Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 24 June 2026 to Question 10180 on Southbank Centre: Public Appointments, what is the role of Ministers in appointing the Chair of the Southbank Centre; and what agreements or memorandums of understanding govern the allocation of government funding to the Centre and whether there are any provisions in relation to the conduct of the board and the public body.

From February 2026, the power to appoint new trustees and a Board Chair was vested in the trustees of the Southbank Centre, having previously been a power reserved for the Secretary of State for the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This change to the charity's governing document was made with the Secretary of State's consent. This change is set out in the Southbank Centre's Annual Report and Accounts for 2025-26, which were laid in Parliament on 15th July 2026.

This now means the Southbank Centre operates in line with other independent arts organisations. As a charity, all Southbank Centre trustees are subject to charity law, and as an Arts Council-funded organisation, the Southbank Centre must adhere to the expectations on appointments set out by the Arts Council.

The Southbank Centre does not currently receive funds directly from the Department, but is supported as a National Portfolio Organisation by Arts Council England. Standard Terms and Conditions for National Portfolio organisations, along with Arts Council's "Relationship Framework" which sets out how Arts Council works with funded organisations and its expectations of them.

These are available at the following weblink: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/NationalPortfolio23/key-information-2023-26-npos-and-ipsos#t-in-page-nav-1