Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is on the participation of trans women in elite-level women’s sport in the UK in events sanctioned by an international sporting body that allows trans women to compete in its competitions.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.
In terms of gender eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions. It is for International Federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition.
Our Sports Councils produce guidance to provide domestic sports bodies with the framework and support to determine the right position for their sport. Our Sports Councils are consulting with legal experts to clarify how the Supreme Court ruling affects the guidance. The outcome of this will feed into their timescale for a planned wider review of the guidance.
Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow - and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Reform UK - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish guidance for sporting bodies on the eligibility criteria for women's sport.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We have always been clear that, when it comes to women's sport, biology matters. We will continue to support sports to develop policies that protect fairness and safety, particularly when it is not possible to balance those factors with inclusion.
In terms of gender eligibility, National Governing Bodies set their own policies for who can participate in their sports in domestic competitions. It is for International Federations to determine the rules for their sports at the international level of competition.
Our Sports Councils produce guidance to provide domestic sports bodies with the framework and support to determine the right position for their sport. Our Sports Councils are consulting with legal experts to clarify how the Supreme Court ruling affects the guidance. The outcome of this will feed into their timescale for a planned wider review of the guidance.
Alongside this, sports need to come up with approaches to ensure everyone has the opportunity to take part somehow - and I know that sporting bodies will be considering this in light of the Supreme Court decision.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 economic benefits of the (a) motorbike road racing season and (b) Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is committed to supporting economic growth in the sport sector, and ensuring this translates into tangible outcomes that span grassroots participation through to elite performance.
DCMS has not made an assessment of the economic benefits of the motorbike road racing season or the Ulster Superbike Championship in Northern Ireland specifically. However, the motorsport road racing season has an impact on the economy directly with live races, including at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, the North West 200 and others, as well as the indirect impact it makes via R&D advancements. These events are a highlight for many local communities, doing so much to make the UK the home of motorbike racing.
In September 2024, DCMS published the Sport Satellite Account. The results estimated that the sport sector as a whole contributed £53.6 billion directly to the UK economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total UK Gross Value Add in 2021).
The Sport Satellite Account estimated that the sport sector contributed £1.2 billion directly to the Northern Irish economy in 2021 (equivalent to 2.6% of the total Northern Irish Gross Value Add in 2021).
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that skilled video game developers and producers remain in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector, which brings economic, cultural and social benefits across the UK.
The Video Games Expenditure Credit continues to make the UK one of the leading destinations in the world for making video games, offering companies credit equal to 34% of their qualifying expenditure.
The Government has also announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26, which will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates.
Additionally, video games companies can benefit from the UK Global Screen Fund for international business development, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.
Asked by: Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) public, and (2) community, libraries have been visited by the Minister of State for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism during his time as Minister for Libraries between July 2024 and April 2025.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Minister contributed to the 25th anniversary of the Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge, as well as The British Library’s National StartUp Day.
After a change in the ministerial portfolios within DCMS, from 1 April 2025, I have now taken up the role as Minister with responsibilities for libraries.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the soft skills children and adults can develop through playing video games, and whether these can improve employment prospects.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is committed to supporting the growth of the UK’s video games sector, and this includes considering the impact of the sector’s activities and the economic, cultural and social benefits it brings across the UK.
Research conducted by the National Literacy Trust shows that gaming can support the development of skills like creativity, communication and literacy. These skills are particularly important for employability and serve not only creative industries, but prepare people for jobs across the whole economy - in 2020, there were 1,297,000 people in creative occupations outside of the creative industries.
To support the sector to thrive and continue developing soft skills in individuals, the government has announced £5.5 million funding for the UK Games Fund (UKGF) for 2025/26. This will provide grants to early-stage studios across the UK to develop prototypes and new intellectual property, and run development programmes for new graduates. Additionally, video games companies benefit from the Video Games Expenditure Credit, UK Global Screen Fund, and access support from the Create Growth Programme.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what authority The Royal Parks closed Victoria Tower Gardens on 23 April for the 80th Anniversary National Holocaust Commemoration.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Access and usage of Victoria Tower Gardens is managed by the Royal Parks under its Contract for Services with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We do not have any plans to restrict future closures of Victoria Tower Gardens.
Holocaust commemoration events have historically been held at the existing Holocaust Memorial in Hyde Park. Further to the previous agreement to use Victoria Tower Gardens for the Yom HaShoah commemorations in 2024, the Royal Parks sought the department’s views on the continued use of the Gardens on behalf of the event organisers. DCMS agreed to the continued use of Victoria Tower Gardens for commemoration of the 80th Anniversary National Holocaust Commemoration, Yom HaShoah, on 23rd April 2025.
Asked by: Baroness Deech (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to restrict future closures of Victoria Tower Gardens.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Access and usage of Victoria Tower Gardens is managed by the Royal Parks under its Contract for Services with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. We do not have any plans to restrict future closures of Victoria Tower Gardens.
Holocaust commemoration events have historically been held at the existing Holocaust Memorial in Hyde Park. Further to the previous agreement to use Victoria Tower Gardens for the Yom HaShoah commemorations in 2024, the Royal Parks sought the department’s views on the continued use of the Gardens on behalf of the event organisers. DCMS agreed to the continued use of Victoria Tower Gardens for commemoration of the 80th Anniversary National Holocaust Commemoration, Yom HaShoah, on 23rd April 2025.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to tackle fraudulent advertising that falls outside the scope of the Online Safety Act 2023 provisions to combat paid-for fraudulent advertising on major platforms.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2022, DCMS consulted on the effectiveness of the self-regulatory framework for paid-for online advertising, with responses providing insight on a range of online advertising harms, including fraud. Alongside the consultation, research commissioned from independent digital media consultancy, Spark Ninety, analysed online advertising harms, the online advertising market and regulatory landscape. This included an overview of the open display advertising market and its associated supply chain and harms, including fraudulent advertising.
In addition to the fraudulent advertising duty in the Online Safety Act, the Online Advertising Taskforce, which brings together government and industry, was set up to help address these issues. The Taskforce aims to ensure the UK online advertising industry can grow sustainably while providing the necessary protections for consumers. It is working towards improving transparency, accountability and trust in the online advertising supply chain, continuing to build the evidence base and delivering a programme of work to help address fraudulent and other illegal advertising. It is also working to increase protections against children being served advertising for products and services that may not lawfully be sold to them.
In our manifesto the Government also committed to introducing an expanded Fraud Strategy, covering the continued and modern-day threats our society faces. Development of the strategy has begun and we are considering all harms, including fraudulent online advertising.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 the tourism sector in urban areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to the tourism sector maintaining its competitiveness. VisitBritain launched its latest ‘Starring Great Britain’ campaign in January, which will harness the powerful draw of Film and TV to drive inbound tourism towards UK’s cities and regions.
DCMS has announced a new Visitor Economy Advisory Council that will see industry and government work together to work towards the creation of a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, set to be launched in autumn, mapping out plans to support the growth of the tourism industry.
The Government is implementing the most significant overhaul of regional destination management in a generation, creating a portfolio of nationally supported, strategic and high-performing Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) in partnership with VisitEngland, including those in urban areas such as London and Manchester.