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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the number of women and girls participating in motorsport.

The Government is dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport. Female role models are vital in encouraging more girls to get active and find a route into the sports they enjoy.

We welcome the continued growth of the Formula 1 Academy in providing opportunities for young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition in motorsport, and are supportive of its focus on uncovering the next generation of young female drivers.

I also recognise the work organisations such as Motorsport UK and the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club are taking forward to increase female participation within the sport.

In the broader field of motorsport, I also recently met with Formula One to congratulate them on their amazing 75th anniversary last month. This milestone provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the sport’s long history in the UK, of which we are very proud, and we will continue to work closely with them to see how best we can further support the success story of Formula One in the UK.