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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to bid for the 2031 Special Olympic Games; and whether she has had discussions with relevant stakeholders on the potential merits of such a bid.

The UK has a strong record of delivering events that unite diverse communities and reflect inclusivity, creativity, resilience and openness and the Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events. We recognise that major sporting events deliver significant socio-economic benefits and play a unique role in bringing people together, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and showcasing the UK’s cultural and sporting identity both domestically and internationally.

We are always keen to work alongside our arm’s-length body UK Sport and other stakeholders to grow and develop our strong pipeline of events. We prioritise support for events based on a range of criteria, which includes how far they help create social and economic benefits for the UK and contribute towards the Government's Plan for Change.