Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) what support her Department is providing for grassroots theatre and community production groups; and (b) what assessment she has made of the potential impact of participation in grassroots theatre and community productions on the mental health and wellbeing of participants.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government recognises the vital role that the performing arts, including grassroots and community theatre, play in the lives of people and communities across the country, which the government supports primarily through funding via Arts Council England (ACE).

Through the National Portfolio Investment Programme, between 2024/25 and 2026/27, ACE will provide almost £100 million to theatre per year. This supports the work of a number of grassroots organisations, including Unanima, a theatre company based in Mansfield that receives £232,000 per year to help provide creative opportunities for learning disabled and autistic people. Similarly, ACE invests almost £45 million each year in theatre via National Lottery Project Grants, an open-access fund supporting projects at all levels. In February 2026, Julie Bagshaw received a £35,400 project grant for development costs for a community theatre project in Mansfield.

Community and grassroots theatre organisations also benefit from government support through Theatre Tax Relief; and in January, the Secretary of State announced the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund, to support venues that provide creative and welcoming spaces for communities to come together and celebrate what makes their area special.

In 2024, DCMS research showed that active arts engagement has a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Mental health benefits of attending cultural venues, including the theatre, was shown to have saved the NHS £260 million per year for adults over 50, delivering a total benefit of over £3 billion. Engagement in the arts was similarly shown to have had significant benefits on young people’s mental health, delivering a total benefit of around £800 million for young adults (aged 18-29) each year.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the detection and diagnosis of cancer in children and young people.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson

Children and young people with cancer face unique challenges. Our National Cancer Plan is the first to contain a specific section on children and young people. Its 17 actions include better access to diagnostic services, and evidence-based support tools for GPs. Alongside this, young patients and their families will face less stress as a result of our free travel scheme.