Rachel Blake (Cities of London and Westminster) (Lab/Co-op)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The new national short-term lets registration scheme entered user testing at the end of October to ensure that it is robust and easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme ahead of its planned launch later in 2026. Secondary legislation will be required to enact the scheme and we intend to bring that forward when parliamentary time allows.
Rachel Blake
I appreciate the focus and attention that the Minister has brought to this issue, which is so essential in my constituency where about 6,000 homes are lost to short-letting. Will she share with us how she will capture the number of nights that properties are let out, as that is an essential part in ensuring that short-let properties do not go over the 90-day rule or breach any planning permission? Will she tell us how she will approach that matter?
Stephanie Peacock
The registration scheme will collect essential data to help authorities, but, as my hon. Friend knows and indeed secured a ten-minute rule Bill on the issue, the legislation does not address the issue around data sharing for the number of nights. I look forward to working with her to see whether we can rectify this issue to ensure that data is shared between platforms, and that hosts understand their responsibilities and give local authorities and Government the required data. I know from a number of meetings with her how important this issue is to her constituency, and she is a really big campaigner on it.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister very much for her answer. Indeed, I am always impressed with her answers. Those that she has given us this morning are equal to what she always gives to me and others in this House.—[Hon. Members: “Ah!”]
Back home in Northern Ireland, we have the same problem with short-term lets. This is about protection both of the landlords and of those who take on the short- term let. I know the Minister is a regular traveller to Northern Ireland, which we appreciate, so can she share what is happening here with those back home to ensure that the protection for everyone is equal across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Stephanie Peacock
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his incredibly kind comments. Following his question, I will set up a meeting with my counterpart to discuss this matter and he would be very welcome to join it.
Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)
Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
I feel all warm and happy after that lovely little exchange. This Government believe in the power of grassroots sport and that everyone should have access to quality sport and physical activity. The hon. Member will know that we recently committed a further £400 million to grassroots sport facilities so that every child and young person have the chance to live out their dreams.
Lincoln Jopp
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. In Spelthorne, we love our sport. I was playing walking cricket last week with the cricket club. I have been in the ring at the boxing academy and I have been to the dance academy. We also have Spelthorne FC, Staines & Lammas FC and Ashford Town (Middlesex) FC. I am inviting my hon. Friend the Member for Windsor (Jack Rankin) to come and watch Windsor and Eton play against my Ashford Town (Middlesex) team, and we look forward to a fantastic game. However, the jewel in our crown is the year 11 girls football team at Thamesmead school, which is in the last 32 of the country. Will the Minister wish them the huge amount of success that we all hope they will achieve when they play the Beacon academy from Kent—
Lisa Nandy
We have just announced the first allocations of the £400 million that we are investing in grassroots sport, but I would pay a lot of money to see the hon. Gentleman at a dance academy. May I take the opportunity to wish Thamesmead—both teams actually—the best of success in what should be a fantastic competition.
Charlie Dewhirst
Swimming is not just a sport, but a very important life skill, particularly for those of us who represent coastal communities. Unfortunately, over 1,600 swimming pools across the country are now more than 40 years old. The previous Government committed £80 million to renovating those swimming pools. What are the plans of the Secretary of State or Minister to continue the legacy of the previous Government and improve our swimming facilities?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the hon. Member for that question, and many hon. Members will thank him for it, as they have raised it with me and the Sport Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), consistently over recent years. The Sport Minister is working very closely with her counterpart at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to address this issue. We have made more funding available, but we now need to ensure that it gets to the right places, so that every child can access good swimming provision in their local area.
Mr Louie French (Old Bexley and Sidcup) (Con)
I refer hon. Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. On behalf of those on this side of the House, I congratulate everyone at Team GB for an incredible winter Olympics performance. Like many across the House, I was glued to the excellent coverage during recess, and was pleased to see online that the Sport Minister was in Milan supporting the team. We all know that the true value of Team GB’s success is their ability to inspire the next generation of athletes, so what steps is the Secretary of State taking to secure the legacy of these games in both the elite and grassroots facilities required for sports to succeed?
Lisa Nandy
The Sport Minister has just told me that more than 4,000 people have expressed an interest in the skeleton following Team GB’s fantastic performance, which really shows the power of these games. It was an absolute privilege to be out in Milan cheering on Team GB during the most successful winter Olympics ever.
The shadow Minister is absolutely right; we now must ensure that the lasting legacy of the games is in bringing forward the next generation. As well as committing future funding so that our athletes can succeed and we can bring people through from grassroots sport, as we have just discussed, one thing I discussed with the team in Milan was recognising in our honours system the people who helped those incredible athletes to get to where they were along the journey. It must not be just about the people who have succeeded and won medals; it is about time—it is long overdue—that our honours system recognised the ordinary men and women in grassroots sport who have helped people go on to do extraordinary things.
Mr French
I thank the Secretary of State for that answer, and I am sure we all echo her comments. She will be aware of the widespread concerns regarding the Government’s plans to water down the powers of Sport England and the much-needed protection for grassroots pitches. Before Christmas, leading sports figures led by former Lioness Jill Scott and Fields in Trust wrote an open letter highlighting their concerns for people’s health and wellbeing and for sport more generally if the Government allow pitches across the country to be concreted over. What action is the Secretary of State’s Department taking to try to force the Government to U-turn on this bad policy decision?
Lisa Nandy
This Government believe that we need a much more sensible and lighter-touch system of regulation in this country. In principle, that is something that Members on both sides of the House should be able to agree with. What we do not want is a reduction in the grassroots facilities that are available to communities. The Sport Minister has been working with the Housing Minister, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook), and Sport England—they met recently to discuss this—to ensure that we proceed in a sensible way that sees no reduction in the amount of facilities that are available.
James Asser (West Ham and Beckton) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Our national youth strategy sets out our plan to ensure that every young person has somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. It is backed by over £500 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding over the next three years.
James Asser
Based in North Woolwich in my constituency is Fight for Peace, a boxing and martial arts facility that also delivers employment and education skills for young people, helping to divert them from gangs and knife crime. Like so many organisations over the last few years, it has faced a tough time. Does the Minister agree that organisations such as Fight for Peace, which supports over 1,300 people and employs over 50 people, are vital for urban and inner-city communities like mine, and what more can the Government do to secure their future? May I also extend an invitation to the Ministers to visit North Woolwich and see the fantastic work that the club does?
Stephanie Peacock
Boxing clubs like Fight for Peace play a huge role in supporting young people’s physical and mental health. Through Sport England, funding for England Boxing between 2022 and 2029 will be over £9 million. I recently met with the all-party parliamentary group on boxing, and I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss this further and, indeed, to visit his constituency.
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)
We all know that actions speak louder than words. So far we have seen a reduction in the urban cricket domes that were committed to by the last Government, the scrapping of our National Citizen Service without anything to replace it and now, supposedly, an argument over who will be funding school sport. Social mobility depends on participation. Research by Sky found that girls who play after-school sport in the UK are 50% more likely to get professional roles as adults. What are the Government doing to address this, and can the Minister give us grassroots examples in our urban communities of where things are improving rather than getting worse?
Stephanie Peacock
I am grateful to the Chair of the Select Committee for all her work; it was a pleasure to meet her again yesterday. I do not recognise her representation of cricket domes. The previous Government simply did not fund them, but this Government has, announcing two new ones, alongside the £400 million of grassroots sports funding that the Secretary of State has referred to. On the National Citizen Service, we announced our national youth strategy, which was the first in over 10 years.
Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)
This Government are championing the UK’s living heritage: the crafts, customs and festivals that are important for local pride and community cohesion. Following the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO convention, we invite communities to submit their traditions to inventories of living heritage in the UK. Some examples are Up Helly Aa on Shetland, the Notting Hill carnival and, some might argue, the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon).
Rachel Hopkins
The end of May will mark the 50th Luton international carnival, which is the UK’s largest one-day carnival. I think that 50 years means it qualifies as a UK tradition—it is definitely a Luton tradition. Does the Minister agree that events such as Luton carnival are vital for celebrating the rich cultural diversity of our country and strengthening community cohesion, and may I invite him to Luton to join in with carnival this year?
Ian Murray
I would be delighted to go to Luton carnival; it sounds slightly less scary than participating in skeleton.
We would welcome a submission to the living heritage inventories for Luton carnival, which is an important event in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as she has laid out. Congratulations to everyone involved in organising the carnival, not just now but in the last 50 years. We want to celebrate the UK’s diversity and encourage diaspora communities to contribute, ensuring that all practices are fully represented in our living heritage inventories. I will pass on her kind invitation, as well as to me, to the Minister for Heritage in the other place, who I know had an enjoyable time learning about Luton’s rich heritage when she visited last year.
Mr Andrew Snowden (Fylde) (Con)
There is no finer UK tradition still lived out than drinking a cold beer and watching the local cricket team that has been there for decades. I recently visited St Annes cricket club. I should declare an interest as my dad was the professional there in 1973—he will probably not thank me for saying that, as that declaration is probably time-expired. Those clubs have relied on the revenue from their bars to support that wonderful tradition for many years, but the changes in national insurance costs and other cost pressures have completely eliminated the profits that many make and they are struggling to reinvest in facilities. What more support will the Government announce for our traditional British cricket clubs?
Ian Murray
The hon. Member makes a great point, and I congratulate to his father on being the professional at St Annes cricket club—I think he said that it was in 1973. If the hon. Member gets in trouble for saying that, I have just said it as well.
We know our cricket clubs and all our sports clubs are right at the heart of our communities. We want them to thrive and they should be thriving. This Government are fully committed to ensuring that all our sports clubs thrive. It is not just about enjoying that cricket with a cold beer, as the hon. Member says he does and like many hundreds of thousands do every Saturday, but about young people being involved and the way in which that takes them into the future of work and sport.
Ayoub Khan (Birmingham Perry Barr) (Ind)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
In December, we published “Youth Matters”, the first national youth strategy that this country has had in nearly two decades. The youth investment and better youth spaces funds have together invested three quarters of a million pounds in youth services in Perry Bar, and we have recently announced an additional £100,000 of funding for Birmingham to undertake preparatory work for the Young Futures hub and local youth transformation.
Ayoub Khan
I know that I would not be in this House—the mother of all democracies—and I would certainly not be a barrister, if I had not benefited from youth centres in my ward of Aston. I recognise how important they are. We have lost somewhere in the region of 50 youth workers in Birmingham and my constituency lost out on the Pride in Place funding, which was £20 million that we could have benefited from. Given the importance of youth centres, the loss of Oakland youth centre and the risk of closure of Lozells Recreation Group, will the Secretary of State meet me and representatives of youth clubs in my constituency to see how we can ensure that that service remains in my area?
Lisa Nandy
I absolutely share the hon. Member’s assessment about the vital role of youth provision and the devastating impact that the 73% cuts to youth provision under the last Government made to the life chances of young people. The Sport Minister will be more than happy to meet him to discuss that issue.
Mr Speaker
Before the Minister responds, I point out that the question is linked to Perry Barr in Birmingham. The hon. Member is well away from Birmingham, and I am not quite sure that his question links to youth services—good luck.
Lisa Nandy
I am sure, Mr Speaker, that the people of Birmingham Perry Barr are clamouring for a hobby hub. In that spirit, I will address the important point that the hon. Member makes. Our national youth strategy is the first time we have put young people in the driving seat of their own lives. We handed over money and power to a generation of young people who told us that they need three things: somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. That is why we are investing in the next generation of youth centres and youth workers. To the point made by the Chair of the Select Committee, the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage), I was delighted to be in Grimsby a couple of weeks ago where we opened an OnSide youth zone, which had people queuing for miles down the road to come in and see the incredible provision that we have been able to fund and back. I will certainly consider his proposal, and I would be keen to work with him as we help to rebuild youth work and youth centres, connect people to one another and turn around over a decade of decline.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
In December, we published “Youth Matters”, the first Government strategy in over a decade for young people up and down the country. It will, of course, run alongside other major Government investments, including the youth guarantee and the expansion of mental health support teams in schools.
Peter Swallow
Last week, I dropped into the Wayz youth centre in Bracknell to celebrate its 60th anniversary—that is, 60 years of supporting young people in Bracknell Forest, developing their skills and helping them find and use their voice. This Government are backing the youth centre with our national youth strategy, which young people from the Wayz contributed to. I am delighted that the Government have announced more capital funding to support youth centres after many years of neglect. What specific funding pots are available for the Wayz because when a youth centre is 60 years old, there is always a need to invest in the day-to-day upkeep?
Stephanie Peacock
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a strong champion for his constituency, and to Wayz for all its work over the last 60 years. The strategy is backed by £500 million of new funding, £350 million of which will be available till the end of March 2030, to refurbish or build youth facilities through our better youth spaces programme. We are committed to working with areas of greatest need across the length and breadth of England, and I will write further to him.
Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)
I have not personally had any discussions with my counterpart in the Hellenic Republic on the future of the management of the sculptures. The sculptures are legally owned by the trustees of the British Museum. The chair of the British Museum has been in discussions with the Greek Government about a partnership, including reciprocal loans.
Andrew George
I am grateful to the Minister for that response, and I should declare an interest as the chair of the British Association for the Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures over the last 20 years. The British Museum’s planned redevelopment will necessitate its board agreeing the relocation of many of its exhibits, including the Parthenon sculptures. In the light of that, it is suggested that the time is right for the museum, with the consent and constructive support of Government, to facilitate an exhibition of those sculptures in the Acropolis Museum in Athens where they can be displayed alongside other artefacts. Does the Minister agree that should such a project be agreed by the museum, it would enhance the reputation of the United Kingdom as it would be seen as a gracious act between two nations that are long-term international allies?
Ian Murray
It is clear that the UK and Greece do indeed have a strong bilateral relationship built on our shared history and values. We greatly value the friendship that exists between our people and our Governments. It is for the British Museum to seek to reach an agreement with the Greek Government on the loan of the sculptures, as the British Museum is operationally independent from Government, as he knows with his long track record on this. But if they do reach an agreement, the Government would not stand in the way of such a loan.
Gareth Thomas (Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
The Government are committed to ensuring that people of all ages have the opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle. Sport England invests over £250 million of lottery and Exchequer funding annually into grassroots sport to support people of all ages. That includes multiple campaigns designed to encourage active lifestyles.
Gareth Thomas
The clearly remarkable Fay Bond took up athletics at the age of 90 and won three gold medals last year at the US senior Olympics at the age of 101—the oldest of over 12,400 older athletes who took part. Given the many benefits of an active lifestyle in later life, when might the first UK senior Olympics take place?
Stephanie Peacock
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Team GB at the winter Olympics. It was a real pleasure to be out in Italy cheering them on in their most successful winter games yet.
I pay tribute to the lady the hon. Gentleman mentioned. We want everyone, whatever their age, to be able to be active, and we are always interested to hear ideas about future major sporting events.
Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)
Bridgwater is the home of carnival. At nearly 180 years old, ours is the oldest carnival in the UK. This fantastic cultural event promotes an active lifestyle among the whole community. However, every year the cost of complying with legislation makes it that little bit harder to continue. Will the Minister meet with me and members of the carnival to discuss what support might be available so that this fantastic spectacle continues for another 180 years?
Stephanie Peacock
I am aware of the issue and would be delighted to meet the hon. Member to discuss it further.
Olly Glover (Didcot and Wantage) (LD)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)
We encourage local authorities to continue to work in partnership with key players in local arts ecosystems, such as Arts Council England, and make the most of the opportunities provided by the mayoral strategic authorities to deliver strategically for culture in their areas. Furthermore, the Government are providing substantial financial support to local governments, committing an additional £3.4 billion in grant funding by 2028-29. That commitment is underpinned by the creative industries sector plan, which includes a £150 million creative places growth fund to support it.
Olly Glover
Local councils in my Oxfordshire constituency work hard to secure public arts funding through developer contributions for our growing population. However, some existing cultural venues are struggling. The much-loved Vale and Downland Museum in Wantage is having to rely on one-off grants to plug funding gaps and has had an annual average deficit of £24,000 a year since 2020. In that context, what more can the Minister do to help our local councils to provide funding for museums and cultural venues in my part of Oxfordshire?
Ian Murray
The hon. Gentleman raises a very good point. Our museum renewal fund, worth £20 million, is supporting three museum groups in Oxfordshire, including Vale and Downland Museum in his constituency. Our new museum transformation programme, a 5% funding uplift for the ACE national portfolio organisation and the museum development network will further support the museum sector in 2026-27. Museums in difficulty are encouraged to reach out to Arts Council England, which can provide guidance and support. I encourage the hon. Gentleman to consider the town of culture competition, which has been very popular with Members across this Chamber, to see if he can get more funding in that way.
Leigh Ingham (Stafford) (Lab)
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre in my constituency is absolutely smashing it in my constituency of Stafford, Eccleshall and the villages. It welcomed 150,000 people last year and is likely to welcome 170,000 this year. The pantomime alone welcomed 19,500 people—oh yes it did!
Leigh Ingham
Thank you. [Laughter.] Does the Minister agree that thriving venues in towns such as Stafford demonstrate the appetite for culture in our local places? What are the Government doing to support towns like Stafford?
Ian Murray
I thank the hon. Member for being a wonderful champion for Stafford and for culture and arts in Stafford. In February, we announced £1.5 billion over this Parliament for the arts everywhere fund, which is broken down to make sure that we can support infrastructure in every part of the country. The Secretary of State’s and Department’s commitment is to make sure that there is arts and culture everywhere for everyone, and the Department will do everything we possibly can to make sure that gets to Stafford.
Maya Ellis (Ribble Valley) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
My hon. Friend is a fantastic champion for young people in her constituency. She will know, having worked with us to deliver the first national youth strategy in decades, that we are allocating over £500 million of funding for youth provision over the next three years. She will also know that, most importantly, the way in which we allocate funding is changing. Rather than imposing settlements on communities for things that they did not ask for and do not need, our funding is driven by the grassroots and what communities need. If they need a new building, transportation or different facilities—whatever it may be—we will pay for it.
Maya Ellis
I welcome the universal approach of our new youth strategy, but in my Ribble Valley constituency, in which communities are small and often far away from city-centre youth hubs, young people miss out on support. Their family may be just about managing, but dual-career households and long hours leave little time to take children to activities. This country has an inequality problem, but it also has a productivity problem. I have had welcome conversations with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how we can unlock real entrepreneurship, ambition and opportunity for young people, in order not only to reduce unemployment rates but to unlock and capitalise on the incredible energy and ideas of our young people. How will the Secretary of State ensure that, while we rightly support those most in need, we also provide all young people with third spaces for ideas and creativity?
Lisa Nandy
I would be very keen to work with my hon. Friend to ensure that we get the right funding for the right provision in her constituency. As she would expect, I am working closely with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that we hang on to young people from the earliest age all the way through to adulthood. I represent a very rural constituency, so I recognise the challenges that my hon. Friend talks about. That is why we are doing things differently, led by the grassroots. I would be very happy to talk to her about how we deliver for people in Ribble Valley.
Joe Robertson (Isle of Wight East) (Con)
It is all very well for the Secretary of State to talk about her version of support for youth services, but that is of little consolation to young people who cannot get a job because youth unemployment is up under this Government. Will she relay that message to the Chancellor?
Lisa Nandy
The hon. Gentleman talks about my “version of support”; it is not mine, actually. This Government have put this generation of young people, who were so badly let down by the hon. Gentleman’s party over many years, back in the driving seat of their own lives. This is not my strategy; it is theirs, and we are determined to deliver on their promise.
It is a bit rich for Conservatives to sit there and talk about letting down young people, after the devastation that they wreaked for so long on a generation, and given that, as the hon. Gentleman well knows, we announced in the Budget investment to ensure that the 1 million young people not in education, employment or training, who the Conservatives had left on the scrapheap, now have guaranteed work, education or training as a right. What did the Conservatives do? They opposed every single measure in that Budget, they opposed all the ways in which we proposed to pay for it, and they labelled it a boost to welfare provision. He knows full well that it is the lifeline that young people have been waiting for.
David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Lisa Nandy)
Many Members from across the House have raised with me their deep concern following the broadcast of a highly offensive racial slur during the BBC’s broadcast of the BAFTAs. As Members would expect, I was in contact with the director-general immediately following the broadcast, and I am pleased that an investigation is now under way to ensure that this never happens again.
May I also take this opportunity to congratulate Team GB on their most successful winter Olympics ever? To update the House, since we last met, we have unveiled the biggest ever investment in the arts. This Government are committed to ensuring that the arts are for everyone, everywhere.
David Chadwick
Despite a spirited performance at the weekend, Welsh rugby is in crisis. Clubs are demanding a vote of no confidence, and supporters fear a stitch-up that wipes the Ospreys off the map, ending professional rugby in Swansea. Does the Secretary of State agree that the leadership of the Welsh Rugby Union has lost the confidence of the grassroots game, and should step aside?
Lisa Nandy
Rugby union plays a vital role in our national identity. It matters to hugely to many Members of this House, almost as much as rugby league—the finest form of rugby, Mr Speaker. I appreciate the serious concerns of Welsh rugby fans, including the hon. Gentleman. He knows that the UK Government have no role in the operations of Welsh Rugby Union. Welsh sports policy is the responsibility of the Welsh Government and Sport Wales, so I strongly suggest that he raise his concerns with them.
Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stephanie Peacock)
Spending on youth services in England saw a 73% reduction under the last Government. Too many areas like my hon. Friend’s then had no youth services. That is why our national youth strategy, backed by over £500 million, is reversing that trend, and I would be happy to discuss it further with him.
Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con)
As mentioned by the Secretary of State, this week’s BAFTA awards—a great celebration of British creativity—were marred by the unnecessary airing of involuntary comments by Tourette’s campaigner John Davidson. It appears a microphone was placed close to John, and some offensive comments were aired, despite a two-hour delay. This no doubt well-intended attempt at inclusivity has caused great anxiety to John and great offence to many others. Does the Secretary of State agree that the BBC and BAFTA must not only investigate this matter but apologise?
Lisa Nandy
I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for raising this and to the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage), who I know has raised her concerns directly with the BBC as well. The shadow Secretary of State heard what I said a moment ago. I think it is fair to say that this Government and I were not satisfied with the initial response from the BBC, and we need to see much swifter action taken in these instances and action that results in this not happening again; I think we are all deeply concerned that there have been too many incidents of this kind.
I thank the shadow Secretary of State for the sensitive way in which he raised this. We all want to make sure that the BAFTAs and all our award ceremonies are inclusive places where people with Tourette’s, who have been shut out of society for too long, can be fully included. The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), met BAFTA this week to talk about how we exercise a better duty of care to all concerned.
Nigel Huddleston
I thank the Secretary of State for that response. When the Labour Government cut the budget for the listed places of worship scheme, it was suggested that we should not worry because it never runs out of money. Well, it has now run out of money. As the details for a new scheme have not yet been announced, uncertainty is growing, and vital repair work is being postponed or cancelled altogether. Will the Government follow the Conservative lead and commit to fully restoring the budget for the listed places of worship scheme and to releasing information about the new scheme as a matter of urgency?
Lisa Nandy
The shadow Secretary of State knows that this is important to this Government. These incredible buildings and places of worship stand at the centre of our communities, and it matters deeply that we preserve and protect them. But he will also know that there were serious challenges with the previous scheme, including the fact that his Government left the economy in such a parlous state that there was no funding available going forward, despite their commitments. We have committed to a new scheme that ensures we can get funding to not just those places that can already raise the money for their own buildings but those places where money is in short supply. We are designing that scheme and will bring forward details of it shortly.
John Whitby (Derbyshire Dales) (Lab)
Stephanie Peacock
I know this is a concern to Members across the House—I have met and corresponded with a number of them. It is an issue that is incredibly important to both me and the Secretary of State, who met with players impacted by this to hear their stories. I will be hosting a roundtable discussion shortly with the football bodies to explore what more can be done. Our priority is for the football authorities to provide greater clarity on the available funding and to ensure enough money is available to provide those impacted with the support they need.
Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)
Stephanie Peacock
Sport England is not losing its status; there is a consultation. The Prime Minister and I have met a number of times to discuss the issue. Having committed £400 million to grassroot sports, we do not want to see playing fields and grassroots sports reduced.
Daniel Zeichner (Cambridge) (Lab)
The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts (Ian Murray)
It is not just about building homes and economic drivers; it is about building cultural and heritage communities as well. It is fantastic to see so many infrastructure projects taking shape across Cambridgeshire and Cambridge this year. Cambridge already has a fantastic cultural offer, with Arts Council England’s national portfolio programme already supporting organisations like the New International Encounter and Oblique Arts, both of which work with communities across the region. I encourage my hon. Friend to ask all of his cultural organisations to look at the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere fund—that record funding was announced last month—and maybe the city or town of culture programme.
Rishi Sunak (Richmond and Northallerton) (Con)
Richmond, North Yorkshire, is home to brilliant cultural assets like Richmond castle, the Georgian Theatre Royal, the Station and the Green Howards Museum. It has a unique place in our national story, with a history stretching back to Norman times and a record of successfully putting on community events, like MayFest. This gateway to the dales is also the UK’s most copied place name: it is the original Richmond but there are more than 100 across the world, from America to India. Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Richmond Yorkshire Community Interest Company, which is putting a great bid together to be the UK’s town of culture?
Lisa Nandy
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for championing Richmond’s town of culture bid. I have been following the work of the community interest company with interest. It has brought together an incredible group of people and gathered huge public support for the bid. The question that the Mayor of Richmond asked recently was, “Why not Richmond?” I concur with those remarks and encourage the company to continue its work.
Peter Swallow (Bracknell) (Lab)
Stephanie Peacock
The “30 by 30” programme seeks to recruit 40,000 more cadets across the UK. We are working with the MOD to do that. They do incredibly important work, and my hon. Friend raises an important issue.
Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
On Saturday, the cream of UK music will gather in Manchester for the annual Brit awards, and I am sure the Secretary of State would like to wish everybody all the best for that. UK music has grown for the 11th consecutive year, and UK artists are starting once again to re-emerge in global markets, including through the success of Lola Young and Olivia Dean, but there are issues. Artist remuneration, touring in Europe and the threat of AI continue to emerge as threats. Will the Secretary of State continue to engage with the sector and ensure that all those issues are addressed?
Lisa Nandy
I am absolutely delighted that the Brits will be held in Manchester this year, and I will, of course, be in attendance. The hon. Gentleman raises a serious point. Whether through our work on the voluntary levy to get funding into grassroots music venues or our work with the music industry to solve the challenges posed by the issues around AI and copyright, he is right to say that we need to work to support what is not just an incredible industry that brings joy to millions of people all over the world, but one of the UK’s best exports.
Dame Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)
Northern industries built this nation, but the previous Government did not care about our industrial heritage, which is one reason why Newcastle’s iconic swing bridge no longer swings. On her recent visit, the Minister for Heritage encouraged us to take the steps necessary to safeguard its future, but what help can the Secretary of State provide to support the funding necessary to get the swing bridge swinging?
Ian Murray
I commend my hon. Friend’s campaign for Newcastle’s swing bridge in its 150th anniversary year. I know the Minister for Heritage, who sits in the other place, has been dealing closely with her on those issues. I understand that Newcastle city council is leading a feasibility study on returning the bridge to full operation, which should help us to understand if and how this magnificent grade II listed building and scheduled monument can be brought back to life. I share my hon. Friend’s aspiration to allow the bridge to swing.