Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources. The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils' Core Spending Power on 2024-25.

For Libraries specifically, the Secretary of State announced in February 2025 a further £5.5 million of the Libraries Improvement Fund for 2025-26 to enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology. Nottinghamshire County Council has previously received £399,086 from this fund to support projects in a number of their libraries.

The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires the Secretary of State to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England”. To assist this function the department regularly monitors and reviews changes to local authority library service provision, and engages with local authorities to discuss their respective library service.

The Government’s NHS 10 Year Health Plan recognises the importance of physical activity in tackling the nation’s health and relieving NHS pressures. The latest evidence provided by Sport England shows that physical activity directly prevents 3.2 million cases of long term health conditions per year, including 1.3 million cases of depression and 600,000 cases of diabetes, equating to over £10 billion worth of healthcare savings each year.

The FA’s Social Return on Investment 2024 report estimates the 15.7 million participants involved in grassroots football contribute £11.8 billion to society in direct economic value, as well as over £3.2 billion in savings to the NHS through prevention of diseases.

The Civil Society Covenant was launched by the Prime Minister in July at a major civil society summit. Its ambition is to strengthen relationships and encourage partnership between civil society and all levels of UK government. Achieving this will require the collective commitment of organisations across the full breadth of both civil society and government.

At the launch we also announced the initial steps that DCMS is taking to implement the Covenant. This includes establishing a cross-sector Joint Civil Society Covenant Council to drive implementation and provide strategic oversight, and a Local Covenant Partnerships Programme to support collaborative working at the local level between civil society and public sector organisations. We are making progress and plan to share details and engage civil society in due course.

Football ticket price limits are commercial decisions and a matter for football clubs.

The Independent Football Regulator will consider the pertinent factors to club sustainability as part of its first State of the Game report. This report must be completed within 18 months of the Secretary of State laying secondary legislation specificing the competitions in scope of the regime.

Football ticket price limits are commercial decisions and a matter for football clubs.

The Independent Football Regulator will consider the pertinent factors to club sustainability as part of its first State of the Game report. This report must be completed within 18 months of the Secretary of State laying secondary legislation specificing the competitions in scope of the regime.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone is vitally important. In sport, National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm, including through adherence to statutory safeguarding guidance. Our Arm’s Length Body Sport England funds the Child Protection in Sport Unit and Ann Craft Trust to provide guidance and support for the sector regarding safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

For civil society groups, The Charity Commission provides clear guidance on the safeguarding responsibilities of registered charities, and the Government works in partnership with charities and regulators to raise awareness about safeguarding.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) also provides guidance to all voluntary organisations, including religious groups, on their legal safeguarding responsibilities when working with children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. This funding builds upon the additional £80.3 million being delivered in England this year through the Football Foundation as part of the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.

As part of the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme’s ongoing delivery, officials are in regular contact with the Football Foundation to understand levels of demand, and how to best plan strategically to deliver community projects - now, and in the future. This includes engaging with the Football Foundation regarding their recently refreshed Local Football Facility Plans, which inform how they plan and target their investment.

In July, I held a roundtable with several of the sector’s National Governing Bodies and the Football Foundation to discuss future funding of community sports. We are continuing to work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, and will then set out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The Government is fully committed to our elite sport system and enabling our Paralympians to achieve their potential and excel on the world stage. UK Sport have committed nearly £75 million to support the LA 2028 Paralympic cycle for new and returning Paralympians. We will soon get to see our Winter Paralympians compete in Milan-Cortina 2026, who have benefited from a nearly £8 million package of support.

The Backing The Best programme, managed by SportsAid for Sport England, also supports para-athletes who would face difficulties progressing through their sport’s talent development system without support.

The Women’s Sport Taskforce convenes a group of industry experts which aim to understand opportunities and break down barriers to deliver equal access, best in class facilities, ongoing professionalisation of women’s sport, visible role models to inspire future generations of girls and a strong pipeline of UK hosted major events by the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The National Physical Activity Taskforce (NPAT) was established in 2023 under a previous government to monitor the delivery of the sport strategy Get Active, which went beyond women’s sport in its focus. This group has now closed.

To ensure the BBC is on a stable financial footing, the Government has committed to the current licence fee model for the remainder of the current Charter period.

The licence fee will increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of this Charter period, as required by the Licence Fee Settlement agreed by the last Government in 2022.

Looking ahead, the Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that it must be funded by a model that is sustainable. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

To ensure the BBC is on a stable financial footing, the Government has committed to the current licence fee model for the remainder of the current Charter period.

The licence fee will increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of this Charter period, as required by the Licence Fee Settlement agreed by the last Government in 2022.

Looking ahead, the Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that it must be funded by a model that is sustainable. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

Under the Charter the BBC is required to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain. With regard to the provision of services internationally, as the BBC is operationally independent, decisions on whether and how the BBC makes its content available to licence fee payers abroad are therefore for the BBC to make independent of government.

DCMS has not made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling access to BBC iPlayer for license fee payers while abroad. However, it is worth noting that the ability of the BBC to make content available is limited in large part due to rights agreements. The BBC does not hold the international rights to many of the programmes it carries on iPlayer, and therefore cannot provide audiences outside the UK with access to the iPlayer service.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport meets regularly with representatives of the BBC on a range of matters.

With regard to the digitisation of the BBC archives, the BBC has an obligation under their Framework Agreement to both maintain an archive, and give the public reasonable opportunities to visit the archive and view material kept there. As the BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the Government, decisions on how it discharges its obligations in relation to its Archive Services are a matter for the BBC.

This government recognises the vital role that charitable organisations and community groups play in improving people’s health and wellbeing. These organisations, as well as the wider Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, are integral to the Government’s vision for national renewal and delivery of the five national missions.

DCMS supports VCSEs with their financial sustainability through a number of grant programmes, and supporting the growth of other sources of funding. The Government’s Social Enterprise Boost Fund is an up to £5.1 million package of funding to kickstart and accelerate social enterprise activity in four disadvantaged areas of England. We also provide support to charities through a range of tax reliefs and exemptions, with more than £6 billion in charitable reliefs provided to charities, Community Amateur Sports Clubs and their donors in 2023-24.

We also have the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Programme, which is a mechanism through which the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency work together with VCSE organisations to drive transformation of health and care systems; promote equality; address health inequalities; and help people, families, and communities to achieve and maintain wellbeing. This will help the government to deliver on the Health Mission, and in particular the shift to prevention, through a cross-sector approach.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. High-quality, inclusive facilities, including curling rinks, help people get active.

In June, we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. This funding will be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities that promote health and wellbeing and remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. High-quality, inclusive facilities, including curling rinks, help people get active.

In June, we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. This funding will be invested in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities that promote health and wellbeing and remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

The Government intends to consult on changes to maximum stakes and prizes for Category D gaming machines, to understand if this would be an appropriate way to support the family entertainment centre sector while maintaining protections for children and young people. Category D machines include seaside arcade staples, such as crane grabs and coin pushers. The consultation will seek evidence and feedback from a range of stakeholders on maximum stakes and prizes for these machines. We intend to launch the consultation this year.

The Government does not have plans to review stakes and prizes for other categories of gaming machines at this time.

As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector. DCMS have engaged with The Independent Game Developers Association, including through the industry-led UK Video Games Council, to discuss proposals for enhanced tax relief support for lower budget productions.

There are a multitude of factors to consider when deciding on new tax reliefs beyond return on investment and sector impact, and the government is committed to ensuring that all public money is spent and targeted effectively across the creative industries and wider economy.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape.

Future proposals on gambling duties are a matter for HM Treasury. Should changes to the tax regime be announced in the Autumn Statement, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HM Treasury, as is standard practice.

Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport. In financial year 24/25, the Levy raised £108 million for the purposes of supporting horse breeds, advancing veterinary science & education within the industry and facilitating general improvements to the sport.

DCMS commissioned an independent evaluation of the UK Games Fund (UKGF) by Alma Economics which was published on 18th July 2025. This evaluation assessed the fund’s impact between April 2022 and March 2025, as well as previous iterations of the programme since 2015.

The evaluation found that:

1. UKGF was estimated to contribute around 430 additional FTE jobs in the video games sector during the three years evaluated.

2. UKGF-funded companies surveyed leveraged an additional £18.2m in funding, which exceeds the total £13m invested into the fund.

3. On IP development, 74% of beneficiaries agreed or strongly agreed that their prototype or video game would not have been completed without UKGF support, which was associated with an eight-percentage-point increase in the probability of beneficiaries having developed a prototype or video game after one year of funding, compared to those who did not receive UKGF support.

The evaluation did not measure the fund’s impact on studio formation but, in response to interviews, some applicants commented that UKGF was well-targeted to smaller studios early in the development process, noting it as a critical funding source for games studios that had not yet made a game in full.

As part of the recently published Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government announced the £30 million Games Growth Package, including an expansion of the UKGF over the next three years. While we do not have an assessment of the fund’s impact over the next 12 months, it is anticipated that the programme will achieve greater impact with its increased funding.

The then Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism met with the newly formed Video Games Council in September where the availability of business training for entrepreneurs in the video games sector was discussed.

As noted in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Video Games Skills Strategy is being developed and published in 2025 by a sector-convened UK Games Skills Network. This will build on findings from the Creative Industries Council Skills Audit, giving video games skills organisations and delivery partners a clear remit for tackling persistent skills gaps.

The Government looks forward to this important piece of industry-led work to assess sector needs, including in business training for entrepreneurs.

Currently, businesses are able to access Business & IP Centres, coordinated by the British Library, that provide businesses and entrepreneurs with access to IP knowledge, market intelligence, and support services, with locations across the UK.

As outlined in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government will also work with industry to support sector training pathways through a new DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum.

Since 10 July 2024, 114 regulated appointments and reappointments have been made to the Boards of the Department for Culture, Media & Sport’s public bodies.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That’s why the Government is investing £98 million throughout 2025/26 to build and upgrade pitches and facilities UK wide. Funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is invested in England through Sport England and our delivery partner, the Football Foundation. The Football Foundation plans their investment pipeline based on Local Football Facility Plans which have been developed in partnership with local authorities, community FAs and other sport stakeholders.

On top of this, we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports and health club facilities in England, through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.

We are working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, and will then set out further plans on how future funding will be allocated across the UK.

We are preparing for the upcoming Charter Review which we expect to launch later this year.

The current Charter sets out the steps that the Government must take during any Charter Review. This includes consulting with the BBC, Ofcom, Devolved Governments and Parliament. We will be seeking views from the public through a consultation before taking any decisions regarding the future of the BBC. The public consultation will ensure that members of the public are able to share their views and inform our policy-making. There will also be the opportunity for Parliamentary debate before the final Charter is published.

The Government Art Collection (GAC) does not claim copyright in digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain. The GAC has not sought or received guidance about the assertion of copyright, aside from Crown Copyright. The decision to license images for commercial and non-commercial use through a contractual agreement is an operational decision taken by the GAC, based on commercial contract law for the access and supply of digital assets.

There are no current or scheduled plans for the GAC to allow high-resolution images of works of art that are in the Government Art Collection and in the public domain to be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use.

The Government Art Collection (GAC) does not claim copyright in digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain. The GAC has not sought or received guidance about the assertion of copyright, aside from Crown Copyright. The decision to license images for commercial and non-commercial use through a contractual agreement is an operational decision taken by the GAC, based on commercial contract law for the access and supply of digital assets.

There are no current or scheduled plans for the GAC to allow high-resolution images of works of art that are in the Government Art Collection and in the public domain to be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use.

The Government Art Collection (GAC) does not claim copyright in digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain. The GAC has not sought or received guidance about the assertion of copyright, aside from Crown Copyright. The decision to license images for commercial and non-commercial use through a contractual agreement is an operational decision taken by the GAC, based on commercial contract law for the access and supply of digital assets.

There are no current or scheduled plans for the GAC to allow high-resolution images of works of art that are in the Government Art Collection and in the public domain to be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use.

The Government Art Collection (GAC) does not claim copyright in digital reproductions of two-dimensional artworks that are in the public domain. The GAC has not sought or received guidance about the assertion of copyright, aside from Crown Copyright. The decision to license images for commercial and non-commercial use through a contractual agreement is an operational decision taken by the GAC, based on commercial contract law for the access and supply of digital assets.

There are no current or scheduled plans for the GAC to allow high-resolution images of works of art that are in the Government Art Collection and in the public domain to be downloaded free of charge for non-commercial use.

The Government has allocated up to £23 million to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in 2025/26. This year’s scheme will end on 31 March 2026 or when the budget is exhausted, whichever is the sooner. Funding after March 2026 will be considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.

In order to help applicants plan, we publish an online tracker showing remaining funding. This indicates remaining budget and is not an underspend. We typically see an upsurge in claims towards the end of the financial year. £7,774,560 worth of funding has been used to date. The tracker can be found at https://listed-places-of-worship-grant.dcms.gov.uk/.

As the responsible department, DCMS Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders about gambling.

Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.

As the responsible department, DCMS Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders about gambling.

Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.

The DCMS-sponsored museums take their responsibilities to extend engagement with their Collections seriously. As Arm’s Length Bodies national museums operate independently and are responsible for developing their own policies, including around the provision of images, and for taking appropriate commercial and legal advice. Policies can be found on the respective websites and image licensing portals of the museums, many of which provide users with the ability to view high resolution images.

The government strongly supports efforts to expand the reach and impact of the national museums, including digitally, while also recognising and encouraging efforts to balance this against the need to raise private income. Government-backed digitisation projects and investment in Collections databases since the Covid pandemic have resulted in marked increases in the accessibility of Collections records. The wider museums sector, whilst not directly funded by the department, is also making progress in increasing digital access to Collections, with the support of organisations and initiatives such as Art UK, the Museum Data Service, and the AHRC-funded Towards a National Collection research project.

The department is working with the national museums to understand the extent and pace of further planned digitisation work, alongside opportunities provided by new work to establish a Creative Content Exchange, to ensure we are both maximising public access to culture, and positioning our cultural organisations to engage fruitfully with the AI revolution underway.

The DCMS-sponsored museums take their responsibilities to extend engagement with their Collections seriously. As Arm’s Length Bodies national museums operate independently and are responsible for developing their own policies, including around the provision of images, and for taking appropriate commercial and legal advice. Policies can be found on the respective websites and image licensing portals of the museums, many of which provide users with the ability to view high resolution images.

The government strongly supports efforts to expand the reach and impact of the national museums, including digitally, while also recognising and encouraging efforts to balance this against the need to raise private income. Government-backed digitisation projects and investment in Collections databases since the Covid pandemic have resulted in marked increases in the accessibility of Collections records. The wider museums sector, whilst not directly funded by the department, is also making progress in increasing digital access to Collections, with the support of organisations and initiatives such as Art UK, the Museum Data Service, and the AHRC-funded Towards a National Collection research project.

The department is working with the national museums to understand the extent and pace of further planned digitisation work, alongside opportunities provided by new work to establish a Creative Content Exchange, to ensure we are both maximising public access to culture, and positioning our cultural organisations to engage fruitfully with the AI revolution underway.

The DCMS-sponsored museums take their responsibilities to extend engagement with their Collections seriously. As Arm’s Length Bodies national museums operate independently and are responsible for developing their own policies, including around the provision of images, and for taking appropriate commercial and legal advice. Policies can be found on the respective websites and image licensing portals of the museums, many of which provide users with the ability to view high resolution images.

The government strongly supports efforts to expand the reach and impact of the national museums, including digitally, while also recognising and encouraging efforts to balance this against the need to raise private income. Government-backed digitisation projects and investment in Collections databases since the Covid pandemic have resulted in marked increases in the accessibility of Collections records. The wider museums sector, whilst not directly funded by the department, is also making progress in increasing digital access to Collections, with the support of organisations and initiatives such as Art UK, the Museum Data Service, and the AHRC-funded Towards a National Collection research project.

The department is working with the national museums to understand the extent and pace of further planned digitisation work, alongside opportunities provided by new work to establish a Creative Content Exchange, to ensure we are both maximising public access to culture, and positioning our cultural organisations to engage fruitfully with the AI revolution underway.

The DCMS-sponsored museums take their responsibilities to extend engagement with their Collections seriously. As Arm’s Length Bodies national museums operate independently and are responsible for developing their own policies, including around the provision of images, and for taking appropriate commercial and legal advice. Policies can be found on the respective websites and image licensing portals of the museums, many of which provide users with the ability to view high resolution images.

The government strongly supports efforts to expand the reach and impact of the national museums, including digitally, while also recognising and encouraging efforts to balance this against the need to raise private income. Government-backed digitisation projects and investment in Collections databases since the Covid pandemic have resulted in marked increases in the accessibility of Collections records. The wider museums sector, whilst not directly funded by the department, is also making progress in increasing digital access to Collections, with the support of organisations and initiatives such as Art UK, the Museum Data Service, and the AHRC-funded Towards a National Collection research project.

The department is working with the national museums to understand the extent and pace of further planned digitisation work, alongside opportunities provided by new work to establish a Creative Content Exchange, to ensure we are both maximising public access to culture, and positioning our cultural organisations to engage fruitfully with the AI revolution underway.

A response was sent to the Honourable Member on 25 September 2025. I apologise for the delay.

The future of the grant scheme funding after March 2026 will be considered as we work through the results of the Spending Review and Departmental business planning process.

The Department has had various meetings with representatives of the Church and other stakeholders on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In June 2025, the Heritage Minister met church leaders including Marsha de Cordova MP, who is the Second Church Estates Commissioner.

In January this government announced that we would extend the Listed Places of Worship Scheme for one year with an overall budget of £23 million, coming into effect from April 2025. Previous to that the budget for the scheme was up to £42 million, with an average spend of £29 million per year between 2017 and 2024. However, to ensure the £23 million budget remains affordable, claims are now capped at £25,000 per place of worship.

This means there is a saving of approximately £6m per year.

Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of the Civil Society Covenant which was launched by the Prime Minister in July at a major civil society summit. To inform the development of the Civil Society Covenant, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with over 1,200 organisations and worked closely with the Civil Society Advisory Group, including representatives from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) alongside a wide range of other civil society organisations.

At the launch we announced the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council which will be central to the delivery of the Covenant, setting direction and providing strategic oversight for its implementation. It will have cross-sector membership comprising senior leaders from civil society and senior representatives from government departments. We also announced a Local Covenant Partnerships Programme to support collaborative working between civil society organisations, local authorities and public service providers to deliver services that better meet the needs of their communities.

We will continue working in the spirit of partnership as we establish and develop both the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council and the Local Covenant Partnerships Programme.

Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of the Civil Society Covenant which was launched by the Prime Minister in July at a major civil society summit. To inform the development of the Civil Society Covenant, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with over 1,200 organisations and worked closely with the Civil Society Advisory Group, including representatives from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) alongside a wide range of other civil society organisations.

At the launch we announced the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council which will be central to the delivery of the Covenant, setting direction and providing strategic oversight for its implementation. It will have cross-sector membership comprising senior leaders from civil society and senior representatives from government departments. We also announced a Local Covenant Partnerships Programme to support collaborative working between civil society organisations, local authorities and public service providers to deliver services that better meet the needs of their communities.

We will continue working in the spirit of partnership as we establish and develop both the Joint Civil Society Covenant Council and the Local Covenant Partnerships Programme.

For millions of people in this country, their faith and belief identity is a crucial part of their lives, and our nation is enriched by our diverse tapestry of faiths and beliefs. This government celebrates the central role of faith, including the Christian faith, in our national life. Churches, such as the Church of England, contain many Christians whose faith guides their moral outlook and inspires them to public service and helping those in need.

This government is committed to harnessing the power of faith for national renewal, helping us to make progress against our missions. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is funding a number of cohesion and interfaith projects this financial year, including the Near Neighbours programme delivered by the Church Urban Fund, a charity affiliated with the Church of England.

Over the last year, my own department has been delivering the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is a £25.5 million fund to support VCSE organisations across England to save money on energy bills. The fund was designed to help groups with rising energy costs and was targeted at those delivering key frontline services. Recipients of the fund have included over 40 churches and faith-based organisations.

The Department does not include clauses within grant offer letters requiring organisations to adopt specific policies related to paternity or other forms of parental leave as such a requirement would likely go beyond the obligations which can be enforced by the terms and conditions of a grant. Grants are an investment in a specific project which is being run by the grant recipient rather than for the wider operation of an organisation.

The Department also does not require organisations to have specific paternity or other forms of parental leave policies in place when bidding for grants.

In the event that it became apparent that a grant recipient was not operating within its legal obligations in regard to paternity or other forms of leave then the Department could consider terminating the relevant grant agreement under clause 54 of the standard grant agreement which includes illegal activity as an event of default and therefore a reason for grant termination.

The Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events.

The Government holds regular discussions with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and World Rugby, as joint venture partners, to ensure the successful delivery of the Women's Rugby World Cup (Women’s RWC) 2025. The Secretary of State and I attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup 100 ‘Days to go’ launch event in May 2025, where we discussed tournament delivery with senior RFU figures and other stakeholders.

I also met with senior RFU figures while supporting England at the opening fixture and semi final of the Women's Rugby World Cup and discussed the delivery of the tournament.

We are confident that the great collaboration which has taken place across all delivery partners will result in a landmark moment not just for women’s rugby but for women’s sport.

This Government recognises the vital role that charities play up and down the country, by providing crucial targeted support to different groups and communities.

DCMS is promoting the availability of funding for smaller charities in several ways. This includes delivery of a number of grant schemes, such as the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund and the £25.5 million Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Energy Efficiency Scheme, which is supporting frontline organisations across England to improve their energy efficiency and sustainability.

The Youth Investment Fund is also funding over £300 million to over 250 projects in targeted areas to build, renovate and expand youth facilities in less advantaged areas of England. Alongside this, the £30.5 million Better Youth Spaces fund recently launched for smaller capital projects in youth facilities.