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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the funding criteria for the Museum Renewal Fund to include museums that are independent charities.

The Museum Renewal Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, will invest an additional £20m in our treasured civic museums across England, and is now open to applicants.

Museums run by independent charities are eligible to apply, where they have links to Local Authorities, which can be evidenced in a number of ways, as set out in the guidance: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/our-open-funds/museum-renewal-fund-2025-26.

This government is committed to supporting museums to continue doing what they do best: serving communities, caring for and sharing Collections, and telling our national story at a local level. The government operates several tax and grant schemes for museums, including the Museum Estate and Development Fund, Museums VAT Refund Scheme, and Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax relief, to support large numbers of museums all over the country.