Information between 14th January 2026 - 24th January 2026
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Tuesday 20th January 2026 9:30 a.m. Culture, Media and Sport Committee - Oral evidence Subject: Major events At 10:00am: Oral evidence Phil Batty OBE - Chief Executive at Glasgow 2026 Organising Company Ruth Hollis OBE - Chief Executive at Spirit of 2012 Claire McColgan CBE - Director of Culture & Major Events at Liverpool City Council At 11:00am: Oral evidence Jason Barrett - Chief Executive at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Major General Simon Brooks-Ward Adrian Lambert - Chief Operating Officer at Hay Festival View calendar - Add to calendar |
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Theatres: South Cotswolds
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds) Wednesday 14th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support small theatres in South Cotswolds constituency. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Government values the important role small theatres play in enriching our culture and boosting the economy, and we were pleased to see theatres like Papatango in the South Cotswolds constituency accessing nearly £15,000 of support from ACE last year. We were also pleased to launch the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund to help grow the cultural sector. £85 million of that will go into the Creative Foundations Fund, which will help improve arts venues across the country, including theatres of all sizes. ACE will notify all applicants of the outcome of their full application, and commit funding by 31 March 2026.
The government primarily supports theatres through Arts Council England (ACE). Through their main funding programme, the 2023-2027 National Portfolio Investment Programme, ACE is providing over £100 million in grants per year to around 195 theatres across the country. Across all their funding programmes, including lottery schemes, for the financial year 2024-25, ACE awarded around £300 million to theatres/theatre based organisations. ACE’s open funding programme, National Lottery Project Grants, is currently accessible to organisations and individuals across the country, including those in the South Cotswolds constituency.
The government is also supporting theatres through the tax system. At the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government confirmed that from April 2025, Theatre Tax Relief on production costs would be set at the rates of 45 per cent for touring productions and 40 per cent for non-touring productions.
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Sports: Older People
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West) Wednesday 14th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to encourage the take-up of sport by people aged over 70. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including older people, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities to stay fit and healthy.
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Gambling Commission: Costs
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) Wednesday 14th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason employment and wage costs have increased at the Gambling Commission since April 2017. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Since April 2017, the Gambling Commission’s headcount has increased to maintain its capacity and capability to regulate a growing sector, which is subject to heightened public scrutiny. The Commission has also, like other public bodies, awarded its staff inflationary pay increases which are consistent with the Civil Service Pay Remit. Costs have also increased due to higher statutory pension and National Insurance contributions.
Other factors which have created an increase in employment costs include the Fourth National Lottery Licence competition and transition, and the Commission's delivery of commitments from the 2023 Gambling White Paper
In recent years the Commission has also increased its investment in enforcement and intelligence to tackle illegal gambling, and strengthened its anti-money laundering and sports betting integrity functions.
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Tourism: Northern Ireland
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on linking America250 initiatives to transatlantic tourism promotion focused on Ulster migration and maritime heritage in the North West of Northern Ireland. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) DCMS recognises the significant cultural and historical ties between Northern Ireland and the United States as we approach the America250 in 2026.
While tourism is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive, DCMS maintains a regular dialogue with Ministerial counterparts through the Interministerial Group for Tourism. This forum will provide a valuable opportunity to discuss how America250 can be leveraged to drive economic growth and tourism across all parts of the United Kingdom.
VisitBritain is the national tourist board for Britain, it has a statutory duty to promote England, Scotland, and Wales as a destination to international visitors. As set out in the Good Friday Agreement, tourism is an area of North-South co-operation, as such the promotion of destinations across the Island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland, falls under the remit of Tourism Ireland. VisitBritain has a strong relationship with both the travel trade and tourist board in Northern Ireland, and regularly work together on joint funded projects and activity such as trade missions.
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Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Asked by: Lee Pitcher (Labour - Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of ending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on (a) listed religious buildings and (b) their congregations. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process. |
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Artificial Intelligence: Loneliness
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns within the medical community about potential risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence chatbots by individuals seeking emotional support and companionship when experiencing loneliness. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) While no such assessment has been made, this Government recognises the importance of exploring innovative approaches to tackle loneliness, whilst protecting people's safety and wellbeing. |
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Historic England: Midlands
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the funding allocation is for the Midlands Regional Office of Historic England for the (a) 2025-2026 financial year and (b) 2026-2027 financial year. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) DCMS funding allocation is given to Historic England, it is then an operational decision for them how much funding is allocated to each region. Historic England have confirmed that, for 2025/26 the Midlands region operation budget is £2,507,700. The funding allocation for 26/27 is not yet determined. |
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Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending in March 2026 on listed places of worship in West Dorset constituency. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process. |
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Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of the case for extending the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond March 2026. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process. |
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Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Thursday 15th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department is taking to support rural listed places of worship in constituencies such as West Dorset if the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is not extended beyond March 2026. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme ending on listed places of worship in the West Dorset constituency. While we have confirmed the extension of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme until 31 March 2026, the future funding of the scheme after this date is being assessed and considered as we work through the output of the Spending Review and the Departmental business planning process. |
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Sports: South Basildon and East Thurrock
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of access to sports and physical activity facilities in areas of South Basildon and East Thurrock with higher levels of deprivation. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. In England, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports 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. Sport England works closely with local partners, including Active Essex, to support community-led interventions to improve access to sport and physical activity. The constituency of South Basildon and East Thurrock received a total of £17,600 of Sport England funding in 2024/2025. In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working 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. |
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Historic England: West Midlands
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what payments were made by Historic England to local authorities in the West Midlands in each of the last ten years by (a) type of payment and (b) local authority. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
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Rugby: Finance
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of recent financial losses on the long-term stability of the Premiership Rugby union. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government. The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union. I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue. During the Pandemic, the previous Government loaned £158 million to rugby union to support organisations impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on favourable terms. Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans. As with all borrowers, it remains the responsibility of the organisation to ensure their longer term sustainability. |
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Premiership Rugby: Rugby Football Union
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Rugby Football Union about recent financial losses in Premiership Rugby. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government. The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union. I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue. During the Pandemic, the previous Government loaned £158 million to rugby union to support organisations impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on favourable terms. Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans. As with all borrowers, it remains the responsibility of the organisation to ensure their longer term sustainability. |
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Rugby: Clubs
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support the financial sustainability of Premiership Rugby clubs. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government. The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union. I have met with the RFU and Prem Rugby previously to discuss the long-term financial sustainability of professional rugby union, and my officials regularly engage with the RFU and Prem Rugby on this issue. During the Pandemic, the previous Government loaned £158 million to rugby union to support organisations impacted by COVID-19 restrictions on favourable terms. Sport England, in their role as DCMS’s Loan Agent, regularly engages with borrowers to monitor their financial position, and works with them to help ensure that the loans are repaid, and that borrowers comply with the terms of their loans. As with all borrowers, it remains the responsibility of the organisation to ensure their longer term sustainability. |
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Euro 2028
Asked by: Daniel Francis (Labour - Bexleyheath and Crayford) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure an effective legacy from hosting UEFA Euro 2028. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) Football reaches communities like nothing else, and my department is working with partners to ensure the impact of hosting EURO 2028 is felt far beyond the tournament itself. As part of the tournament launch in November 2025, I chaired a meeting attended by Ministerial representatives from the Government of Ireland, Northern Ireland Executive, Scottish Government and Welsh Government, as well as UEFA, where we discussed how we can work as one team to ensure the tournament delivers an effective legacy and we maximise the benefits of hosting. In order to ensure an effective legacy from hosting the tournament, EURO 2028 will feature the largest-ever Community Programme to be delivered for a UEFA EURO. This will be backed by a social impact fund of around £45 million. Plans for these are still in development and we will have more to share in due course. |
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BBC: Royal Charters
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will consider putting proposals relating to the next BBC Charter to a vote in Parliament. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Parliament will have an opportunity to debate the new draft Charter following the consultation and publication of the White Paper. As required by the current Charter, a new draft Charter must be laid before and debated by both Houses of Parliament before a recommendation can be made to His Majesty in Council to grant the Charter.
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Rugby
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 16th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation. Since summer 2024 ,the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.
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Broadcasting: Regulation
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of regulations on the broadcast or online circulation of footage from fatal accident scenes. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Ofcom is required by legislation to enforce a Broadcasting Code to protect television audiences from harmful material and against unwarranted infringements of privacy. Broadcasters should not take or broadcast footage of people caught up in emergencies, victims of accidents or those suffering a personal tragedy, even in a public place, where that results in an infringement of privacy, unless it is warranted or the people concerned have given consent.
Where someone shares material via social media that is grossly offensive, indecent, or otherwise unlawful, this may constitute a criminal offence. Anybody who carries out this action could be liable to prosecution through the Courts. Under the Online Safety Act, services must establish adequate systems and processes to prevent illegal content, including material that is grossly offensive or indecent, from appearing and remove it if it does.
The Government continues to monitor these issues closely and consider whether further interventions are necessary to protect victims and uphold public safety.
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Freeview
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the Freeview TV distribution system remains available to all. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Department is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution and we are committed to maintaining access for all. Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) is protected until at least 2034, safeguarding access for millions of households. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those who rely on DTT as their primary means of watching television.
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Ice Hockey: Surrey
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath) Tuesday 20th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase opportunities for (a) children and (b) young people to participate in ice hockey in (i) Surrey and (ii) Surrey Heath constituency. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including ice hockey, providing more opportunities for children and young people to be active. In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England invested £314,995 into the Surrey Heath constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity. Local Authorities in Surrey received a combined total of £1.86m of Sport England Funding in 2024-25. |
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Rugby: Surrey Heath
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath) Tuesday 20th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby in Surrey Heath constituency. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation. Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby. |
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Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact o changes to the Listed Places of Worship Scheme on the number of places of worship in England and Wales. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is a £23m scheme that gives grants covering VAT on eligible works. We estimate that changes to the Scheme this year, including the introduction of a 25k cap on claims, affected around 6% of claims as most claims are under £5,000. The Department has not made an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the scheme on the number of places of worship in England and Wales. However, the Department has commissioned an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which will be published soon. |
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Gambling: Taxation
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 97452 on Gambling Taxation, whether remote gambling licence holders are permitted under legislation to advertise in Northern Ireland; and what plans she has to allocate Northern Ireland a share of the Statutory Gambling Levy funds raised from remote licence holders. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Section 5 of the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 makes it an offence to advertise unlicensed remote gambling services in Northern Ireland. Any online operator who wishes to advertise their services in Northern Ireland must hold a licence from the Gambling Commission. Wider gambling regulation is devolved in Northern Ireland and, as such, developing the most appropriate approach to tackle gambling-related harm to help residents in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Gambling Levy Regulations are subject to the jurisdiction of the Gambling Act 2005 and so profits levied in Great Britain will provide funding for projects and services in Great Britain only. However, it is likely that there will be some indirect benefits of levy funding for citizens in Northern Ireland. DCMS officials have recently met with officials in Northern Ireland to discuss a wide range of issues. The Department stands ready to support the Northern Ireland Executive in their plans to strengthen gambling regulations. |
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Gambling: Advertising
Asked by: Gill German (Labour - Clwyd North) Monday 19th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of of surveys by More in Common for the Campaign to End Gambling Advertising showing 70% support tougher curbs on gambling advertising and 27% saying gambling companies should not promote themselves at all; what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the 9pm watershed and other gambling advertising restrictions in protecting children and vulnerable people on television, social media, and digital platforms, in this context; and whether she plans to introduce statutory watershed protections or other measures to reduce exposure and harm. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) We note that More in Common’s recent report “Ending a Losing Streak” provides an overview of the British public’s views regarding gambling advertising, particularly for children and young people. We also note that statistics from the 2025 Young People and Gambling survey demonstrates that the overall proportion of young people who recalled having seen gambling adverts or promotion weekly was consistent with 2024. We consider evidence from a wide range of sources, including the statistics in both reports, when considering the impact of gambling advertising on children and young people. We are not considering the introduction of a statutory watershed at this time. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and keep all areas of gambling policy under review. We will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and vulnerable people. |
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Proof of Identity
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington) Tuesday 20th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, by how much they plan to reduce their Department's budget to help fund the digital ID scheme. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Digital Identity policy is in development, with a dedicated team inside the Cabinet Office working to develop the proposals. Costs in this Spending Review period will be met within the existing Spending Review settlements.
We are inviting the public to have their say in the upcoming consultation as we develop a safe, secure, and inclusive system for the UK. No final decisions will be made until after the consultation.
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Public Libraries
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer) Tuesday 20th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Cultural Policy Unit, The National Library Card, published in December 2025; and what plans they have to act on its recommendations. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) Libraries matter to people. They provide inspiration, education and entertainment for many thousands of people every week. The Government fully recognises the importance and value of public libraries for all members of the public. During early years, for example, libraries can help boost language and reading skills and confidence through rhymetime sessions and family learning events, building lifetime foundations of reading for pleasure.
We are aware of the report and I have read it with interest. As the Cultural Policy Unit identifies, the value of a public library card lies beyond simply having one, but in using it. This is why last year DCMS published its non-users research, a comprehensive quantitative report exploring the barriers to library use and potential strategies for re-engagement.
We will also be working with The Reading Agency and the public library sector to look at ways to boost membership and usage of public library service by people of all ages during the 2026 National Year of Reading.
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Charities: Lotteries
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford) Tuesday 20th January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing charities lotteries to operate UK-wide. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland.
Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
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Culture and Musicians
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic contribution of (a) touring musicians and (b) cultural professionals to the UK economy. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recognises that touring musicians and cultural professionals are essential to the United Kingdom’s economic vitality. The Department assesses the economic contribution of these sectors through the DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, which provide accredited official statistics on Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimate.
The Government remains committed to supporting these professionals both at home and abroad. We continue to engage with the sector to address barriers to international touring and to ensure a sustainable environment for domestic performance, maintaining the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for the arts.
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Sports: Community Development
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of community sports initiatives on (a) public health outcomes and (b) crime. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Community sports initiatives can have a wide range of benefits, including promoting social inclusion, tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, and delivering improvements to physical and mental wellbeing. The benefits to individual wellbeing through sport and physical activity are valued at £106.9 billion a year, and the wider value to society through savings to the health and care system is £15.9 billion a year. In June, following the Spending Review we committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK over the next four years. We will ensure that this funding promotes health and wellbeing, and helps to remove the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups. We are working 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. |
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Civil Society: Surrey Heath
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector has access to adequate funding in Surrey Heath constituency. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) This government recognises the vital role played by voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in supporting people right across the country. As captured in the Civil Society Covenant, these organisations are integral to our vision for national renewal and delivery of the government’s five national missions.
DCMS is providing a range of support for VCSEs across the country. The Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy, published in June 2025, set out the next funding tranche of £440 million for England over 2024-28, with £87.5 million of this funding allocated for social investment. We will also deliver up to £500 million through the Better Futures Fund. This is the world’s largest outcomes fund, supporting up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years. It will bring together government, local communities, VCSEs, investors, and philanthropists to give children a brighter future.
As part of the National Youth Strategy, we aim to work in a more collaborative, local way and local VCSEs will be at the forefront of driving the action we take to support young people.
There are several ways for VCSEs to search for further funding opportunities, including:
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Museums and Galleries
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support independent museums. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) This Government supports independent museums around the country through funding delivered via Arts Council England (ACE), with ACE investing over £80 million in museums in 2025/26 across its programmes. This funding includes £25 million to support museums across England with urgent infrastructure and maintenance backlogs through the Museum Estate and Development Fund, and a brand new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, both announced last February, in addition to core programming funding for the over 200 museum sites forming part of the National Portfolio. As the National Development Agency for Museums, ACE also funds the Museum Development Network, providing expert advice to smaller museums across the country, and delivers Cultural Property functions that support museums with everything from insurance, to new acquisitions.
Most recently, eligible independent museums could apply to the latest round of the £4 million DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, launched in September 2025 to support local and regional museums to improve displays, enhance collections care and make exhibitions more accessible to wider audiences. Independent museums are also supported through government schemes including the VAT Refund Scheme for museums and galleries, and the Museums and Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief.
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Ethics
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of financial penalties for social responsibility failings in acting as a deterrent. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Financial penalties are one element of the Gambling Commission’s regulatory toolkit. Action taken by the Gambling Commission is based on the need to gain compliance from gambling operators with the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice at the earliest opportunity. If breaches occur, financial penalties may be imposed.
Since 2016/17, the Commission’s enforcement action has resulted in over £215 million in fines and regulatory settlements. As a result of the Commission’s compliance and enforcement work, in the last three years there have been fewer instances of extreme failings at gambling operators. However, the Commission continues to address any non-compliance through use of its enforcement powers and will continue to do so wherever necessary.
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Gambling: Advertising
Asked by: Alex Ballinger (Labour - Halesowen) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of gambling advertisements on children and young people; and whether she plans to introduce legislative measures to restrict or ban gambling marketing and sponsorship. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) All operators advertising in the UK must comply with robust advertising codes, which are enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) independently of Government. These codes are regularly reviewed and updated and include a wide range of provisions designed to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm.
The Government does not currently have plans to ban gambling advertising. However, we recognise that children and young people’s exposure to gambling advertising is an important issue and we continue to work closely with the gambling industry to further strengthen protections.
We have welcomed the Premier League’s voluntary front of shirt ban on gambling advertisements from next season, which will reduce gambling exposure for children and young people. Additionally, we will redouble our efforts to work cross-government and with tech platforms to address illegal gambling advertising, which poses the most risk for children and young people.
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Public Service Broadcasting: Internet
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of resilience of an internet-only distribution model for television for public service broadcasting and emergency broadcasting; and what contingency arrangements are in place to guarantee universal access to emergency broadcast information in the event of major cyber incidents, prolonged power outages and mobile or broadband network failure. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) The Government understands how important it is that everyone can access information in times of national emergency. Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios. DCMS works closely with broadcast CNI operators and technical authorities to maintain security and resilience against a wide range of scenarios where communications may be disrupted, including power outages.
The BBC has specific requirements under its Framework Agreement in relation to broadcast security and resilience, and works closely with DCMS in ensuring its networks are able to support emergency communications.
The Government’s project looking into the future of TV distribution is considering a range of relevant factors, including the future resilience requirements for broadcast networks.
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Digital Broadcasting: Television
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on viewers in Northern Ireland of switching off digital terrestrial television, in particular the impact on (1) access to UK and Irish public service broadcasting, and (2) cross-border licensing arrangements; and what discussions they have had with the government of Ireland and Irish regulators about that issue. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes. |
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Digital Broadcasting: Television
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what modelling they have done of the impact of changes to digital terrestrial television on older people, disabled people and low income households in Northern Ireland, and what steps they will take to mitigate additional costs to those households. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes. |
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Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the remit of the Future of TV Distribution Stakeholder Forum includes an assessment of (1) affordability and social exclusion risks, and (2) regional impacts, including impacts on the Northern Ireland multiplex. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) The Government is leading a project to assess the future of TV distribution beyond 2034 and is committed to maintaining cross border access for all audiences. The project will continue to engage with devolved governments to understand the distinct characteristics of broadcasting in Northern Ireland and the future of the Northern Ireland multiplex. The Stakeholder Forum benefited from the perspectives of organisations representing Northern Irish audiences including the Rural Services Network and Digital Poverty Alliance. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, especially those that are older, disabled, and on lower incomes. |
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Research
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth) Wednesday 21st January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to the public purse was of feasibility studies conducted by their Department for projects that did not proceed in the last five years. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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Eurovision Song Contest
Asked by: Wendy Morton (Conservative - Aldridge-Brownhills) Thursday 22nd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her diplomatic policies of broadcasters in other countries boycotting the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on political grounds. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Any decisions made by international broadcasters regarding the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest are for them alone. The Government is committed to a free and independent media.
Determination of who takes part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Content is a matter for the European Broadcasting Union and its individual members. The BBC is fully participating in Eurovision, and has said it supports the collective decisions made by members of the EBU.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Marketing
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield) Thursday 22nd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) Total spend with our media buying and planning agencies for the last three financial years is as follows:
Financial years under the previous government
Financial years under the previous and current government
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Sports: Women
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East) Thursday 22nd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to increase funding for women and girls in sports. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, are able to participate in sport and physical activity.
The This Girl Can campaign, run by our Arm’s Length Body Sport England, has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. 1.6 million women are expected to be active as a result of the campaign by 2028.
We are committed to delivering best in class facilities, with the significant investment of £98 million in 2025/26 and a further £400 million over the next four years in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities. We are expecting to more than double the share of primetime slots dedicated to women’s and girls’ teams at Government-funded facilities across England over the next five years, with a clear long-term target of reaching equal access as demand grows.
We are working to drive a Decade of Change in women’s sport, kicked off by the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, and we are using the Women's Football Taskforce and Women’s Sport Taskforce to drive progress across the sector. Further to this, we are increasing visibility of women’s sport, including delivering a drumbeat of UK hosted major events, including this year’s Women's T20 Cricket World Cup 2026 and the Tour de France/Tour de France Femmes Grand Depart 2027, while also supporting the bid for the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup. We want to support women and girls at every stage of their lives to get involved in sport.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Redundancy Pay
Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) Thursday 22nd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will review the Answer her Department provided to Question 99845 on 18 December 2025, with reference to the Answer provided to Question 99844 on 8 January 2026. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) We have corrected the answer to PQ 99845 and apologise for the error.
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Hunting: Rural Areas
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry) Thursday 22nd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department considers trail hunting to form part of the UK’s rural cultural heritage. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) DCMS and each of the Devolved Governments are working to create inventories of living heritage in the UK. The criteria are set out here: https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/info/guidance/criteria. |
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Rugby: West Dorset
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the financial sustainability of grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.
Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.
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Youth Services: Surrey Heath
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to youth activities for young people in Surrey Heath constituency. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) This Government recently published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’, a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. This is backed by over £500 million of new money over the next 3 years from DCMS. We will be designing the funding and programmes in more detail over the next few months and will share more information in due course.
Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of youth services in their area. We will explore reviewing this duty as part of a wider review of local statutory duties.
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Youth Work: Training
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leicester (Bishops - Bishops) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the trusted adults targeted through the National Youth Strategy are trained and equipped to provide skilled work-readiness coaching for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip) Through the National Youth Strategy, the government has committed to support more trusted adults to safely engage with and guide young people when and where they need it most.
Whilst our work to increase access to trusted adults will be broader than work-readiness coaching, we expect it to achieve positive education and employment outcomes for young people. Further details on the scope of DCMS activities and programmes will be published in due course.
More widely, the government has set out a major plan of investment to increase work readiness for young people who are not in education, employment or training. Over the next four years, we are investing £820 million in an expanded Youth Guarantee to give young people the opportunity to gain the essential skills and valuable experience they need.
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Gambling: Video Games
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent research her Department has conducted on the impact on children of gambling-based mechanics in video games which utilise microtransactions such as loot boxes. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place for players of all ages.
To improve those protections, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.
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Rugby: South West
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made on the financial pressures on grassroots rugby clubs in the South West. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.
Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.
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Rugby: West Dorset
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what support her Department is providing to grassroots rugby clubs in West Dorset. Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to and can benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby. We are also committed to supporting the financial sustainability of rugby clubs, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.
The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.
Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.
Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.
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Gambling and Video Games: Children and Young People
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what comparative assessment her Department has made of (a) loot boxes in video games and (b) gambling products; and what steps she is taking to mitigate potential harms associated with loot box mechanics, particularly for children and young people. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place.
Prizes that can be won via loot boxes do not have a monetary value, cannot be cashed-out, and are of value only within the context of the game. They are therefore not legally classified as gambling. However, evidence has shown an association between loot boxes and gambling-related harm.
To improve protections in games containing loot boxes, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period, after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.
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Gambling: Video Games
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock) Friday 23rd January 2026 Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her Department's report of 18 July 2023 entitled Loot boxes in video games: update on improvements to industry-led protections, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of those protections on protecting consumers. Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) The Government is committed to ensuring games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone and that, where they contain loot boxes, there are appropriate protections in place for players of all ages.
To improve those protections, industry-led guidance was published in 2023 with a 12-month implementation period after which DCMS commissioned independent academic research into its effectiveness. We will publish the research shortly, alongside our next steps.
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Thursday 22nd January 2026
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Source Page: Evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme - Final report Document: Evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Scheme - Final report (webpage) |
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Note: Cited speaker in live transcript data may not always be accurate. Check video link to confirm. |
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15 Jan 2026, 9:58 a.m. - House of Commons "bursaries are going to exacerbate the problem. So while £25 million of new musical instruments announced by DCMS will be left to collect " Anna Sabine MP (Frome and East Somerset, Liberal Democrat) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 9:58 a.m. - House of Commons "by DCMS will be left to collect dust in storage cupboards, what discussions is the Minister having with DfE to ensure we have the teachers to teach the musicians of " Anna Sabine MP (Frome and East Somerset, Liberal Democrat) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:06 a.m. - House of Commons " Yes. The Minister will be aware of concerns across the DCMS sectors about the 14 day cooling off period in the Digital Markets Act that " Nigel Huddleston MP (Droitwich and Evesham, Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:08 a.m. - House of Commons "place between DCMS, the Home Office, the police, the SAG and others? Given that a hugely controversial " Nigel Huddleston MP (Droitwich and Evesham, Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:08 a.m. - House of Commons "of banning Israeli fans was communicated to DCMS on the 9th of " Nigel Huddleston MP (Droitwich and Evesham, Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:08 a.m. - House of Commons "crystal clear on this point. I've looked into the concerns that he raised about whether DCMS officials " Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Wigan, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:08 a.m. - House of Commons "DCMS officials were made aware that a ban was going to be taken place, " Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP, The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Wigan, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 10:12 a.m. - House of Commons "The DCMS continues to work with the RFU and I'm happy to discuss it further with the hon. Gentleman. " Stephanie Peacock MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) (Barnsley South, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 9:49 a.m. - House of Commons "Act of 2025. We have to publish by law an independent impact assessment before the 18th of March, and both departments of DCMS and " Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Edinburgh South, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 9:50 a.m. - House of Commons " Minister. we will deal with in this particular space. As the Joint Minister of the Department of Science, innovation, Technology and DCMS, this is something that we are " Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Edinburgh South, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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15 Jan 2026, 11:44 a.m. - House of Lords "also meet with representatives of the ASA and the Gambling Commission on a range of matters. DCMS has " Baroness Twycross, The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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20 Jan 2026, 1:07 p.m. - House of Commons "Minister, who is joint with DSIT and DCMS, is actually taking forward the question of advertising " Rt Hon Liz Kendall MP, The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology (Leicester West, Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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22 Jan 2026, 11:43 a.m. - House of Lords "implementing the Creative Industry Sector Plan. How is DCMS addressing problems of social mobility as part " Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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22 Jan 2026, 11:50 a.m. - House of Lords "optimum outcome. So is DCMS DCMS working with the Treasury to make " The Earl of Effingham (Conservative) - View Video - View Transcript |
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22 Jan 2026, 11:50 a.m. - House of Lords " The government and particularly DCMS, really strongly welcomed our noble friend Baroness Hodge's review of the Arts Council England. " Baroness Twycross, The Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Labour) - View Video - View Transcript |
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English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
115 speeches (36,954 words) Committee stage Tuesday 20th January 2026 - Grand Committee Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Mentions: 1: Baroness Prashar (XB - Life peer) heritage ecosystems within this framework and it does not provide a clear mechanism through which MHCLG, DCMS - Link to Speech 2: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con - Life peer) There were frantic discussions between DCMS and the commissioners who were appointed. - Link to Speech |
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Science and Discovery Centres
45 speeches (12,581 words) Wednesday 14th January 2026 - Westminster Hall Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Mentions: 1: Steve Witherden (Lab - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr) framework, does the Minister accept that, although the work of the centres touches on the agendas of DSIT, DCMS - Link to Speech 2: Steve Witherden (Lab - Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr) I do not think that DCMS and DFE should be completely absent from the equation, but I agree that DSIT - Link to Speech 3: Julia Lopez (Con - Hornchurch and Upminster) Will Ministers engage directly with DCMS colleagues on opening up access to national lottery funding - Link to Speech 4: Kanishka Narayan (Lab - Vale of Glamorgan) I am therefore keen to commit to close cross-Government working right across DCMS, DSIT and any other - Link to Speech |
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Friday 23rd January 2026
Report - 62nd Report - Faulty energy efficiency installations Public Accounts Committee Found: tax system HC 645 22nd Government’s support for biomass HC 715 21st Fixing NHS Dentistry HC 648 20th DCMS |
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Thursday 22nd January 2026
Written Evidence - ERA (The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association) AIC0020 - AI and copyright AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: The IPO’s Metadata Technical Solutions Group (emanating from the DCMS Select Committee into the Economics |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Correspondence - Additional documents from Birmingham City Council relating to letter dated 12.01.2026 on Maccabi Tel Aviv Fixture Home Affairs Committee Found: Members of Jewish community state that the Board of Deputies will ask DCMS team, West Midlands Mayor |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Oral Evidence - 2026-01-21 14:00:00+00:00 Malvern Hills Bill [HL] Committee Found: executed, as, for example, evidenced by the failed Section 73 Charity Commission scheme vetoed by DCMS |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Written Evidence - MATCHINGHAM GAMES LIMITED RTS4638 - Routes to Settlement Routes to Settlement - Home Affairs Committee Found: consistently on national skills-shortage lists published by Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - Groundwork Research PRO0093 - Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 - Business and Trade Committee Found: the Soft Power Council, which sits across the FCDO and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - Independent Media Association PRO0070 - Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 - Business and Trade Committee Found: Effective delivery requires coordination between: ● DBT (digital markets and business environment), ● DCMS |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - UK Jewellery, Silverware & Allied Crafts (JSAC) PRO0024 - Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 Priorities of the Business and Trade Committee for 2026 - Business and Trade Committee Found: . ● HMT - in collaboration with DCMS and DBT - should review the interdependencies of sectors, especially |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Oral Evidence - Counter Extremism Commissioner 2018-2021, Home Office, and Home Office Combatting New Forms of Extremism - Home Affairs Committee Found: That would cut across Government Departments, working with the Department for Education, DCMS, arm’s |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence from Secretary of State for Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, re: Follow-up from 3 December oral evidence session, 18 December 2025 Science, Innovation and Technology Committee Found: Detail on DSIT’s role with Science Education Centres, and how we are working with DCMS and DfE to provide |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - The Reading Agency RFP0145 - Reading for Pleasure Reading for Pleasure - Education Committee Found: opening hours is a barrier to reading for pleasure, especially for children with working parents (DCMS |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - Department for Culture, Media and Sport RFP0139 - Reading for Pleasure Reading for Pleasure - Education Committee Found: DCMS has carried out analysis of Arts Council England’s published basic dataset of public libraries |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - Libraries Connected RFP0074 - Reading for Pleasure Reading for Pleasure - Education Committee Found: revenue expenditure and financing England: 2024 to 2025 individual local authority data – outturn) 2 DCMS |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - World Book Day RFP0042 - Reading for Pleasure Reading for Pleasure - Education Committee Found: We recommend a sustained, long-term and integrated approach across DfE, DCMS, family services, the publishing |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Written Evidence - National Literacy Trust RFP0018 - Reading for Pleasure Reading for Pleasure - Education Committee Found: NYR must be a cross-Government, cross-party campaign, building on commitments from DfE, DCMS, ACE, MoJ |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifth-second report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Thirty-fifth report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-sixth report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifth-third report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-first report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fiftieth report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Monday 19th January 2026
Government Response - Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fifty-fourth report from Session 2024-26 Public Accounts Committee Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Friday 16th January 2026
Report - 61st Report - Financial sustainability of children’s care homes Public Accounts Committee Found: tax system HC 645 22nd Government’s support for biomass HC 715 21st Fixing NHS Dentistry HC 648 20th DCMS |
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Friday 16th January 2026
Scrutiny evidence - Promoter's reference documents (Bundle 1) Malvern Hills Bill [HL] Committee Found: It is interesting to see a DCMS Minister—the noble Baroness, Lady T wycross—here today , because of that |
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Thursday 15th January 2026
Written Evidence - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Intellectual Property Office AIC0013 - AI and copyright AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS |
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Thursday 15th January 2026
Written Evidence - Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) AIC0008 - AI and copyright AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: are an important part of the UK’s economy, contributing 2.4million jobs and £124bn in GVA in 2024 (DCMS |
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Thursday 15th January 2026
Correspondence - Correspondence between the Chair and DCMS regarding Statutory Instrument Practice Statutory Instruments (Joint Committee) Found: Correspondence between the Chair and DCMS regarding Statutory Instrument Practice Correspondence |
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Wednesday 14th January 2026
Oral Evidence - S4C, S4C, and S4C Welsh Affairs Committee Found: Geraint Evans: To add to what Delyth said, in terms of our relationship with DCMS and opportunities |
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Wednesday 14th January 2026
Oral Evidence - The King's Trust, The Young Foundation, Mahdlo Youth Zone (Onside Network), Heart of Sidley Community Association, Youth Sport Trust, EFL (English Football League), and Spirit of 2012 Community cohesion - Women and Equalities Committee Found: experience, how well do different Government Departments such as the Department for Education and DCMS |
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Wednesday 14th January 2026
Scrutiny evidence - Exhibits from the Promoter Royal Albert Hall Bill [HL] Committee Found: course we must save in order to repay, with interest, the £20.7m Culture Recovery Fund loan that DCMS |
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Tuesday 13th January 2026
Oral Evidence - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: Ruth Hannant: Hello, I am Ruth Hannant, the director-general for society, media and culture at the DCMS |
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Tuesday 13th January 2026
Oral Evidence - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: Ruth Hannant: Hello, I am Ruth Hannant, the director-general for society, media and culture at the DCMS |
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Tuesday 13th January 2026
Oral Evidence - Google, and Charismatic.ai AI and copyright - Communications and Digital Committee Found: This has been tabled with DCMS since Q2 last year and could be developed, implemented and leveraged |
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Tuesday 13th January 2026
Oral Evidence - Broadfield Law UK LLP, Royal Albert Hall, and Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall Bill [HL] Committee Found: course we must save in order to repay, with interest, the £20.7m Culture Recovery Fund loan that DCMS |
| Parliamentary Research |
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BBC Charter Renewal: a reading list - CBP-10465
Jan. 19 2026 Found: The government will then set out its preferred policy direction for the BBC in a white paper. 1 DCMS |
| National Audit Office |
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Jan. 15 2026
DCMS & BBC Overview 2024-25 (PDF) Found: 5 How DCMS is structured 6 Where DCMS spends its money 8 Financial management – Expenditure management |
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Jan. 15 2026
Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and the BBC 2024-25 (webpage) Found: Sport, The BBC On this page Downloads The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
| Department Publications - Transparency |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
HM Treasury Source Page: FRAB minutes and associated papers: 20 November 2025 Document: (PDF) Found: However, several departments continue to lay after summer recess (DEFRA, DCMS, DHSC) and MoD has moved |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
HM Treasury Source Page: FRAB minutes and associated papers: 20 November 2025 Document: (PDF) Found: As detailed in FRAB 135 (02-1) paragraphs 28-30, HMT spoke to DCMS, DfT and DfE who supported an adaptation |
| Department Publications - Policy paper |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Source Page: Warm Homes Plan Document: (PDF) Found: Conservation Areas are normally designated by the local planning authority. 74 DLUHC, DCMS & DESNZ ( |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero Source Page: Warm Homes Plan Document: (PDF) Found: Conservation Areas are normally designated by the local planning authority. 74 DLUHC, DCMS & DESNZ ( |
| Department Publications - News and Communications |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Source Page: Regions set to benefit from new creative industries funding Document: Regions set to benefit from new creative industries funding (webpage) Found: £25 million secured at the 2025 Spending Review for DCMS Createch Futures programme £155 million to |
| Department Publications - Statistics |
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Tuesday 20th January 2026
Department for Science, Innovation & Technology Source Page: Understanding the impact of smartphones and social media on children and young people Document: (PDF) Found: Science, Innovation and Technology College of Experts member, unpaid UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport |
| Department Publications - Policy and Engagement |
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Thursday 15th January 2026
HM Treasury Source Page: Treasury Minutes – January 2026 Document: (PDF) Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
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Thursday 15th January 2026
HM Treasury Source Page: Treasury Minutes – January 2026 Document: (PDF) Found: and editorially independent of government, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS |
| Non-Departmental Publications - News and Communications |
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Jan. 22 2026
Historic England Source Page: Three Commissioners terms extended to the Historic England Board Document: Three Commissioners terms extended to the Historic England Board (webpage) News and Communications Found: Notes to Editors DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including |
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Jan. 19 2026
Historic Royal Palaces Source Page: New Trustee appointed to Historic Royal Palaces Board Document: New Trustee appointed to Historic Royal Palaces Board (webpage) News and Communications Found: Notes to Editors DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including |
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Jan. 16 2026
Royal Parks Source Page: New Chair appointed to The Royal Parks Document: New Chair appointed to The Royal Parks (webpage) News and Communications Found: DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including Arts Council |
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Jan. 15 2026
Natural History Museum Source Page: Trustee appointed to the Natural History Museum Board Document: Trustee appointed to the Natural History Museum Board (webpage) News and Communications Found: Notes to Editors DCMS has around 400 regulated Public Appointment roles across 42 Public Bodies including |
| Scottish Government Publications |
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Wednesday 21st January 2026
Population Health Directorate Source Page: Scottish Cup final 2025 documentation: FOI release Document: FOI 202500486932 - Information Released - Annex (PDF) Found: The SFA will receive a further £9m in capital investment from DCMS in 2025-26, taking total investment |