 2023, which provided the Government with firm insights into the prize draws sector. This led to the announcement earlier this year of the intention to introduce a Voluntary Code for prize draw operators.
DCMS officials are currently working closely with the sector to develop this code, with the work underpinned by the independent research. The Code will provide a uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability. This approach will enable the Government to take swift action collectively within the sector. The success of this Code will dictate whether the Government decides that greater regulation may be required.
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, if she will make it her policy to require large-scale commercial prize draws to return a statutory minimum percentage of proceeds to charitable causes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises that prize draws are a significant and growing market, and we want to ensure that people who participate in prize draws are confident that proportionate protections are in place.
Independent research was commissioned in 2023, which provided the Government with firm insights into the prize draws sector. This led to the announcement earlier this year of the intention to introduce a Voluntary Code for prize draw operators.
DCMS officials are currently working closely with the sector to develop this code, with the work underpinned by the independent research. The Code will provide a uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability. This approach will enable the Government to take swift action collectively within the sector. The success of this Code will dictate whether the Government decides that greater regulation may be required.
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, if she will make it her policy to prevent large-scale commercial prize draws from being able to accept credit card payments from participants.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises that prize draws are a significant and growing market, and we want to ensure that people who participate in prize draws are confident that proportionate protections are in place.
Independent research was commissioned in 2023, which provided the Government with firm insights into the prize draws sector. This led to the announcement earlier this year of the intention to introduce a Voluntary Code for prize draw operators.
DCMS officials are currently working closely with the sector to develop this code, with the work underpinned by the independent research. The Code will provide a uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability. This approach will enable the Government to take swift action collectively within the sector. The success of this Code will dictate whether the Government decides that greater regulation may be required.
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, with reference to p.17 of the report by NfP entitled An Unregulated Gamble, published in March 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies that 12 per cent of those who took part in the study by NfP understood that (a) large-scale and (b) Omaze prize draws are unregulated.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises that prize draws are a significant and growing market, and we want to ensure that people who participate in prize draws are confident that proportionate protections are in place.
Independent research was commissioned in 2023, which provided the Government with firm insights into the prize draws sector. This led to the announcement earlier this year of the intention to introduce a Voluntary Code for prize draw operators.
DCMS officials are currently working closely with the sector to develop this code, with the work underpinned by the independent research. The Code will provide a uniform approach across the sector to strengthen player protections, increase transparency and improve accountability. This approach will enable the Government to take swift action collectively within the sector. The success of this Code will dictate whether the Government decides that greater regulation may be required.
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, which Government Art Collection works have been (a) installed and (b) deinstalled from HM Treasury main offices since 4 July 2024 by (i) title, (ii) artist and (iii) reference number.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government Art Collection is a working collection, used across government buildings in the UK and the global estate, which means that artworks may change their display location from time to time in response to new display steers and requests.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the communications campaign entitled, Better Health - Every Mind Matters: Loneliness, on mental health outcomes.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Whilst the Better Health - Every Mind Matters: Loneliness campaign is no longer running, information, advice and signposts to organisations which can support people experiencing loneliness remains available on the Better Health – Every Mind Matters website. The website receives an average of over 150,000 visits per month. In the last full year, this figure exceeded two million visits. Indicative evidence demonstrates that Better Health-Every Mind Matters is improving the nation’s mental health and wellbeing; 2 in 3 of those who complete the Mind Plan email programme report measurably better wellbeing than when they started.
In addition, a campaign toolkit on loneliness for use by local authorities, NHS organisations and community groups is available on the Department of Health and Social Care’s Campaign Resource Centre. The toolkit includes key messages and social media assets that can be used in locally-run campaigns.
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 ensure greater transparency on the individual works of art displayed by public bodies from the Government Art Collection.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government Art Collection contains over 15,000 works of art which are displayed in UK government buildings in the UK, and in more than 125 countries around the world. All artworks in the Government Art Collection are listed online and their locations can be searched.
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 planned timetable is for future public appointment competitions for the Charity Commission when existing terms expire.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Preparations are currently being made to launch the process to appoint a new Chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales and the role will be advertised on gov.uk in due course. This will be a fair and open process, run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.
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 he has had recent (a) discussions, (b) meetings and (c) correspondence with Ofcom on its consultation entitled Politicians presenting news: Consultation on proposed amendment to Rule 5.3 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Ofcom is required by legislation to draw up and enforce a Broadcasting Code. This Code must include rules to ensure that broadcast news is reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Ofcom must then keep the contents of the Code under regular review. Ofcom, by law, carries out its duties independently of the Government. For this reason, it would not be appropriate for the Department to either assess the impact of, or ask Ofcom to withdraw, its present consultation addressing whether or not to amend rule 5.3; and, for the same reason, the Secretary of State has not discussed this issue with them.