Oral Answers to Questions
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(2 days, 7 hours ago)
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Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are committed to creating thriving community spaces, including community centres, youth clubs and sports facilities, that offer vital resources for communities across the country. My Department is allocating over £85 million of funding in 2025-26 to create fit-for-purpose, welcoming spaces for young people. That includes launching the better youth spaces fund.
Jim Dickson
I thank the Minister for her reply. Swanscombe pavilion in my constituency is at the heart of the Swanscombe community. It hosted dedicated lunch clubs for older people, provided a hub for local sports teams, and was a venue that local people could hire for parties. The building has fallen into disrepair, and the town council is searching desperately for the funds to rebuild or refurbish it, having been unable to obtain funding from the youth investment fund or the community ownership fund. What guidance could the Minister offer on bringing this crucial building back into community use?
Stephanie Peacock
I am pleased that my hon. Friend was able to meet the Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North and Kimberley (Alex Norris), on Monday to discuss this issue, which falls under his remit. As a local MP, I know from my constituency the important role that community spaces play in supporting local groups; they bring a huge benefit locally. The Government encourage community groups seeking funding to use the tools available on the My Community website, which suggests funding sources. I hope this information will help the council to work out its next steps, alongside the feedback that it should have received on its unsuccessful application to the community ownership fund.
Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)
Community spaces are crucial hubs for so many people, and our churches play a key role in providing such spaces. All Saints parish church in Hertford in my constituency has been in its beautiful riverside location for almost 1,000 years. Over the past six years, it has been able to reclaim £50,000 of VAT using the listed places of worship grant scheme, including for repairs to the tower, refurbishment of the bells and rebuilding the church organ. Will the Government extend the scheme beyond 2025, and if so, what will the allocation be?
Stephanie Peacock
This issue falls within the remit of the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism. He will answer a question on this later, but the Government are working on it.
Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab)
Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are committed to reducing gambling-related harm and its impact. That is why we are introducing a range of reforms to ensure that people can gamble safely, including a stake limit for online slot games, financial vulnerability checks and tougher regulations on direct marketing. We are also aware of the concerns around the blurring of boundaries between gambling and video games, and we are paying close attention to novel and emerging gambling and gambling-like products.
Catherine Fookes
I thank the Minister for her response. We all know that 2.5% of the population are considered to be problem gamblers, and 44% of that population is at high risk of suicidal behaviour, according to the excellent charity Gambling with Lives. Of course, the loss of any life to gambling addiction is deeply saddening, and I give my condolences to all the affected families. The impact of problem gambling stretches far and wide across the UK, including in my constituency of Monmouthshire, and it should be considered a public health issue. What cross-departmental work is being done to tackle the concerning issue of suicide due to gambling?
Stephanie Peacock
I thank my hon. Friend for raising such an important question. Of course, any life lost is an absolute tragedy. When I was the shadow gambling Minister, I visited the Gordon Moody residential treatment centre, which supports people with gambling-related harm. On that visit and at other meetings, I heard at first hand about the devastating impact that gambling can have. We are committed to working across Government on this issue, particularly with the Department of Health and Social Care, including by establishing a comprehensive support and treatment system, funded by the statutory levy, and by strengthening messages in order to raise awareness of the risks of harmful gambling.
Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)
The Minister will not be surprised to hear me raise the issue of the disproportionality of affordability checks on those betting on racing, and the reform of the betting levy. I am grateful for the positive tone taken so far, and the constructive engagement from her and the Secretary of State. Talks between the gambling industry and the racing industry about the betting levy continue, but I think ultimately Ministers will be required to make a decision. We need the betting levy to be increased overall, and applied to races held overseas that people are betting on here. We think there will be not just a fiscal forecast but a mini-Budget in March. Can those industries start working with the Treasury now to make sure that there are plans to reform the betting levy in the Finance Bill?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that question. He is a huge champion for the horseracing industry. Of course, the Government and I recognise the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and the rural economy in particular. We are disappointed that talks have not been successful. The Government have heard racing’s concerns about the financial checks, and about the fact that there has not been an agreement. The Minister with responsibility for gambling and the Secretary of State continue to work on this issue.
Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Grassroots sports clubs are the beating heart of communities up and down the country. The Government are acting to support grassroots sports through our ongoing investment in Sport England and the delivery of our £123 million multi-sport grassroots facilities programme.
Paul Davies
I recently met the Football Foundation, which is dedicated to transforming grassroots football in England by funding and developing community facilities. Its work includes building and refurbishing pitches, clubhouses and changing rooms, ensuring that everybody has access to quality football environments. By investing in grassroots football, it aims to improve participation, improve health and strengthen communities. What assessment has the Department made of the impact of biodiversity net gain requirements on investment in community sports facilities?
Stephanie Peacock
Biodiversity net gain is a legal requirement for all new developments and is not specific to sports facilities. The Government are working with Sport England, the Football Foundation and wider grassroots sport to help reduce the sector’s impact on the environment. That of course includes supporting these organisations in meeting their obligations regarding biodiversity net gain. I understand that the Football Foundation will meet officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which oversees the implementation of biodiversity net gain, to discuss this issue further.
Kevin Bonavia
I thank the Minister for her response. Last year, in my constituency, the Stevenage Football Club Foundation delivered more than 9,000 hours of activity in grassroots sports and engaged over 15,000 participants, generating nearly £10.7 million-worth of social value. This did not happen only in my constituency. Last year, the 72 English Football League community club organisations delivered more than £1.2 billion-worth of social value across this country. Will the Minister commit to supporting local community club organisations, such as the Stevenage FC Foundation, in engaging local people and directly supporting communities?
Stephanie Peacock
I pay tribute to the Stevenage FC Foundation and the many other community organisations up and down the country for their important work. Local community club organisations use the power of sport to change lives through charitable and community activities, often through delivery across a range of areas, from health to wellbeing and employment. I have seen it in my own area of Barnsley, with Reds in the Community, which does brilliant work across my town.
Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)
There are growing storm clouds in rugby union. At the grassroots, clubs are up in arms about what is going on in the leadership. They called for a general meeting, which was denied. One has now been agreed and will happen in March. When asked in writing whether there will be a review of the finances or governance of the Rugby Football Union, the Government said that there are no plans for one. In the light of what I have set out, will they reconsider whether there should be a review of the governance, and do they have confidence that the RFU will be able to solve this issue?
Stephanie Peacock
Of course, Mr Speaker; we would not forget that. I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that incredibly important point. National governing bodies are of course independent of Government, and it is for the RFU to answer for its approach. The DCMS notes that the chair of the RFU stood down recently. The Secretary of State and I meet regularly with rugby stakeholders, and will continue to do so.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
My eldest granddaughter loves football. She is 15 years old and plays in goal. The interest in girls and ladies’ football in Northern Ireland is exceptional, as it is here on the mainland. I know that the Minister is committed to it. What has been done to ensure that girls and women’s football is promoted across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to their advantage?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. A few years ago, I raised some eyebrows by having a photograph taken in this Chamber as part of the women’s parliamentary football team. That certainly gained a bit of attention for women’s football. As Minister for sport, I recently held a meeting with Karen Carney regarding the women’s football review implementation group. We are keen to promote women’s football and do everything that we can to encourage girls and women to get involved.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
The previous Conservative Government invested over £400 million to support grassroots sport, recognising the vital contribution of sport to our communities across the country. The Minister will already be aware of our concerns about the impact of Labour’s national insurance hike, and the impact that the schools tax will have on community access to sporting facilities. Equally concerning is Labour’s decision to quietly cut the £57 million opening school facilities programme from March. Does she understand why grassroots sport organisations are so concerned about access to school facilities, and schools potentially having to close them to the community? Has she raised those concerns with Cabinet colleagues, and what measures are her Department taking to support access to grassroots sport for the more than 200,000 people who previously benefited from Conservative programmes?
Stephanie Peacock
I think that was six questions rather than one. I will take no lectures from the hon. Gentleman on the state of the economy and the inheritance that we received. The Government are a huge champion of grassroots sport, and will continue to be one.
Max Wilkinson (Cheltenham) (LD)
Sport and physical activity must play a bigger part in the debate on our nation’s collective health and the future of health services. Sport England reports that almost one in three children are classed as inactive. More than a third of adults do not meet the chief medical officer’s recommendations for physical activity. Sedentary lifestyles are associated with one in six deaths, and obesity costs the economy £58 billion per year. Those are truly shocking statistics that we should all be ashamed of. What conversations are Ministers in the Department having with colleagues in other Departments, most notably Health, to ensure an increased focus on physical activity to improve our nation’s physical and mental health?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that important question. Through our health missions, and the health mission board, we work really closely across Government. This is a pivotal issue. Sport plays a huge part in getting people more active. I know that from my own area: over 30% of people in Barnsley are inactive. Just yesterday, I met with the Richmond group of charities, which works on this sort of issue, and I continue to have both Government meetings and meetings with stakeholders. We really want to make progress in this area.
Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) (Lab)
Darren Paffey (Southampton Itchen) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
We fully acknowledge the challenges faced by the sector and the challenging needs of young people. The strategy will help us move forward from a one-size-fits-all approach from central Government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable youth sector.
Melanie Ward (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy) (Lab)
Kirkcaldy Community Football Partnership does an amazing job in my constituency, supporting a number of local football clubs including Kirkcaldy and Dysart football club and Templehall United. It also runs an over-35s walking football team, which is of particular interest to me. It badly needs funding for a new synthetic all-weather pitch; does the Minister agree that this is an important cause, and one that deserves support?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to my hon. Friend. The issue she has raised is incredibly important, and I suggest that she reaches out to the Football Foundation. I would be happy to set up that meeting for her.
Culture, Media and Sport
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(5 days, 7 hours ago)
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Stephanie Peacock
I did not catch all of that intervention, but I said that half of charities would either stay the same or gain from the changes. I am happy to discuss that with the hon. Member after the debate, or write to him if I have misunderstood his point.
[Official Report, 7 January 2025; Vol. 759, c. 314WH.]
Written correction submitted by the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the hon. Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock):
Stephanie Peacock
I did not catch all of that intervention, but I said that half of employers, including charities with national insurance liabilities, would either stay the same or gain from the changes. I am happy to discuss that with the hon. Member after the debate, or write to him if I have misunderstood his point.
Employer National Insurance Contributions: Charities
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 week, 4 days ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. I congratulate the hon. Member for Isle of Wight East (Joe Robertson) on securing this debate, and I thank Members from across the House for their contributions. As the Minister for Civil Society, I have seen at first hand the huge contribution that charities and voluntary groups make to our country; and as the MP for Barnsley South, by working directly with local groups, I have seen the impact that they have in my area.
As part of the autumn Budget, the Government took a number of difficult decisions on tax, welfare and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services and restore economic stability. In an open letter to the voluntary sector on this issue, the Chancellor stated that raising the rate of employer national insurance contributions was one of the most difficult decisions in the Budget. I will address the specific point around the change to national insurance alongside some of the questions and issues raised in the debate, before discussing the wider support that the Government provide to the sector.
The Government recognise the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we have more than doubled the employment allowance, from £5,000 to £10,500. That means that more than half of employers, including charities with NI liabilities, will either gain or see no change next year. In addition, we are expanding the eligibility of the employment allowance by removing the £100,000 eligibility threshold to simplify and reform employer NI, so that all eligible employers now benefit. Almost all charities are eligible for the employment allowance, as outlined in the HMT guidance. The changes will mean that a small to medium-sized charity could employ up to four full-time workers on the national living wage and pay no employer NI, to give one example.
Graham Stuart
Does the Minister agree that if it turns out that it will cost the NHS more to bring in the changes than it will gain, as colleagues from across the House fear, then it would be worth reviewing them? I know that she is not personally responsible for the initiative.
Stephanie Peacock
As the right hon. Gentleman makes clear, I am not personally responsible for the specific policy, but I will reflect his point to the Treasury.
Employers, including charities, will still continue to benefit from employer NI reliefs, including for hiring those under 21 and apprentices under 25 where eligible. I am aware, however, of the concerns of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector about the impact that the changes will have on their organisations. I acknowledge that the last few years have been difficult for voluntary and community sector organisations, many of which have seen a rise in demand for their services while dealing with increased financial pressures. After the last 14 years, where the state at every level has been cut back, more demand has been placed on charities. Indeed, my local authority saw some of the worst cuts in the country, despite being one of the areas of greatest need, so I completely appreciate the role that charities have played during that time.
The simple reality is that the situation cannot be reversed overnight. To grow our economy and our country, tough decisions have to be taken, and I appreciate that that is difficult.
Seamus Logan
The Minister mentioned a number of mitigations for charities, and she said that she thinks that virtually all charities will benefit from those, so where are the Government actually obtaining the resources to fill the hole in the public finances?
Stephanie Peacock
I did not catch all of that intervention, but I said that half of charities would either stay the same or gain from the changes. I am happy to discuss that with the hon. Member after the debate, or write to him if I have misunderstood his point.
I have met representatives from the sector to specifically discuss the NI changes on more than one occasion. They have put forward many of the same arguments and questions that hon. Members have today, and I have shared those in turn with the Treasury.
A number of specific causes and sectors have been raised during the debate, and I would like to address some of those in the time available. Individual Departments will continue to provide direct funding and support for specific causes and areas. As has been mentioned a number of times, most hospices are charitable, independent organisations. As announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, the sector is set to receive a £100 million boost, alongside a further £26 million for children and young people’s hospices. Clearly, that will help with financial pressures. That sits alongside some of the other actions taken by the Government, including an £880 million increase in the social care grant and an additional £233 million of funding on homelessness, to help prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and to prevent rough sleeping.
The Home Office is working to agree decisions on its wider budget in support of the ambition to halve violence against women and girls, and it will communicate that as soon as possible. To answer the point made by the Opposition spokesperson, the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti), I have a cross-Government meeting on violence against women tomorrow morning.
Sir Roger Gale
I am sorry to intrude on the Minister’s time. As I understand it, the extension of the children’s hospices grant will not meet the costs of national insurance for children’s hospices. Will she ask the Treasury to clarify that, and if necessary, discuss it with the executives of the children’s hospice movement?
Stephanie Peacock
I know the huge amount of work that children’s hospices do, and I have done a lot of work with Bluebell Wood children’s hospice in South Yorkshire. I will take away and reflect the right hon. Member’s points, and the relevant Department will write to him after the debate.
Patrick Hurley
The Conservative party has been very clear that it wants tax cuts, but less clear on what public services it would cut to pay for them. Perhaps the Minister might wish to reflect on that.
Stephanie Peacock
I appreciate that point. The bottom line is that we have been very clear that we want economic stability, and the money does have to come from somewhere—it is tax, borrowing or cuts. That is a very clear choice. Members will appreciate that many of the issues raised in this debate fall outside of my Department, but I will reflect the points made from across the House to the relevant Departments after the debate.
The Government will continue to support the sector in a number of other ways. Through the tax system, the Government also provide support to charities through a range of reliefs and exemptions, including reliefs for charitable giving. The tax reliefs available to charities are a vital element in supporting charitable causes across the UK, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, community sports clubs and their donors in 2023-24.
Stephanie Peacock
I have taken a number of interventions, so in the interests of time, I will make some progress.
The biggest individual reliefs provided are gift aid, at £1.6 billion, and business rates relief, at nearly £2.4 billion. My Department also supports the voluntary and community sector, particularly through the delivery of direct grant funding—delivering, among other things, the £26 million voluntary, community and social enterprise energy efficiency scheme, which helps organisations with capital energy efficiency measures. That is still under way, as is the social enterprise boost fund, which delivers grants and peer support for emerging social enterprises, and the Know Your Neighbourhood fund, which is focused on increasing volunteering and tackling loneliness.
Alongside that, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport sponsors the National Lottery Community Fund, which is the largest non-Government funder of voluntary and community organisations across the UK. During 2023-24, the National Lottery Community Fund made grant awards totalling over £900 million, 84% of which were under £10,000, with the majority supporting grassroots organisations.
My Department is also focused on developing other sources of funding support for the sector. That includes establishing a stronger, more ambitious partnership with the impact economy, such as by unlocking the multimillion-pound potential of the dormant assets scheme. This includes making charitable giving as easy and compelling as possible, building on the estimated £13.9 billion that the UK public donated to charity last year. My officials are also working to deliver the VCSE contract readiness programme to help to improve the capability of VCSE organisations when bidding for public contracts.
As we have heard from Members across the House, the voluntary and community sector plays an important role across all areas of public life, up and down the country. As the Minister for Civil Society, I have seen at first hand the work that charities and social enterprises do. Since being appointed, I have held a number of visits, meetings and roundtables with charities and voluntary organisations across the UK—from Leeds to Stoke, from Huntingdon to Brent. I am committed to continuing that engagement with charities and voluntary groups up and down the country, especially as we continue to develop a framework for the new civil society covenant, which will reset the relationship between civil society and Government.
We have heard a number of examples today of the brilliant work that charities and volunteers do. I thank them for their work and I thank hon. Members for their contributions today.
BBC: Funding
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Mundell. I echo the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Meriden and Solihull East (Saqib Bhatti), in wishing a merry Christmas to everyone present, and congratulate the right hon. Member for Maldon (Sir John Whittingdale) on securing this important debate. He and I have had a lot of opportunities to debate the BBC together this week.
Let me start by responding to some of the points that the shadow Minister and others made. First, the right hon. Member for Maldon pointed out that it is a good time to have this debate. He opened by talking about the importance of public service broadcasting today. We spent many hours debating the Media Act 2024, which is legislation that goes to the heart of these issues and now falls to this Government to implement.
The shadow Minister and the hon. Member for Didcot and Wantage (Olly Glover) pointed out how many people access the BBC—over 90% every month—but also the fact that there are lots of important and challenging issues about BBC funding and the charter review.
It has been a good debate, and Members have rightly shared their own experiences and memories of the BBC. My hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Patrick Hurley) spoke about the shared experience we have as a country, and how the BBC brings us together. A week today we will all be watching the King’s speech and, of course, “Gavin and Stacey”—or at least I will be.
Members from all parties, and in particular my hon. Friend the Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley), spoke about their passion and support for the World Service. The right hon. Member for Maldon serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee, to which I was pleased to give evidence. I am pleased that three Select Committees are taking such an interest in the topic. There are a lot of questions and challenges, but it is important that we put on the record our support for the World Service.
The shadow Minister asked questions about engagement with the BBC; the Secretary of State and I have met with the BBC and will continue to do so. The shadow Minister also asked questions about local radio. It is important to state that the BBC is operationally independent, but when I was in the shadow Minister’s place I made my views very clear, as did the hon. Member for Hornchurch and Upminster (Julia Lopez), who was the Minister at the time.
I will speak more broadly about the BBC before addressing some of the wider funding issues. For over 100 years the BBC has been a cherished British asset, making a vital contribution to our national life. It supports our democracy, brings our communities together and helps to shape and define our nation by telling the stories of people in all parts of the UK. The BBC has an almost unique role as a source of trusted news, both in the UK and to millions of people across the globe, as well as being a provider of cutting-edge programming and educational content for the nation’s children. It is so often the first to invest in the skills, the physical assets and the creativity to boost the creative industries in all corners of the country.
The media environment has of course changed over the BBC’s long history. Even since the start of the current charter period in 2017, when the Government were bringing iPlayer into the scope of the licence fee, the market has significantly evolved—a point that has been discussed. The right hon. Member for Maldon knows all that very well, not least because he served as Secretary of State for DCMS during the previous charter review.
The world is changing and, as the right hon. Member for Maldon outlined in his speech, for the first time half of 16 to 24-year-olds now do not watch broadcast TV on a weekly basis. We are seeing audiences increasingly turn to on-demand content, and more than two thirds of households subscribe to streaming services, compared with about a third at the start of the charter period.
The shadow Minister asked about some of the challenges that go to the heart of this debate. As an institution, the BBC has often needed to adapt, renew and grapple with an ever-increasing pace of change. That is something that the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East (Seamus Logan) spoke about in his contribution.
Next year, the Government will formally launch charter review with the need for adaptation in mind. We intend to use charter review to think through the operation of the BBC and how it thrives for not just the next 10 years, but well into the latter half of this century. We know that any reform to the BBC, particularly when it comes to funding, could have a major impact on the whole sector. We will consider that carefully as part of the charter review. We want to have a national conversation to make sure that the BBC truly represents and delivers for every person in this country, wherever they come from and whatever their background. That will include the opportunity for stakeholders and audiences across the country to respond to the charter review public consultation before the new charter comes into effect in 2028.
Our thinking will also be informed by my Department’s wider work. We are undertaking a project on the future of TV distribution to analyse how people receive their television now and through the next decade. That will help us to ensure the continuity of a sustainable TV ecosystem and the best outcome for audiences.
As we address vital questions about the future form of the BBC head on, we must also ensure that there is a sustainable funding model that is fair to those who pay for it. These are undoubtedly complex issues, on which people hold strong opinions, but this Government want to have an open and honest discussion about them in the public’s best interests.
We are fully committed to retaining the licence fee for the rest of this charter period, but we cannot ignore the fact that challenges to this funding model in its current form are increasing, as has been highlighted in the debate. The media market is more competitive than ever, with the emergence of streamers and social media platforms operating on a global scale. That has meant less money for the BBC to invest in our creative industries, in talent and skills, and in telling our stories. It has also resulted in cuts to BBC services, which the hon. Member for Salford (Rebecca Long Bailey) spoke about.
The Secretary of State has announced that we will take forward work on BBC funding as part of the charter review process to bring together the linked issues of what the BBC does, its future role and how it is funded. The Government are keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee.
The right hon. Member for Maldon referred to his chairing of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee. More recently, the Committee’s 2021 report on the future of public service broadcasting found that there are a range of options for funding the BBC, but none are perfect.
Julia Lopez
The Secretary of State has talked about her support for mutualisation, but it has never been clear to me what that actually means. Could the Minister give us more details?
Stephanie Peacock
I will happily ask the Secretary of State to write to the hon. Lady. However, in talking about mutualisation, which the Secretary of State made some comments about some years ago, I think it is about having a greater role for the public in BBC accountability and the public feeling more ownership of it. But we will happily write to the hon. Lady with more detail, as I do not want to speak on the Secretary of State’s behalf.
Jim Shannon
I thank the Minister for her response; she is always very positive and very enthusiastic. In last night’s Adjournment debate on the charter review, she referred to complaints and how they will be handled by Ofcom or other organisations. However, the people who come to me with the examples of bias that I referred to are some of those who do not have a BBC licence and will not buy one. If the BBC has a better system, where people who have complaints about bias, whatever they may be, have their complaints handled in a good, honest and transparent way, that might draw back some people who have decided not to renew their licence. Will she assure us that that will happen?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. Of course, we spoke about this issue in the debate last night. There is the complaints procedure through BBC First, and complaints can be escalated to the executive complaints unit and then to Ofcom. But I appreciate that some people have simply decided not to buy a TV licence, and we want to explore the issue of trust and confidence in the BBC as part of the charter renewal process and the review. There will be a public consultation, in which his and my constituents, and the constituents of Members across the House, can take part.
We are not in the business of reform for reform’s sake. We will think in the broadest sense about the options for the BBC’s funding and structure, and nothing is off the table, as the Secretary of State said in evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee last week. It is clear that there are limits to the amount of money that the BBC can raise from commercial sources, particularly given its obligations as a public service broadcaster. We firmly believe that the unique obligations placed on the BBC demand continued and sustainable public funding in support of its vital work.
In the meantime, we must ensure that the BBC is properly and fairly supported for the remainder of this charter. That is why we have announced that we are increasing the annual cost of a TV licence from April 2025 by £5, in line with consumer prices index inflation, which is less than half as much as last year’s increase. For the BBC, that will provide additional and proportionate funding that will allow it to continue to deliver world-class educational and engaging programming. We always take decisions on funding to provide certainty and stability for the BBC while ensuring that those decisions deliver the best outcomes for licence fee payers.
The Government have already noted the ongoing concerns about the impact of TV licensing enforcement action on vulnerable households. I am acutely aware of the financial difficulties faced by some households, and we are committed to supporting them to spread the cost of a TV licence. We recently announced an expansion of the simple payment plan to all unlicensed households facing financial hardship to help more people pay in flexible instalments, rather than them having to find a greater amount of money up front. We will also look at enforcement issues as part of the longer-term funding work we take forward at charter review.
The provision of trustworthy local and national news is vital for democracy and to hold elected representatives to account, especially at a time when misinformation and disinformation are spreading at rapid speeds. Local journalism, in particular, also helps to foster community in areas like mine in Barnsley. By reporting on stories that matter to local people, the BBC helps people to feel connected to the place they call home. In the past few days alone in my area, the BBC has reported on a new sculpture that will be placed on a roundabout in Goldthorpe, a local Christmas tree that had to be taken down due to dangers related to wind and vandalism, and a new specialist care home being built in Barnsley. Those kinds of varied local stories matter to local people, and they enrich their understanding of the issues affecting their neighbourhoods. I know Members from across the House will have similar stories to share.
Ultimately, the BBC has a huge role to play in telling our country’s story, creating great jobs and opportunities and driving growth in the creative economy. We are determined to get the forthcoming charter review right to future-proof the BBC and to ensure that we can all continue to enjoy and benefit from it for decades to come. The right hon. Member for Maldon has made an important contribution, not just today, but through his years of public service, and I thank him for that.
Draft Local Digital Television Programme Services (Amendment) Order 2024
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Local Digital Television Programme Services (Amendment) Order 2024.
It is a pleasure to open the debate under your chairship, Mr Stringer. I am pleased to speak to the order, which was laid before the House in draft on 5 November.
In just over 10 years since the first service launched, local television continues to provide local content, including news and current affairs, to audiences across the UK, and in so doing to complement our national public service broadcasters. From Sheffield Live and Leeds TV, both of which broadcast in areas neighbouring my Barnsley constituency, to London Live, which broadcasts just a few miles up the road in Kensington, and NVTV in Belfast, there are now 34 local TV services broadcasting across the UK.
I was pleased to meet members of the Local TV Network and Comux last month and hear more about their services and the work they do. Both organisations also sit on the Future of TV Distribution stakeholder forum, which I am pleased to chair. These services bring social and economic benefits to the areas they serve through the making and showing of programmes that reflect the interests of their local communities, but more than that, in a television sector that is all too often centred around London and the south-east, local TV provides a training ground for those looking to embark on a career in the sector. One service, KMTV, has developed a partnership with the University of Kent to train journalism students, while another, Notts TV, has seen former trainees build on that experience and go on to work in the national media.
There are 11 services based in the north of England, five based in Scotland, three in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. All 34 of those services are carried on the local TV multiplex, which enables them to be broadcast on digital terrestrial television, also known as Freeview. The multiplex is operated by Comux UK, which is co-owned by the local TV services themselves. The multiplex plays a central role in the local TV ecosystem by providing subsidised carriages for all the local services.
The local TV sector has not been without its challenges. Some services have struggled to maintain consistent audience numbers and to develop stable revenues from advertising. Last year, the TV advertising market in the UK experienced its biggest decline since the 2008-09 financial crisis. Although all commercially funded broadcasters have been affected, local TV services have been particularly impacted as they have smaller audiences than their national counterparts.
The previous Government made a commitment to extend the local TV multiplex until 2034 and to consult on the options for the renewal or relicensing of the licences for the 34 local TV services. That consultation ran from June to September last year and received responses from existing licence holders, media and telecoms companies, and members of the public. In the consultation, the then Government outlined their preferred approach of a light touch renewal process for the multiplex licence, led by Ofcom, and the conditional renewal of the licences for all 34 local TV services, subject to Ofcom’s assessment of their performance to date and their plans for the next licence period.
Respondents to the consultation were broadly supportive of this approach. Some respondents, particularly current licence holders, raised concerns about the burden this approach may have on licensees. They also emphasised the importance of the renewal process being completed swiftly in order to provide certainty to both the sector and its commercial partners. My Department has taken those responses into account in the drafting of this order, and worked closely with the independent regulator, Ofcom, which will administer the renewals process, to refine its provisions.
A previous version of this order was laid in draft before Parliament on 7 May 2024, but was withdrawn due to the general election. The subsequent delay to the order coming into force meant that Ofcom would not have had the time necessary to conclude the renewals process and, in the event that any of the licences were not renewed, to conduct a competitive relicensing process. The updated order therefore includes additional powers for Ofcom to extend local TV licences, with the consent of current licence holders, by a period of 12 months. The extension will ensure that Ofcom is able to complete the renewals process at least 12 months before the extended licences would otherwise expire.
The order has been considered by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments and the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, which raised no concerns. The Government believe that the approach set out at consultation and provided for by the order gives the sector the best chance for long-term success and sustainability by balancing the certainty and stability of a streamlined renewals process with a proportionate degree of regulatory oversight, which will be provided by Ofcom.
The Government recognise the importance of local media, including local TV. Our vision is of a thriving sector that continues to play an invaluable role by reporting on the issues that matter to communities, and keeping communities informed about local issues and decision making that affects them. The renewal of local TV licences is an important step on that journey, and I commend the draft order to the Committee.
The Chair
I remind members of the Committee, and other Members, that if they wish to catch my eye they must bob, as we do in the Chamber. I call the Opposition spokesperson, Saqib Bhatti.
Stephanie Peacock
It is a pleasure to conclude the debate. I am grateful for the contributions that all Members have made. It is clear that both sides of the House want to see the local TV sector thrive long into the future, and continue to provide valuable news and current affairs content that meets the needs and interests of those living and working in the communities they serve. A number of issues have been raised in the debate, which I will take in turn.
First, the shadow Minister rightly talked about balance, which the Government and I agree with. In my opening remarks, I acknowledged that the majority of the work was carried out under the previous Government. In terms of the process and timescale, which was raised by a number of Members, we will work with Ofcom on any open competition and any future licences. That is incredibly important.
In response to the issue raised by the hon. Member for Aberdeenshire North and Moray East on the 12-month extension, that is the key change from the previous statutory instrument laid on 7 May. TV operators can apply for it if they would like it, and that will make sure there is enough time for the process to take place. We agree on the need for a proportionate process for renewal and will continue to impress this upon Ofcom in discussions.
There were also questions about our wider support for the sector and the local media strategy. The Secretary of State has announced plans to develop a local media strategy in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. We are working across Government as we develop this strategy, because our vision is of a thriving sector that continues to play an invaluable role by reporting on the issues that matter to communities and keeping them informed about the decision making that is relevant to them.
The right hon. Member for Maldon and others asked about the ability of local TV services to make genuinely local content that meets the needs of local audiences. We recognise that sustainable funding of genuinely local content is not without its challenges, but that requirement is central to local TV and the audience it serves, so it is appropriate to consider it as part of the renewal process. Before renewing a licence, Ofcom will need to be satisfied that an applicant can comply with the conditions set out in their licence renewal, which in the case of local TV services will include specific and enforceable local programming commitments.
The Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Guildford, and the right hon. Member for Maldon and others raised concerns about local TV services not receiving prominence for their on-demand apps as part of the new online prominence regime established in the Media Act. I recall spending many happy hours in Committee with the right hon. Gentleman debating the then Media Bill. I am familiar with his, as he describes it, rather unusual amendment. It is a shame that it was not a Government amendment.
At present, local TV services do not have on-demand apps; as a result, and as the right hon. Gentleman will appreciate, it is difficult to have confidence that such an app would provide significant quantities of public service content which would be put front and centre. Those are the two requirements, as Members will know, of the new prominence regime. None the less, we are aware of the concerns raised by the sector that apps that might be developed in future or are currently being developed would not have the potential to be included in the new online prominence regime, and we are committed to keeping that under review. As I outlined in my opening remarks, we are very aware of the changing nature of television distribution. That is why I am chairing a forum to discuss and explore those issues in further detail.
Earlier this year, Ofcom published a statement following a monitoring exercise and set out in further detail about how it will assess whether a service is meeting its commitments. The conditional renewal of the 34 licences provided for by this order will ensure a proportionate level of regulatory oversight that an automatic renewal process would not. An automatic renewal process would lead only to a period of post-renewal uncertainty, so we think we are doing the right thing in the way that the SI has been constructed and laid.
As I said earlier, it will be Ofcom that administers the renewal process. To ensure that licence holders understand what is required of them, Ofcom published a statement last month outlining how it will run the renewal process and what applicants will need to do to have their licences extended and renewed. This has ensured that local licence holders have sufficient time to familiarise themselves with the requirements and can begin preparing their applications before the legislation comes into force.
Renewing the local TV licences will ensure that local TV services receive the same regulatory benefits that they have received since 2013. Services will continue to receive access to and prominence on Freeview as well as on regulated electronic programme guides for simulcast satellite, cable and internet-delivered TV services. It will also mean that local TV is able to continue to make its important contribution by providing pathways for the next generation of journalists and broadcasters to take their first steps in the television industry up and down the country. This is particularly important in a sector where, despite some positive progress in recent years, opportunities are still disproportionately concentrated in London and the south-east.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has made one of her top priorities increasing opportunities in the creative industries across the whole of the UK, including in the TV sector, and we recognise the role that local TV can play in helping to achieve that. I am grateful to Members for their contributions and the interest they have shown in the continued provision of local television across the UK.
Question put and agreed to.
BBC Charter Review
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
I am pleased to respond to this debate, and I congratulate the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) on securing it. The debate is a good opportunity to discuss the upcoming charter review, which we intend to launch next year. He has raised a number of important areas related to the BBC, which I will respond to, but I would first like to make a few broad points about the contribution that the BBC makes to the UK.
The BBC supports our democracy, brings our communities together and helps to shape and define our nation through telling stories about the lives of people in all parts of the UK. It also plays an important role in providing trusted news as the UK’s most trusted news brand, reaching around 95% of UK adults each month. It is one of Britain’s biggest cultural exports and an important soft power asset, with the BBC World Service providing essential, trustworthy news through 42 language services to millions of people across the globe. That is a topic I was pleased to discuss today while giving evidence to the joint sitting of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee and the International Development Committee. Indeed, I see one of the Committee members in the Chamber right now.
The BBC has provided some of our most memorable moments across television, representing stories from every part of the UK. It acts as a linchpin in the UK’s flourishing creative economy, investing in the skills, training and creativity that drive growth across all regions of the UK. Last year, it contributed £4.9 billion to the UK economy and supported over 50,000 jobs, with more than half of this impact outside London, and it invests more in original British content than anyone else.
I shall move on to some of the points the hon. Member raised. I note his view on increasing the accountability of the BBC as part of the charter review, and it is important that we get this area right. The charter review will explore BBC accountability, particularly in terms of ensuring that the BBC is accountable to those who fund it: the British people. As a public service broadcaster that is hugely important to public life, the BBC must be responsive to its audience. The BBC has a duty to deliver impartial and accurate news coverage and content under the charter, which specifically sets out that it must observe high standards of openness and seek to maximise transparency and accountability.
Since 2017, Ofcom has regulated the BBC and has taken action to make sure that it is held to account. Ofcom is required to prepare and publish an operating framework for the BBC, which must contain provisions to secure the effective regulation of the BBC’s activities.
Under the BBC’s new operating licence, introduced last year, the BBC is required to report more comprehensively on its performance and its plans for services. The Government welcome Ofcom’s recent report into the BBC’s performance in 2023-24 and note its findings, including where Ofcom has identified areas of improvement for the BBC. It is for Ofcom, as the BBC’s independent regulator, to monitor the BBC’s progress in these areas. The charter also includes provision for the National Audit Office to examine the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the BBC uses its resources in discharging its functions.
The hon. Gentleman spoke about commissioning. A key principle of the BBC’s success is its editorial and operational independence, which must be upheld. That is why decisions on commissioning and programming are for the BBC board, not for the Government. Being operationally and editorially independent, BBC commissioning is rightly a matter for the BBC. It is not within the Government’s scope to intervene in day-to-day commissioning decisions, but the charter requires the BBC to open up content production to allow non-BBC producers to compete for BBC projects. By the end of the current charter in 2027, 100% of BBC television and 60% of BBC radio will be fully open to competition to support a diverse range of stories and views on the BBC.
Mr Gregory Campbell
The Minister talks about the BBC needing to open up contracts to non-BBC personnel. Does she accept that this needs to be seen to be done on an equitable and fair basis, so that people beyond the reach of the BBC, as well as internals, have an equal opportunity to bid for contracts?
Stephanie Peacock
Yes, I do accept that, and it is something we can look at as part of the charter review. Of course, Ofcom, as the BBC’s independent regulator, holds the BBC to account on its performance and its commissioning practices, and on the market impact of those.
The hon. Gentleman mentioned BBC pay, which I appreciate is a matter of debate and controversy. The royal charter requires the BBC, as he rightly said, to publish the salary details of all BBC staff and talent paid over £178,000. Salary disclosures of this kind were made for the first time as part of the 2016-17 annual report. The salaries of BBC staff are also a matter for the BBC and the individuals themselves, not for Government. However, the charter review will look again at the transparency of this issue.
Jim Shannon
In my intervention on my hon. Friend the Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell), I referred to impartiality and BBC bias. Many of my constituents feel that the BBC is not impartial. Under the charter, is it possible for people to express such concerns, and for those concerns to be investigated?
Stephanie Peacock
Of course, and there is a complaints procedure right now. A complaint goes to the BBC first, and it can then be escalated. If the hon. Gentleman’s constituents are not happy, they can then go to Ofcom. As part of the charter review, it is absolutely right that all members of the public can have their say. We will be launching a public consultation so that his constituents, and indeed people across the country, can have their say, because we want the BBC to represent the people it serves.
Next year, the Government will launch a charter review with the aim of addressing some of the challenges we are discussing today and delivering a renewed charter by the end of 2027 that will support the BBC not just to survive but to thrive long into the future. This will be the ninth charter review in the BBC’s history. It will be an opportunity to consider what the BBC is for, how it delivers for audiences and how it should be funded, governed and regulated against a rapidly changing media environment. The charter review will also look to uphold the BBC’s independence and ensure that it maintains the public’s trust.
Charter review is a well-established process, and our next step will be to publish the terms of reference next year, setting out the objectives we wish to achieve. We will ensure that we take all relevant views into account as part of the review. With that in mind, next summer we will also launch a public consultation, as part of which we will encourage everyone to share evidence. We need to have a truly national conversation and ensure that the BBC is reflective of the people it serves, wherever they come from and whatever their background. Once we have consulted widely, considered the views of stakeholders and assessed the evidence, we will outline our policy direction for the next BBC charter in a White Paper in 2026.
There will also be an opportunity to place a draft charter before both Houses before the current charter expires in 2027. The devolved Governments will be a key part of the conversation and I look forward to visiting Northern Ireland in the coming months. I have met the Northern Ireland Minister for Communities online, and I welcome further conversations with my devolved counterparts.
As we address vital issues about the future of the BBC, we must ensure that there is a sustainable funding model that is fair to those who pay for it. We will consider that area as part of the upcoming charter review. The media landscape has changed radically since the current charter was introduced in 2017, and the BBC faces key challenges to its sustainability. We cannot ignore the fact that the challenges to the funding model in its current form are increasing, and we are fully committed to retaining the licence fee for the rest of this charter period. However, for the BBC to succeed, it must have sustainable funding to allow it to adapt and thrive in a changing media landscape.
We are clear that what the BBC does and what it can achieve are inextricably tied to how it is funded, and those issues should be considered together. The charter review will be an important part of making sure that the BBC is supported to do that. The Government are keeping an open mind about the best solutions. As my Department’s work progresses, we will be working closely with the BBC and engaging with other broadcasters, stakeholders across the creative industries and the British public to inform our thinking.
While audience trends are changing, there are still millions of households that continue to rely on digital terrestrial television, also known as Freeview. I am glad to say that the continuity of the technology has been secured in legislation until at least 2034. The need to maintain traditional broadcasting platforms, at the same time as there is a shift to online viewing, is resulting in more choice for audiences, but it is creating financial pressures for our broadcasters, including the BBC.
Our project on the future of TV distribution will explore those issues. We will analyse how people receive their television programmes now, and through the next decade. It will help us to ensure the continuity of a sustainable TV ecosystem and the best outcome for audiences. As part of the project, I am glad to be chairing a new stakeholder forum on the future of TV distribution, allowing me to hear from TV stakeholders, including the BBC, infrastructure providers and groups that represent the interests of audiences. I will, of course, raise the issue of TV distribution when I next meet my counterparts in the devolved Governments.
The charter review provides us with an exciting opportunity to engage the widest possible range of voices on the future of the BBC. The Government are committed to having a truly national conversation as part of the charter review. It will be an honest, supportive and respectful debate that can give the public confidence in their BBC. We will provide more details on what that looks like and how stakeholders can contribute their views in due course, when we launch the review next year. The hon. Member for East Londonderry has contributed to that national conversation today, and for that I thank him.
Question put and agreed to.
Leisure Services: West Lancashire
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Harris. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire (Ashley Dalton) on securing this important debate. The public leisure sector plays an important role in the delivery of sport, physical activity and leisure across the country. It does that through vital community assets and infrastructure, such as swimming pools, sports halls, pitches and community spaces. Those assets can help to create a sense of pride in place and can improve community cohesion, whether through team sports, gym classes or children’s swimming lessons. We know they help to address and prevent long-term health inequalities, both mental and physical. They help to combat loneliness, grow the local economy, and provide jobs and purpose.
My hon. Friend knows that, and she has made a powerful and passionate case for leisure facilities in her constituency. By securing the debate, she has illustrated her commitment. She has met with and spoken to her local council, which I understand is facing significant pressures after the past 14 years, about the issue. While local authorities are responsible for decisions on sport and leisure provision in their areas, we recognise the challenges they face. I will ensure that the specific points raised about the financial position of West Lancashire borough council are brought to the attention of my ministerial colleagues in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as they look at the 2025-26 local government finance settlement.
My hon. Friend made some important points about swimming lessons. Swimming is a mandatory part of the primary physical education national curriculum. I will always remember my headteacher at primary school, Mr Kenny, saying that we all have to learn to swim because we live on an island. That stayed with me and I was lucky enough to have swimming lessons. As a former teacher, and as I look around my own constituency in Barnsley, I understand the importance of swimming lessons. The Department for Education works in partnership with Swim England, the Royal Life Saving Society UK and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to support schools to teach children how to swim and to know how to be safe in and around water. I will make sure my hon. Friend’s comments are reflected to that Department.
That said, my Department is responsible for the overall approach to leisure provision across the country. We work closely with Sport England, the Government’s arm’s length body for community sport, to invest more than £250 million of national lottery and Government money annually into some of the most deprived areas of the country to help to increase physical activity levels.
Since 2021, more than £5 million of funding has been invested by Sport England in the West Lancashire constituency. The Government recognise that high-quality, inclusive facilities help to ensure everyone has access to sport. We will continue to support grassroots sport, including the multi-sport grassroots facilities programme, which will bring about £123 million of investment across the UK this year.
Sport and physical activity are central to preventive health, and the biggest health gain comes from supporting those who are inactive, or less active, to move more. Around 28% of people in West Lancashire are inactive. We still want to see that figure come down. Physical activity interventions contribute an immense saving to the NHS by preventing 900,000 cases of diabetes and 93,000 cases of dementia every year. We are committed to working across Government to champion the role of physical activity in preventive health, ensuring it is a key part of the Government’s health mission. For public leisure that means looking at facilities’ potential to support communities on health needs in particular. We are looking at how co-location between sport and health services could help inactive groups. Sport England has taken a place-based investment approach, working with local authorities and active partnerships to encourage system-wide change.
I recently saw that in action in Essex, where local council leaders are working in partnership with Active Essex, local health services and leisure providers to knit services together. They are building strong links between health and leisure sectors, including co-locating services so that people have easy access to a wide range of physical activity opportunities. This means that people with, for example, long-term health conditions can access activities not only to improve their physical health, but that are fun and social as well. In some cases they contribute to getting people back into work.
I have seen the impact of leisure facilities in my own Barnsley South constituency. Your Space Hoyland, which I have visited a number of times, provides swimming, football, badminton, netball, basketball and a gym. The centre is not for profit and reinvests the money that it makes back into facilities. It is also home to a fantastic holiday activities and food programme in the summer, putting leisure at the forefront of the community. Sport and physical activity have a way of bringing people together—we all know that. There are multiple examples of similar work around the country.
GoodGym, for example, is adapting to tackle the increase in isolation and loneliness by offering opportunities to combine physical exercise with volunteering and providing ongoing support to individuals. As the Minister with responsibility for tackling loneliness, I am keen to see what more the Government can do in this space. I recently held a roundtable with organisations working on loneliness, and we will work to drive further progress over the coming months. More broadly, my Department will continue to look at ways to support such thinking as we look ahead to future policy around leisure facilities.
We appreciate the huge contribution that public leisure makes to health and wellbeing. We recognise the benefits of getting people active. My Department will continue to work with the sector to look at ways that health, wellbeing and leisure facilities can work more closely together and support people across the country.
My hon. Friend the Member for West Lancashire has made an important contribution today, championing her area, and I thank her for that.
Question put and agreed to.
Oral Answers to Questions
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
As set out in a written ministerial statement yesterday, the Government will introduce a statutory levy on gambling operators, which was a commitment made as part of the gambling White Paper in 2023. Society lotteries will be charged the levy at the lowest rate of 0.1%. I know that they are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups and sports clubs up and down the country.
Wendy Morton
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. The Minister clearly recognises, as we all do, the contribution that society lotteries make to our constituencies through various organisations. Does she recognise that not-for-profit society lotteries will have to fund any levy due from their charitable return, which the sector, and I think many of us, feel amounts to a charity tax?
Stephanie Peacock
My understanding was that the levy came after the money had gone to good causes, but I am not the Gambling Minister, who sits in the other place. I will happily arrange a meeting for the right hon. Member with the Gambling Minister.
Sonia Kumar (Dudley) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are committing to ensure that the community wealth fund delivers meaningful benefits across England. That is why we have allocated £87.5 million of dormant assets funding towards it. We will set out our position on the key design principles of the community wealth fund shortly.
Sonia Kumar
Given that Russells Hall in Dudley ranks on the local index in the top 2% of areas with the greatest need and that nearly half of working-age residents rely on benefits, will the Minister confirm what steps the Government will be taking to target places like mine that are doubly disadvantaged?
Stephanie Peacock
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I know Dudley well, and I know that she is a strong advocate for the area she represents. I reassure her that the Government are committed to supporting those places in need through the community wealth fund. We are working at pace on the details and delivery of the fund and will set out the next steps in due course.
Nick Timothy (West Suffolk) (Con)
Imran Hussain (Bradford East) (Ind)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Grassroots sports make a huge contribution to communities up and down the country, providing sport and physical activity opportunities, and a chance to socialise and learn new skills while supporting people’s health and wellbeing. The Government are supporting people to get active through our £123 million multi-sport grassroots facilities programme.
Imran Hussain
Grassroots boxing gyms, like many grassroots sports, offer their local communities unparalleled benefits. They are community hubs, they build skills and confidence and become safe spaces for young people to grow their talent. As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on boxing, I was delighted to launch two reports earlier this year that highlighted its huge social benefits. Unfortunately, these gyms remain very unfunded and rely almost entirely on the goodwill of volunteers. Will the Minister meet me and the all-party parliamentary group to discuss including dedicated grassroots funding in the sports strategy?
Stephanie Peacock
I know the hon. Gentleman is a huge advocate for boxing, and I was pleased to speak with him about it a few weeks ago. I have seen at first hand the impact that boxing can have. England Boxing was given £6.8 million by Sport England in 2022. I would be delighted to meet him to discuss the issue further.
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)
The Minister knows that grassroots sports provide enormous health, economic, welfare and community benefits. That is why today, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee is launching an inquiry that we are calling “Game On” into community, grassroots and school sports, and the interventions needed to improve them. What conversations is the Minister having with her counterpart in the Department for Education about how to work collaboratively to build a lifelong love and passion for sport, given the benefits for young people’s health and wellbeing?
Stephanie Peacock
I am incredibly grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for that important question. We work closely with the Department for Education; I chaired a roundtable with the Schools Minister on grass- roots sport and how to get sport into schools. I also convened a meeting on women’s sport, where representatives from the Department for Education were present. I would be delighted to discuss it further, and I know the Secretary of State would, too.
Natasha Irons (Croydon East) (Lab)
Jodie Gosling (Nuneaton) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
As set out following the Euro 2024 final, the Government are committed to supporting grassroots football clubs and facilities. The Government are investing £123 million this year to deliver pitches for grassroots football across the UK. Alongside that, the Government are supporting the Football Association’s ambition to double the number of three-star community clubs across the country.
Jodie Gosling
I thank the Minister for her detailed answer, and for all the work the Government are doing to support grassroots football. We have many grassroots football clubs in my constituency, including Nuneaton Town and Nuneaton Griff, and we understand their importance and contribution to the town. Both clubs have struggled recently, especially in securing a ground; they have to share one with their competitors in Bedworth. While we appreciate their hospitality, we would like to meet Ministers to talk about how to bring football home to Nuneaton.
Stephanie Peacock
I recognise the huge contribution to communities made by grassroots clubs such as the ones my hon. Friend has mentioned; I have seen that at first hand in my constituency in Barnsley. I appreciate the number of challenges those clubs face, and I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the options available.
Mr Andrew Snowden (Fylde) (Con)
Grassroots football is supported by medium and large community-based football clubs, such as AFC Fylde in my constituency, Chorley FC in your constituency, Mr Speaker, and Wigan Athletic in the Secretary of State’s constituency. Wigan sadly posted a £13 million loss for the last financial year. How does the Secretary of State think the club can make itself more financially resilient, given the significant impact that the need to pay national insurance contributions will have on their finances?
Stephanie Peacock
The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. That is why we are continuing the work of the previous Government by introducing our own Football Governance Bill to hopefully put football on a sustainable footing.
Rosie Wrighting (Kettering) (Lab)
Kettering Town FC are currently the leading FA cup goal scorers, and are in the second round of the men’s FA cup on Sunday. Will the Minister join me in wishing the Poppies the very best of luck in that game? What steps is she taking to improve the financial resilience of local clubs such as Kettering Town FC?
Stephanie Peacock
I will of course put on record that I wish the team good luck and send them my huge thanks and congratulations. The work that we are doing to support grassroots football, through our multi-sport grassroots facilities programme, will hopefully grow the grassroots game.
Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP)
The Minister will be aware that there is a sub-regional stadia strategy in Northern Ireland. Will she have discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland, to see what assistance, information and additional resources can be deployed to ensure there is widespread development of grassroots football in Northern Ireland?
Stephanie Peacock
I have previously had discussions with my counterpart in Northern Ireland and I will be delighted to do so again. I am hoping to visit Northern Ireland in the coming months.
Ben Goldsborough (South Norfolk) (Lab)
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)
The Minister with responsibility for sport graciously met me to discuss the future of London Irish in my Spelthorne constituency, and she undertook to ensure that the club would get the meeting with Sport England that it so desperately desired. Can the Minister give us an update?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
I was grateful to the hon. Gentleman for coming to speak to me about this issue. I will speak to my officials and make sure that we approach Sport England very speedily.
Alison Hume (Scarborough and Whitby) (Lab)
I would like to highlight the richly deserved King’s award for voluntary service that has been given to the 60 volunteers at Newby and Scalby library in Scarborough. The library’s services are innovative, including a summer reading challenge for children, an IT buddy service and a garden growing produce. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Newby and Scalby library on its award, and on the enormous contribution that it makes to our community in Scarborough?
Statutory Gambling Levy and Online Slots Stake Limit
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
I am repeating the following written ministerial statement made today in the other place by my noble Friend the Minister for Gambling, Baroness Twycross:
I wish to inform the House that His Majesty’s Government have today published their response to the public consultation entitled “Consultation on the structure, distribution and governance of the statutory levy on gambling operators”.
The current funding system for research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms reliant on voluntary donations from industry is no longer fit for purpose. While the industry’s significant uplift in the level of donations in recent years is welcome, we recognise that the quantum of funding is not the only requirement for an effective and equitable system.
That is why we are taking the decision to introduce a statutory levy as a priority, in line with our manifesto commitment to reduce gambling harms. The levy will be paid by operators and collected and administered by the Gambling Commission under the strategic direction of the Government. Today’s publication represents a significant change to funding and commissioning arrangements. It will deliver increased and trusted investment directed where it is needed most. This will further strengthen the evidence base to inform policy, and build an effective prevention and treatment system across the country. We want the public to be better aware of the risks of gambling, and for anyone suffering from gambling harms to access timely and effective support when and where they need it.
The Government will implement the statutory levy as follows:
The structure of the levy
The levy will be charged at a set rate for all holders of a Gambling Commission operating licence, depending on the sector. In recognition of the higher rates of problem gambling associated with products online compared to most land-based products, as well as the higher operating costs in the land-based sector, the levy will see online operators pay more towards research, prevention and treatment. The levy will be introduced via secondary legislation and ensure critical funding is flowing to priority projects and services in the next financial year.
We have had clear commitments from industry that operators will maintain their voluntary financial contributions to research, prevention and treatment under the current regime, especially to support the National Gambling Support Network, until the levy is in force. This consultation response should provide sufficient notice to licensees of our approach and ultimately delivers simplicity for all parts of the new system.
The distribution of the levy
The levy will be collected by the Gambling Commission, as above. To maximise the input of world-leading expertise and authority across our public bodies in the future system, the Gambling Commission will allocate funding to a commissioning lead for each of the research, prevention and treatment pillars:
Research will be allocated 20% of levy funding, and will be overseen by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to deliver a bespoke Research Programme on Gambling, and to the Gambling Commission to direct further research in line with the licensing objectives;
Prevention will be allocated 30% of levy funding to develop a comprehensive approach to prevention and early intervention with the lead organisation as yet to be decided. However, further consideration of the evidence is needed in order to appoint a lead commissioning body in this crucial and novel area for the Government’s approach to tackling gambling-related harm.
Treatment will be allocated 50% of levy funding and be overseen by NHS England, and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales, to commission the full treatment pathway, from referral and triage through to aftercare.
I recognise that many of those interested in this area have been expecting the Government’s final decisions on all aspects of the design of the future levy system, especially regarding prevention on which we consulted broadly. Ultimately, prevention is a crucial part of the Government’s efforts to further reduce gambling-related harm and it is important we take the time to get this right.
However, the statutory instrument introducing the levy is silent on the distribution of levy funding, and our overriding priority is to meet our commitment to having the levy in place by the summer.
That is why we are seeking to publish this initial response and progress the legislative process. We will continue to work at pace to finalise our decisions on prevention soon. Our aim is to publish a further response document in the coming months and I will update the House in due course.
The governance of the levy
A Gambling Levy Programme Board will be established to be the central oversight mechanism for the Government. This will bring together key Government Departments, including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, HM Treasury, the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. It will also include representatives from the Scottish and Welsh Governments to ensure the levy is making an impact on the ground.
Alongside the board, a Gambling Levy Advisory Group will be established to provide expert advice on funding priorities and emerging issues in support of commissioning bodies’ efforts to deliver on the Government’s objectives. We will conduct a formal review of the levy system within five years, where the structure and health of the levy system will be assessed and adjustments can be made to ensure we are achieving our aims.
Policy impact
While we expect the statutory levy will have some financial impact on gambling operators, we think these are necessary and proportionate. The levy will increase the independence of spending and Government oversight regarding commissioning decisions. It will play an important part in the Government’s wider aim to have a better informed and protected public when it comes to gambling-related harms. This investment will also ensure the Government and the Gambling Commission have the robust evidence needed to strike the right balance between freedom and protection as new challenges arise.
The publication today is further evidence of the Government’s continued commitment to tackling gambling-related harm. We want to ensure that people across our country can access trusted and quality information, support and treatment when it comes to gambling-related harms. We believe that the introduction of the statutory levy is a crucial step in meeting these aims. I will place a copy of the response to the consultation in the Libraries of both Houses.
Stake limits for online slots
Online slots are a higher-risk gambling product, associated with large losses, long sessions, and binge play. However, unlike land-based gaming machines which offer broadly similar games, they have no statutory stake limits. The Gambling Act Review White Paper, published on 27 April 2023 under the previous Government, committed to addressing the risk posed to players by these theoretically limitless online slots stakes. I wish to inform the House that His Majesty’s Government intend to proceed with the introduction of stake limits for online slots through a statutory instrument.
A consultation was run from 26 July to 4 October 2023 that invited views on a stake limit for online slots games of £2, £5, £10 or £15 per spin. It also outlined options for additional protections for those aged 18 to 24 through a £2 limit, a £4 limit, or specific protections on a case-by-case basis. Ministers have considered the consultation and available evidence and the Government have decided to introduce stake limits of £5 per spin for adults aged 25 and over. We will also introduce a statutory maximum limit of £2 per spin for young adults aged 18 to 24 years old, whom the evidence suggests can be particularly vulnerable to harms associated with high stakes play.
These stake limits will be subject to an implementation period. This means that, following debates in Parliament, operators will have six weeks from the day the statutory instrument is made by the Minister to implement the £5 limit and a further six weeks to implement the £2 limit.
The introduction of these stake limits is proportionate and is a key step in achieving the Government’s objective of reducing gambling-related harms. Importantly, these changes bring online slot games in line with existing restrictions on slot machines in casinos. These limits are also aligned with the recommendation made by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s second report of Session 2023-24, “Gambling regulation”, published in December 2023.
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Media Mergers Regime
Stephanie Peacock Excerpts(2 months, 1 week ago)
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are committed to a pluralistic media landscape, where citizens are able to access information from a range of sources in order to form opinions. The public’s ability to access a wide range of news, views and information about the world in which we live is central to the health of our democracy.
The Enterprise Act 2002 gives the Secretary of State (Lisa Nandy) the power to intervene in media mergers if she believes one or more public interest considerations may be relevant. The Secretary of State may ultimately order a media merger to be blocked or unwound if she decides that it has operated or may be expected to operate against the public interest.
However, the media landscape has changed significantly since the Enterprise Act became law more than two decades ago. The world has changed; Ofcom’s news consumption survey, published in September 2024, shows over two thirds (71%) of UK adults now access news online. It is essential that our regimes move with the times, are fit for purpose, and are future-proofed to protect the availability of a wide range of accurate and high-quality news, particularly for younger audiences, as technology and news habits evolve.
To reflect the way news is increasingly consumed and the need to protect the freedom of the press as a cornerstone of democracy, I am today launching a six-week technical public consultation on expanding the legislation governing media mergers, to allow the Secretary of State to intervene in mergers involving a wider range of print news publications, online news publications and news programmes. This follows advice from Ofcom as part of its 2021 statement on the future of media plurality.
The consultation will seek views from industry, Parliament, and the public, on whether our proposed updates to the regime achieve our desired effects.
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