Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
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.
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 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.
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, 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.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
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.
Asked by: Clive Lewis (Labour - Norwich South)
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.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
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.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
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.
Asked by: Neil Hudson (Conservative - Epping Forest)
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.
Asked by: Jim Allister (Traditional Unionist Voice - North Antrim)
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.