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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funds he has budgeted to support Hull as UK City of Culture 2017 in each financial year until 2017-18.

DCMS has committed no direct funding to support Hull as City of Culture 2017. While DCMS funds the selection competition for the UK City of Culture programme, it does not offer any direct funding to the winning city. However, Arts Council England (ACE) have increased their investment in Hull, with over £3m for national portfolio organisations in the city from 2015-18, including Hull Truck Theatre which has recently benefited from additional ACE funding. Government also recently announced £1.5m funding to support the Ferens Gallery's ambitions to host the Turner Prize in 2017.