Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough, Oadby and Wigston)
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.
Asked by: Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat - South Cotswolds)
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.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
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.
The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through DCMS’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Their ten-year Uniting the Movement strategy reinforces their commitment to increasing participation in sport and physical activity for those from under-represented groups, including older people. Sport England has also ensured that each of its programmes impact directly on those with long-term health conditions, including older people, with initiatives like the 'We are Undefeatable' campaign.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to meet with the victims of press abuse who have written to the Government to request a meeting.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.
The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.
Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to implement the recommendations of the Leveson inquiry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Leveson Inquiry led to changes in the regulatory system of the press, which included the creation of the Press Recognition Panel, by Royal Charter and two new press regulators, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) and the Independent Monitor of the Press (Impress). This is a self-regulatory system, which was established to be independent from Government and protect press freedom. We are also clear, however, that with this freedom comes responsibility. Publishers must operate within the bounds of the law and set and uphold high professional and ethical standards.
The news landscape has changed substantially over the past decade, and looking ahead, we want to maintain press freedom, whilst being clear the public must be protected from the harm caused by clear instances of intrusion and harassment. The Government is carefully considering next steps to determine the best route forward to ensure public trust and accountability in our evolving news media.
Ministers and officials working in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engage with stakeholders on a range of press-related issues. Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on Gov.uk. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has previously met with families who have experienced press intrusion. She remains committed to considering the issues they have raised.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Voluntary Code for Prize Draws, updated on 17 December 2025, what steps his Department is taking to monitor compliance among operators.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Voluntary Code for prize draw operators was launched on 20 November 2025. The Code aims to raise standards in the sector in the distinct areas of player protections, transparency, and accountability. Signatories have until 20 May 2026 to comply with the Code.
The Government’s focus is on the successful implementation and adoption of the Voluntary Code, with operator signatories required to regularly review their compliance and swiftly rectify any issues if necessary. The Department will work closely with the sector on this during the implementation phase and periodically review the effectiveness of the Code and compliance to ensure that it is fit for purpose.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the Problem Gambling Severity Index score for players of (a) The National Lottery, (b) Society Lotteries, and (c) instant win scratch cards.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to tackling gambling-related harm. DCMS regularly reviews the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) from the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey of Great Britain and uses it as one of a range of sources of evidence.
In 2024, the proportion of National Lottery players who experienced ‘problem gambling’ (a PGSI score of 8+) is 3.9% for draw games, 9.5% for instant win games, and 7.9% for scratchcards.
The rate of Society Lottery PGSI 8+ scores is 4.9%.
The rate of non-National Lottery scratchcards PGSI 8+ is 14.5%.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
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 support heritage assets in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government takes our responsibility to the built historic environment seriously. For this year alone, my Department has committed nearly £60 million of funding for heritage, including £15m for Heritage at Risk.
Funding is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Arms-Length-Bodies. Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £5,540,760 to 110 projects in South Holland and the Deepings.
Historic England has also administered funding in South Holland and the Deepings. This has gone towards projects such as the 2024 - 2027 Lincolnshire Extended Urban Survey, which worked to underpin better decision making, archaeological understanding and design in the county’s towns, and received £211,000.
There are currently 12 heritage assets on the Heritage at Risk Register in the area, and Historic England are actively engaged with all of them. These include conservation areas, listed buildings, and scheduled monuments.
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme gives grants towards VAT paid on repairs and renovations to the nation’s listed sites of worship across the UK. Since August 2022, 41 claims have been paid to 15 Listed Places of Worship based in the South Holland local authority area to a value of £78,125.6.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government of the adequacy of current statutory protections for scheduled monuments.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Scheduled Monuments are protected under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, for which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is responsible.
DCMS officials liaise closely with their counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that relevant aspects of national planning policy recognise the national importance of Scheduled Monuments.
DCMS keeps under review as part of its general policy function whether its policies and procedures are effective. No explicit assessment of the adequacy of statutory protections for Scheduled Monuments has been undertaken.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 online game producers on enabling parents or carers to block marketing of in-app purchases to children while playing online games.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is committed to ensuring that video games are enjoyed safely and responsibly by everyone, particularly children, and that where they contain in-app purchases, guidance is followed so that consumers of all ages can play with confidence.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) are responsible for setting and enforcing the UK Advertising Codes and are independent of the government. CAP codifies standards for non-broadcast advertising, which includes online and in-game advertisements, as part of its UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (‘CAP Code’). In September 2021, CAP consulted on, and published, specific guidance on in-game purchases, which covers types of in-game storefronts, platforms for purchasing games, and broader advertising for the games themselves. The guidance was subsequently reviewed and updated in May 2024. This guidance reiterates that, where an ad is directed at children, there should be no direct exhortation to purchase or ask a parent or guardian to purchase.