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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Arts Council England on the potential impact of reductions in funding for English National Opera.

The Secretary of State and Ministers regularly meet Arts Council England, as an arm’s length body of the Department, to discuss a number of topics.

The decisions made by Arts Council England about which institutions to fund, and by how much, in its 2023–26 Investment Programme were taken at arm's length from HM Government. This is in accordance with the well established process, which is published on the Arts Council’s website and made clear in the guidance for applicants. As such, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not, nor should it, review individual decisions.

We are pleased that both Arts Council England and the English National Opera are working together on possibilities for the future of the organisation. Arts Council England has set a provisional budget of up to £24 million to support the English National Opera, subject to successful application, for 2024–26. This is in addition to the £11.46 million of funding already awarded to the ENO for the period April 2023 to March 2024 while it develops its future plans. Further detail was published in the joint statement on 12 April 2023 and can be accessed online. DCMS officials are helping to convene relevant parties and support finding a way forward.