Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Swansea West constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Swansea West. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 218,000 payments delivered in Swansea West through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 11,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, over £18 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £63 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Swansea West with over £34 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Swansea West has also received over £25,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.
In addition, Swansea Council, the local authority for the Swansea West constituency, is receiving over £41 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Swansea is also receiving over £20 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the Copperworks site and Swansea Museum. Swansea West also benefits from the £235 million Swansea Bay City Deal, including investment in the Swansea Arena and 71-72 Kingsway projects.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Arfon constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Arfon. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 157,000 payments delivered in Arfon through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 9,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, over £22 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and over £36 million was given to businesses through government backed business loans
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Arfon with over £10 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Arfon has also received over £70,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.
In addition, Gwynedd, the local authority for the Arfon constituency, is receiving over £24 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Gwynedd is also receiving over £18 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the LLewyrch o’r LLechi project which includes upgrades to walking and cycling routes for the National Slate Museum. This is in addition to the £250,000 awarded to the Tyn Llan Pub in Llandwrog through the Community Ownership Fund. Arfon is also benefitting from the £240 million North Wales Growth Deal, including a £3 million investment in the Digital Signalling Processing Centre at Bangor University.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Dwyfor Meirionnydd. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 203,000 payments delivered in Dwyfor Meirionnydd through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 11,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £34 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and over £62 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Dwyfor Meirionnydd with over £680,000 awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Dwyfor Meirionnydd has also received over £23,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.
In addition, Gwynedd, the local authority for the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency, is receiving over £24 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Gwynedd is also receiving over £18 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the LLewyrch o’r LLechi project which includes upgrades to walking and cycling routes for the National Slate Museum. Dwyfor Meirionnydd will also benefit from the £240 million North Wales Growth Deal.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions Ministers in (a) her Department or (b) other Departments have had with their Indian counterparts on the ownership and location of the Amaravati Marbles; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Ministers in the department and in other departments have not had any discussions about the Amaravati Marbles with Indian counterparts.
The Amaravati Marbles are lawfully owned by the British Museum, where they are on public display, and can be visited for free by the millions of visitors who go to the museum each year.
The British Museum operates independently of the Government, and decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum.
The British Museum, as well as some other national museums, is prevented by law from removing objects from their collections, with a limited number of exceptions - none of which apply in this case. The Government has no plan to change the law.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with heritage bodies about the backlog of works to buildings of national importance both in the public and private sectors.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with heritage public bodies, including Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, regarding buildings of national importance. The Government, along with national agencies, local authorities, and the wider heritage sector, works to champion England’s heritage, including by providing financial support for heritage assets. This includes:
the £82 million Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), providing funding to undertake vital infrastructure and urgent maintenance backlogs for non-national accredited museums in England (a round of projects awarded funding through this was announced on Monday 20 March);
various grants delivered through Historic England for the repair and conservation of listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and registered parks and gardens, including approximately £11 million per annum in repair grants for heritage at risk;
the £360 million Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund 2021–22, which addressed maintenance and infrastructure upgrades at DCMS-sponsored cultural bodies including the fifteen sponsored museums, the British Library, and the British Film.
Asked by: Lord Boateng (Labour - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the trustees of the British Museum about the return of artefacts of historic, cultural or religious significance in the Museum’s collection to their countries of origin where the legality of their acquisition has been contested; and whether this includes the Ethiopian tabots.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Objects in the collection of the British Museum are legally owned by the Trustees of the British Museum, which is operationally independent of Government. Discussions and decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections are therefore a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum.
Some national museums, including the British Museum, are prevented by legislation from deaccessioning objects in their collections unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. The two exceptions to this are when the objects are human remains less than 1,000 years old, and objects spoliated during the Nazi-era. The Government has no plans to change these laws.
The British Museum has said that it recognises the significance of the tabots and has held meaningful talks with the Ethiopian Church on this sensitive issue. The Museum’s stated ambition is to seek to lend these objects to an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the UK. The Government fully supports the Museum’s Trustees in their approach.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the work of a British Museum team in the discovery of an early Sumerian Palace at Girsu/Tello, funded by the Getty Museum, and (2) making provision of similar funding for the training of Iraqi archaeologists and the conservation of Iraq’s antiquities under the Cultural Heritage Protection Programme.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is proud of the partnership between the British Museum, the Getty Museum and the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities. HM Government supports the protection of cultural heritage – particularly in regions at risk from conflict, instability and climate change – through the Cultural Protection Fund, which includes support for training and education.
Since its inception, the Cultural Protection Fund has supported and continues to support a number of projects in both Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. This included the Iraq Scheme which from 2015 to 2021 trained over 50 staff from the State Board of Antiquities. The Girsu Project builds on the legacy of the scheme and we congratulate the British Museum for its part in recent excavations in Tello.
In November 2022, 17 new Cultural Protection Fund projects were awarded funding. Four of these will support the preservation of cultural heritage in Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan. The projects include archaeological training, safeguarding folk music, and the preservation of maritime craft and life in the wetlands of Southern Iraq.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that cultural attractions around the UK provide sufficient access for disabled people.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is committed to improving the accessibility of our cultural and heritage attractions across the UK for everyone, regardless of their background.
In June 2021 the Government Disability Unit launched an enhanced programme of Disability and Access Ambassadors. As part of this, David Stanley was appointed as the Arts and Culture Disability and Access Ambassador. The Department is working closely with him to improve accessibility to the sector for people with disabilities.
DCMS investment has enabled important accessibility upgrades in cultural venues across the country, including via the joint DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, and via infrastructure grants to DCMS-sponsored cultural bodies. Examples include support for level access at the National Gallery, and new lifts, ramps, and signage at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, amongst other projects.
DCMS’s arm’s-length body The National Lottery Heritage Fund has a longstanding commitment actively to promote accessibility in heritage through its grant-making. The Heritage Fund invested £950,900 in the Curating for Change placement programme, led by and for disabled people, working with 16 national and local museums to deliver employment opportunities. In 2022 research was undertaken by ‘Vocal Eyes’ to improve digital access and information on cultural sites, to expand engagement with blind and visually impaired people.
Arts Councils across the UK are also working together with the British Film Institute to launch a free, UK-wide arts access scheme by early 2024. This scheme will operate across all arts and cultural venues, for seamless, barrier-free booking which is responsive to individual circumstances and needs.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will place in the Library of the House correspondence between the Department and the British Museum on the Parthenon Sculptures in the last two years.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum are legally owned by the Trustees of the British Museum, which is operationally independent of Government. Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum.
The British Museum is prohibited by law from deaccessioning items from its collection, and we have no plans to change the law.
The only discussions the Department has had on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures occur within the formal meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property at UNESCO – the last one being attended by Government officials in May 2022.
The Department does not hold discussions on this matter with external parties, including with John Lefas, and consequently does not have additional material to place in the Library of the House.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with external parties on the Parthenon Sculptures in the last two years.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Parthenon Sculptures in the British Museum are legally owned by the Trustees of the British Museum, which is operationally independent of Government. Decisions relating to the care and management of the museum's collections are a matter for the Trustees of the British Museum.
The British Museum is prohibited by law from deaccessioning items from its collection, and we have no plans to change the law.
The only discussions the Department has had on the matter of the Parthenon Sculptures occur within the formal meetings of the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property at UNESCO – the last one being attended by Government officials in May 2022.
The Department does not hold discussions on this matter with external parties, including with John Lefas, and consequently does not have additional material to place in the Library of the House.