Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department plans to ensure that the Arts Everywhere programme delivers long‑term improvements not dependent upon continued external funding.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Over the course of this parliament £1.5 billion will be invested across arts, cultural and heritage providing support to arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. It aims to keep venues open, finance urgent repairs and infrastructure projects, bolster long-term resilience, and widen access to arts and culture in communities that have faced under-investment. The funding is made up of:
£600 million infrastructure funding, which will support national museums and DCMS sponsored cultural organisations, and £160 million to our local and regional museums.
£425 million Creative Foundations Fund which will support approximately 300 capital projects in arts venues across the country.
£230 million for heritage, which includes:
£75 million for at risk heritage which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings;
£46 million for the Heritage Revival Fund; and
a new £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund
£27.5 million for the Libraries Improvement Fund.
£80 million capital funding over four years to benefit National Portfolio organisations that receive regular investment from Arts Council England, part of a 5% uplift next year for these organisations. This is the biggest uplift for an existing National Portfolio in decades and will directly support NPOs in your constituency, such as the Mercury Theatre and the Colchester Arts Centre.
The £600 million for DCMS sponsored cultural bodies is allocated through the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (PBIF) which is delivered directly by DCMS and allocated to eligible organisations.
The grant recipients for the £425 million Creative Foundations Fund, the £160 million investment for local and regional museums, and £27.5m Libraries Improvement Fund will be determined through competitive application processes, which will be administered by Arts Council England (ACE). The £230 million investment in heritage will be administered by Historic England and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
We are clear that this investment package will particularly support organisations in underserved areas. ACE currently prioritises funding to underserved places via their priority places strategy. Historic England has been using a place-based approach, with the current Heritage At Risk Capital Fund having a clear emphasis on delivering funding to the places that need it most. They will continue this approach with the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
The detailed criteria for individual funds will be announced in due course and we encourage arts and cultural organisations in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and Essex to apply for the competitive funds.
ACE and DCMS regularly assess the adequacy of national cultural infrastructure within England and identify places with higher need for cultural investment. As part of their Delivery Plan for 2021-24, ACE identified 54 places across England in which investment and engagement is too low, and opportunity for ACE to effectively increase investment and engagement is high. As part of this exercise Tendring and Basildon were prioritised for additional support and funding.
DCMS will monitor the impact of Arts Everywhere Funding via a series of independent evaluations of each funding programme. The department will procure these evaluations over the next year to assess the funding's impact on cultural organisations in England. Since the impacts of these capital programmes will only be measurable after this parliament ends, the department will work with contractors to develop interim monitoring measures for project completion.
Support for arts and culture in England depends upon a successful mixed funding model, in which external funding from individuals and business, trusts and foundations, plays a crucial role alongside earned income and public investment. This significant investment will help cultural organisations, up and down the country, fix long term issues and renovate their spaces allowing them to continue their creative programming attracting increased ticket sales and donations. It will help alleviate financial difficulties, supporting organisations to reach their communities, including children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This funding will also support community-led initiatives by maintaining and improving buildings, ensuring affordable spaces and improved facilities while enabling community arts groups to create, collaborate, and engage local audiences more widely. In addition, following the recent ACE Review, we are committed to ensuring that a repurposed Arts Council will be shaped around communities and local areas. DCMS is now working through these recommendations in detail with relevant departments, as well as ACE.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Arts Everywhere programme will include funding for community‑led initiatives.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Over the course of this parliament £1.5 billion will be invested across arts, cultural and heritage providing support to arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. It aims to keep venues open, finance urgent repairs and infrastructure projects, bolster long-term resilience, and widen access to arts and culture in communities that have faced under-investment. The funding is made up of:
£600 million infrastructure funding, which will support national museums and DCMS sponsored cultural organisations, and £160 million to our local and regional museums.
£425 million Creative Foundations Fund which will support approximately 300 capital projects in arts venues across the country.
£230 million for heritage, which includes:
£75 million for at risk heritage which provides grants towards repairs and conservation of historic buildings;
£46 million for the Heritage Revival Fund; and
a new £92 million fund called the Places of Worship Renewal Fund
£27.5 million for the Libraries Improvement Fund.
£80 million capital funding over four years to benefit National Portfolio organisations that receive regular investment from Arts Council England, part of a 5% uplift next year for these organisations. This is the biggest uplift for an existing National Portfolio in decades and will directly support NPOs in your constituency, such as the Mercury Theatre and the Colchester Arts Centre.
The £600 million for DCMS sponsored cultural bodies is allocated through the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (PBIF) which is delivered directly by DCMS and allocated to eligible organisations.
The grant recipients for the £425 million Creative Foundations Fund, the £160 million investment for local and regional museums, and £27.5m Libraries Improvement Fund will be determined through competitive application processes, which will be administered by Arts Council England (ACE). The £230 million investment in heritage will be administered by Historic England and the Architectural Heritage Fund.
We are clear that this investment package will particularly support organisations in underserved areas. ACE currently prioritises funding to underserved places via their priority places strategy. Historic England has been using a place-based approach, with the current Heritage At Risk Capital Fund having a clear emphasis on delivering funding to the places that need it most. They will continue this approach with the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund.
The detailed criteria for individual funds will be announced in due course and we encourage arts and cultural organisations in the South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency and Essex to apply for the competitive funds.
ACE and DCMS regularly assess the adequacy of national cultural infrastructure within England and identify places with higher need for cultural investment. As part of their Delivery Plan for 2021-24, ACE identified 54 places across England in which investment and engagement is too low, and opportunity for ACE to effectively increase investment and engagement is high. As part of this exercise Tendring and Basildon were prioritised for additional support and funding.
DCMS will monitor the impact of Arts Everywhere Funding via a series of independent evaluations of each funding programme. The department will procure these evaluations over the next year to assess the funding's impact on cultural organisations in England. Since the impacts of these capital programmes will only be measurable after this parliament ends, the department will work with contractors to develop interim monitoring measures for project completion.
Support for arts and culture in England depends upon a successful mixed funding model, in which external funding from individuals and business, trusts and foundations, plays a crucial role alongside earned income and public investment. This significant investment will help cultural organisations, up and down the country, fix long term issues and renovate their spaces allowing them to continue their creative programming attracting increased ticket sales and donations. It will help alleviate financial difficulties, supporting organisations to reach their communities, including children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This funding will also support community-led initiatives by maintaining and improving buildings, ensuring affordable spaces and improved facilities while enabling community arts groups to create, collaborate, and engage local audiences more widely. In addition, following the recent ACE Review, we are committed to ensuring that a repurposed Arts Council will be shaped around communities and local areas. DCMS is now working through these recommendations in detail with relevant departments, as well as ACE.
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what support is available to help UK-based organisations become a UKRI approved research organisation to allow them to apply for research grants.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
To apply to become an eligible organisation, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provides:
UKRI encourages organisations to engage with the relevant UKRI Research Council and further information can be found at: https://www.ukri.org/apply-for-funding/before-you-apply/apply-to-be-an-eligible-organisation/.
To become a UKRI-eligible RO, the entity must demonstrate independent capability to lead, manage, and report on research, with a strategy aligned to UKRI priorities. The entity must also be legally constituted, have a track record of research investment, and provide evidence of their ability to manage public funding, such as having a physical UK research base.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that military memorials are kept in good condition.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Responsibility for military memorials is split between several organisations, depending on the type and location of the memorial.
Across the globe, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintains 23,000 war memorials and war cemeteries commemorating 1.7 million commonwealth casualties who died during the First and Second World Wars. During the Financial Year 2024-25, the Ministry of Defence contributed £56.3 million Grant in Aid funding to support this core commemoration to a high standard, sometimes in inhospitable locations.
Additionally, there are many military memorials, both within the UK and abroad, which have been established, and are owned by institutions such as local authorities, charities, churches, museums, schools, businesses and private individuals. The care and maintenance of such memorials are the sole responsibility of the owner.
Asked by: Baroness Freeman of Steventon (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling currently attends the Construction Skills Mission Board; and if not, whether she plans to do so in the future to ensure that heritage building craft skills are represented.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Minister for Museums, Heritage Gambling is not a member of the Construction Skills Mission Board (CSMB). The CSMB is an industry-led group, consisting of construction senior leaders, small business representatives, and union representatives. Officials representing five supporting departments (the Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Business and Trade, Department for Education, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) observe meetings of the Board with relevant ministers joining when necessary. Historic England, Government advisors on the historic environment, advises the board on consideration on heritage skills via the CSMB sub committee on Repair, Maintenance and Infrastructure.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support independent museums.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government supports independent museums around the country through funding delivered via Arts Council England (ACE), with ACE investing over £80 million in museums in 2025/26 across its programmes. This funding includes £25 million to support museums across England with urgent infrastructure and maintenance backlogs through the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and a brand new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, both announced last February, in addition to core programming funding for the over 200 museum sites forming part of the National Portfolio. As the National Development Agency for Museums, ACE also funds the Museum Development Network, providing expert advice to smaller museums across the country, and delivers Cultural Property functions that support museums with everything from insurance, to new acquisitions.
Most recently, eligible independent museums could apply to the latest round of the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, launched in September 2025 to support local and regional museums to improve displays, enhance collections care and make exhibitions more accessible to wider audiences. Independent museums are also supported through government schemes including the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries, and the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with Londonderry and Strabane Council on potential support for programming at the Londonderry North Atlantic (DNA) Maritime Museum.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Responsibility for museums is a devolved matter and support for Northern Ireland’s museums is a matter for the Northern Ireland Communities Minister. I would therefore encourage Derry City and Strabane District Council to discuss support for the programming of the North Atlantic Maritime Museum in Derry/Londonderry with the Minister for Communities.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions his Department has had with Greenwich Hospital, Royal Museums Greenwich and the Greenwich Foundation on a coordinated plan to secure the future operations of the Old Royal Naval College.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College. In exercising his power to grant leases on the Old Royal Naval College, the Secretary of State gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access. Under the terms of their lease, responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. Public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware of the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery holding human remains in either their original or modified form; and whether they understand any such remains to have been among the items stolen from the museum's archive in September.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DCMS was alerted by Arts Council England at the end of October to a recent theft incident involving a storage facility operated by Bristol Museums. Fuller details about the scale of that incident were provided by the museum in mid December, at the time a police appeal was launched, following a museum-led audit. The museum holds human remains, however the department is not aware of any human remains being amongst the items stolen.
Museums in England operate independently from the government, and subscribe to ethical codes produced by the sector, and so it is for the museum’s leadership team to ensure the proper care of human remains, with policies kept under review. DCMS’ Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums, and recommends both the active management and monitoring of human remains storage, and adherence to suitable standards of security, access management and environmental conditions.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the arrangements for the storage of human remains at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery; and whether it complies with the relevant guidance.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
DCMS was alerted by Arts Council England at the end of October to a recent theft incident involving a storage facility operated by Bristol Museums. Fuller details about the scale of that incident were provided by the museum in mid December, at the time a police appeal was launched, following a museum-led audit. The museum holds human remains, however the department is not aware of any human remains being amongst the items stolen.
Museums in England operate independently from the government, and subscribe to ethical codes produced by the sector, and so it is for the museum’s leadership team to ensure the proper care of human remains, with policies kept under review. DCMS’ Guidance for the Care of Human Remains in Museums covers the curation, care and display of human remains in museums, and recommends both the active management and monitoring of human remains storage, and adherence to suitable standards of security, access management and environmental conditions.