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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the museum sector.

In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture, to save more than 1000 arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England from closure. £160 million of this funding is earmarked for local museums. Many museums face financial challenges, and we take their concerns seriously: this year alone (2025/26), we have delivered £20 million through the new Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations across England to keep sites open, and allocated £25.5 million towards essential infrastructure projects via the Museum Estate and Development Fund. This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites.

In the coming weeks, DCMS and ACE will set out how museums can apply for new funding programmes available from next financial year. As the National Development Agency for museums, ACE also provides critical support for smaller museum sites via the Museum Development Network. Museums also benefit from further support, via the VAT Refund Scheme and Exhibitions Tax Relief. DCMS-sponsored national museums receive annual funding to support their operations and for critical infrastructure works.