Oral Answers to Questions

Stephanie Peacock Excerpts

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)]

1. What steps she is taking to introduce a registration scheme for short-term lets.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The new national short-term lets registration scheme entered user testing at the end of October to ensure that it is robust and easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme ahead of its planned launch later in 2026. Secondary legislation will be required to enact the scheme and we intend to bring that forward when parliamentary time allows.

[Rachel Blake]

I appreciate the focus and attention that the Minister has brought to this issue, which is so essential in my constituency where about 6,000 homes are lost to short-letting. Will she share with us how she will capture the number of nights that properties are let out, as that is an essential part in ensuring that short-let properties do not go over the 90-day rule or breach any planning permission? Will she tell us how she will approach that matter?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The registration scheme will collect essential data to help authorities, but, as my hon. Friend knows and indeed secured a ten-minute rule Bill on the issue, the legislation does not address the issue around data sharing for the number of nights. I look forward to working with her to see whether we can rectify this issue to ensure that data is shared between platforms, and that hosts understand their responsibilities and give local authorities and Government the required data. I know from a number of meetings with her how important this issue is to her constituency, and she is a really big campaigner on it.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I thank the Minister very much for her answer. Indeed, I am always impressed with her answers. Those that she has given us this morning are equal to what she always gives to me and others in this House.—[Hon. Members: “Ah!”]

Back home in Northern Ireland, we have the same problem with short-term lets. This is about protection both of the landlords and of those who take on the short- term let. I know the Minister is a regular traveller to Northern Ireland, which we appreciate, so can she share what is happening here with those back home to ensure that the protection for everyone is equal across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his incredibly kind comments. Following his question, I will set up a meeting with my counterpart to discuss this matter and he would be very welcome to join it.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

2. What steps her Department is taking to support grassroots sport.

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[James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)]

4. What steps her Department is taking to support youth activities in urban communities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

Our national youth strategy sets out our plan to ensure that every young person has somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. It is backed by over £500 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding over the next three years.

[James Asser]

Based in North Woolwich in my constituency is Fight for Peace, a boxing and martial arts facility that also delivers employment and education skills for young people, helping to divert them from gangs and knife crime. Like so many organisations over the last few years, it has faced a tough time. Does the Minister agree that organisations such as Fight for Peace, which supports over 1,300 people and employs over 50 people, are vital for urban and inner-city communities like mine, and what more can the Government do to secure their future? May I also extend an invitation to the Ministers to visit North Woolwich and see the fantastic work that the club does?

[Stephanie Peacock]

Boxing clubs like Fight for Peace play a huge role in supporting young people’s physical and mental health. Through Sport England, funding for England Boxing between 2022 and 2029 will be over £9 million. I recently met with the all-party parliamentary group on boxing, and I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further and, indeed, to visit his constituency.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

[Dame Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)]

We all know that actions speak louder than words. So far we have seen a reduction in the urban cricket domes that were committed to by the last Government, the scrapping of our National Citizen Service without anything to replace it and now, supposedly, an argument over who will be funding school sport. Social mobility depends on participation. Research by Sky found that girls who play after-school sport in the UK are 50% more likely to get professional roles as adults. What are the Government doing to address this, and can the Minister give us grassroots examples in our urban communities of where things are improving rather than getting worse?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for all her work; it was a pleasure to meet her again yesterday. I do not recognise her representation of cricket domes. The previous Government simply did not fund them, but this Government has, announcing two new ones, alongside the £400 million of grassroots sports funding that the Secretary of State has referred to. On the National Citizen Service, we announced our national youth strategy, which was the first in over 10 years.

[Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)]

5. What steps her Department is taking to support UK traditions.

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[Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)]

7. What steps her Department is taking to help improve outcomes for young people in Bracknell Forest.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

In December, we published “Youth Matters”, the first Government strategy in over a decade for young people up and down the country. It will, of course, run alongside other major Government investments, including the youth guarantee and the expansion of mental health support teams in schools.

[Peter Swallow]

Last week, I dropped into the Wayz youth centre in Bracknell to celebrate its 60th anniversary—that is, 60 years of supporting young people in Bracknell Forest, developing their skills and helping them find and use their voice. This Government are backing the youth centre with our national youth strategy, which young people from the Wayz contributed to. I am delighted that the Government have announced more capital funding to support youth centres after many years of neglect. What specific funding pots are available for the Wayz because when a youth centre is 60 years old, there is always a need to invest in the day-to-day upkeep?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a strong champion for his constituency, and to Wayz for all its work over the last 60 years. The strategy is backed by £500 million of new funding, £350 million of which will be available till the end of March 2030, to refurbish or build youth facilities through our better youth spaces programme. We are committed to working with areas of greatest need across the length and breadth of England, and I will write further to him.

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[Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)]

9. What steps she plans to take to ensure that people are adequately supported to maintain an active lifestyle at each stage of life.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

The Government are committed to ensuring that people of all ages have the opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle. Sport England invests over £250 million of lottery and Exchequer funding annually into grassroots sport to support people of all ages. That includes multiple campaigns designed to encourage active lifestyles.

[Gareth Thomas]

The clearly remarkable Fay Bond took up athletics at the age of 90 and won three gold medals last year at the US senior Olympics at the age of 101—the oldest of over 12,400 older athletes who took part. Given the many benefits of an active lifestyle in later life, when might the first UK senior Olympics take place?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Team GB at the winter Olympics. It was a real pleasure to be out in Italy cheering them on in their most successful winter games yet.

I pay tribute to the lady the hon. Gentleman mentioned. We want everyone, whatever their age, to be able to be active, and we are always interested to hear ideas about future major sporting events.

[Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)]

Bridgwater is the home of carnival. At nearly 180 years old, ours is the oldest carnival in the UK. This fantastic cultural event promotes an active lifestyle among the whole community. However, every year the cost of complying with legislation makes it that little bit harder to continue. Will the Minister meet with me and members of the carnival to discuss what support might be available so that this fantastic spectacle continues for another 180 years?

[Mr Speaker]

That is a shoehorned question—good luck!

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am aware of the issue and would be delighted to meet the hon. Member to discuss it further.

[Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)]

10. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to encourage local governments to support arts and culture.

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[Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)]

T3. Having seen youth services slashed by the coalition Government and Staffordshire’s youth service shut down completely 13 years ago, I very much welcome this Government’s commitment to half a billion pounds to reverse the damage done by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Staffordshire missed out on the better youth spaces programme, so as the Department rolls out Young Futures hubs, youth centres and more youth workers, could the Minister assure my constituents that areas like Cannock Chase that have no youth service whatsoever will benefit from Labour’s reinvestment in the futures of our young people?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)]

Spending on youth services in England saw a 73% reduction under the last Government. Too many areas like my hon. Friend’s then had no youth services. That is why our national youth strategy, backed by over £500 million, is reversing that trend, and I would be happy to discuss it further with him.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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[John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)]

T4. A growing number of ex-footballers are suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a form of dementia caused by repeated heading of the ball. These ex-players feel let down by the Professional Footballers’ Association, which has only provided support for those suffering from CTE once funding from the NHS, social services and family assets has been exhausted, leaving taxpayers rather than football bodies footing the bill for care. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that our heroes of the game are given appropriate support in their hour of need and that competition organisers provide adequate funding for ex-players with CTE?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I know this is a concern to Members across the House—I have met and corresponded with a number of them. It is an issue that is incredibly important to both me and the Secretary of State, who met with players impacted by this to hear their stories. I will be hosting a roundtable discussion shortly with the football bodies to explore what more can be done. Our priority is for the football authorities to provide greater clarity on the available funding and to ensure enough money is available to provide those impacted with the support they need.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

T2. My hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French) has drawn our attention to the fact that Sport England is losing its consultee status. This is at a time when sports clubs are facing business rate increases of as much as 46%. Are Ministers alive to the prospect of sporting facilities becoming increasingly attractive grey-belt building propositions?

[Stephanie Peacock]

Sport England is not losing its status; there is a consultation. The Prime Minister and I have met a number of times to discuss the issue. Having committed £400 million to grassroot sports, we do not want to see playing fields and grassroots sports reduced.

[Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)]

T5. In Cambridge, like in many other places, many new homes will be built in the coming years, but we need to build communities, not just houses, and a cultural component is absolutely key to that. Will the Minister tell us what he is doing to ensure that happens?

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[Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)]

T7. The national youth strategy offers us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve access to youth services for young people in Bracknell Forest and across the country. What discussions has the Minister had with colleagues in the Ministry of Defence to tie the strategy together with the strategic defence review’s target of expanding access to the cadet forces by 30% by 2030?

[Stephanie Peacock]

The “30 by 30” programme seeks to recruit 40,000 more cadets across the UK. We are working with the MOD to do that. They do incredibly important work, and my hon. Friend raises an important issue.