Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to provide funding to support the continued operation beyond June 2026 of (1) the National Glass Centre, and (2) the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art; and when they last discussed the future of those galleries with (a) Sunderland City Council, and (b) Sunderland Culture.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The government is aware of the challenges the National Glass Centre is facing. How these challenges are managed, and decisions about its future, are a matter for the University of Sunderland and its partners, as the owner of the building.
Sunderland Culture is currently in discussion with the University about the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art’s (NGCA) future programme. These talks include exploring how to continue the city-wide approach to displaying the collection, which is currently exhibited in City Hall and The Beam. The University is also looking to lease space within Culture House as a potential permanent home for the NGCA. In addition, Arts Council England (ACE), an arm’s-length body of government, is working with Sunderland Culture and Sunderland City Council to help preserve the city’s glass-making heritage and skills for future generations.
In January 2025 Sunderland Culture was awarded £5 million from the Government’s Cultural Development Fund for Glassworks, a new world class facility for glass making in Sunderland that will connect the city’s 1,350 years of glass-making heritage. ACE delivers the Cultural Development Fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what form contributions to the BBC Funding Model Review will take, and whether they intend to publish all written and oral evidence submitted.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the BBC Funding Model Review, HM Government is engaging with a broad range of people and organisations.
Those being engaged are submitting evidence on the basis that the evidence they provide is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities. There is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.
The findings of the review will support the Government’s views on the future funding of the BBC. Any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken during the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government who will be consulted as part of the BBC Funding Model Review, and what criteria will be used to decide who is consulted.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the BBC Funding Model Review, HM Government is engaging with a broad range of people and organisations.
Those being engaged are submitting evidence on the basis that the evidence they provide is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities. There is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.
The findings of the review will support the Government’s views on the future funding of the BBC. Any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken during the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what advice they have received when determining whether members of the BBC Funding Model Review Expert Panel should sign non-disclosure agreements in relation to their participation.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The BBC Funding Model Review is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel which incorporates a broad range of views from across the sector, providing advice and external challenge on the issues set out in the review’s Terms of Reference, which are available on gov.uk.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appointed panel members based on their expertise across relevant sectors, including television, radio, news and international relations. The members were selected in consultation with industry representatives based on their experience and knowledge of wide-ranging issues at the heart of the UK media sector, such as the role of public service broadcasters, press sustainability, and content for children and young adults. Panel membership is voluntary.
Ministers received advice from officials on establishment of the expert panel, including on confidentiality agreements.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings the Chancellor of the Exchequer had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport concerning the BBC Funding Model Review since the start of the current Charter year, and whether they intend to publish any minutes from such meetings.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The Secretary of State engages with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other ministerial colleagues on the BBC as appropriate, including in relation to the Funding Model Review.
Minutes of meetings between Ministers are not routinely published.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of News UK, GB News and News Media Association regarding the membership of the Expert Panel for the BBC Funding Model Review.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The BBC Funding Model Review is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel which incorporates a broad range of views from across the sector, providing advice and external challenge on the issues set out in the review’s Terms of Reference, which are available on gov.uk.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appointed panel members based on their expertise across relevant sectors, including television, radio, news and international relations. The members were selected in consultation with industry representatives based on their experience and knowledge of wide-ranging issues at the heart of the UK media sector, such as the role of public service broadcasters, press sustainability, and content for children and young adults. Panel membership is voluntary.
Ministers received advice from officials on establishment of the expert panel, including on confidentiality agreements.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the BBC Funding Model Review Expert Panel intends to consider the funding options contained in the 1st Report of the Communications and Digital Committee Session 2022–23 Licence to change: BBC Future Funding.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
HM Government believes that there are challenges regarding the sustainability of the BBC’s current funding model, and is therefore conducting a review of it. The panel informing that review will provide independent expertise and advice to the Government.
The review is assessing a range of options for funding the BBC, including a number of the options contained in the Communications and Digital Committee’s report, ‘Licence to change: BBC Future Funding’. Given pressure on household incomes, the Secretary of State has explicitly ruled out the review looking at creating any new taxes.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of longwave radio on 31 March on people living in rural areas.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The BBC is not ending long-wave transmissions of BBC Radio 4 on 31 March 2024. The Corporation announced in 2022 that it would be ending the separate programming for Radio 4 on long wave only and moving to a single Radio 4 schedule.
The BBC has been communicating this change to ensure that listeners know how they can still hear Radio 4 programmes which are only broadcast on long wave on other BBC radio services or other platforms.
Under the BBC’s 2016 Royal Charter and Agreement, it is a matter for the BBC to determine how long to continue with its long-wave transmissions.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will provide a breakdown of successful applicants to the Culture Recovery Fund seeking an emergency grant by (1) geographic location, and (2) size of organisation.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The first round of the Emergency Resource Support strand of the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) ran in Summer and Autumn 2021 and was delivered by Arts Council England, Historic England, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and the British Film Institute. The second round was launched in Winter 2021.
The first round of this funding supported 183 organisations, from a total of 259 full applications, giving a success rate of 70.66%. This excludes organisations which did not reach full application stage, and (for Arts Council England) applications ruled out for technical eligibility reasons. Further information on success rates will be published in due course, as set out below.
The CRF is delivered at arm’s length from the government by Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and Heritage England. Data for successful grant offers that have been published can be found on their websites.
We acknowledge that there is public interest in aggregated all-CRF geographical breakdowns for this important investment, as well as the organisation size breakdowns for successful applicants. For this reason, later this year DCMS will publish sets of aggregated and anonymised management data to demonstrate the geography and characteristics of the CRF applicants and awardees - to the extent that our data-set allows. This will also include further up-to-date information on success rates.
We will deposit a copy of this information in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of applications to the Culture Recovery Fund seeking an emergency grant were successful.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
The first round of the Emergency Resource Support strand of the Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) ran in Summer and Autumn 2021 and was delivered by Arts Council England, Historic England, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and the British Film Institute. The second round was launched in Winter 2021.
The first round of this funding supported 183 organisations, from a total of 259 full applications, giving a success rate of 70.66%. This excludes organisations which did not reach full application stage, and (for Arts Council England) applications ruled out for technical eligibility reasons. Further information on success rates will be published in due course, as set out below.
The CRF is delivered at arm’s length from the government by Arts Council England, the British Film Institute, the National Heritage Lottery Fund, and Heritage England. Data for successful grant offers that have been published can be found on their websites.
We acknowledge that there is public interest in aggregated all-CRF geographical breakdowns for this important investment, as well as the organisation size breakdowns for successful applicants. For this reason, later this year DCMS will publish sets of aggregated and anonymised management data to demonstrate the geography and characteristics of the CRF applicants and awardees - to the extent that our data-set allows. This will also include further up-to-date information on success rates.
We will deposit a copy of this information in the Libraries of both Houses.