Alison McGovern Portrait

Alison McGovern

Labour - Wirral South

First elected: 6th May 2010

Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions)

(since December 2021)

Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
10th Apr 2020 - 4th Dec 2021
Cultural Objects (Protection From Seizure) Bill
9th Nov 2021 - 17th Nov 2021
Treasury Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 11th May 2020
Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art
12th Dec 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Treasury Sub-Committee
14th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Treasury Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art
1st Jul 2015 - 3rd May 2017
Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art
26th Oct 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
8th May 2015 - 18th Sep 2015
Shadow Minister (Education)
5th Nov 2014 - 30th Mar 2015
Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art
18th Nov 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Shadow Minister (International Development)
7th Oct 2013 - 5th Nov 2014
Opposition Whip (Commons)
11th Jan 2013 - 7th Oct 2013
International Development Committee
2nd Nov 2010 - 4th Feb 2013


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Alison McGovern has voted in 693 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Alison McGovern Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Nigel Huddleston (Conservative)
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
(31 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(17 debate interactions)
Mims Davies (Conservative)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
(16 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department for Work and Pensions
(73 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(31 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(27 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Alison McGovern's debates

Wirral South Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Bring in a law which enforces professional football clubs to have at least 51% fan ownership similar to how the Bundesliga operates this rule.

The Government should use the recently established fan led review of football to introduce an Independent Football Regulator in England to put fans back at the heart of our national game. This should happen by December 2021.

The Coronavirus Act grants potentially dangerous powers including to detain some persons indefinitely, to take biological samples, and to give directions about dead bodies. Powers last up to 2 years with 6 monthly reviews, and lockdown powers could prevent protests against measures.

The Government should allow golf courses to remain open during the second lockdown, and any future restrictions. Shops and clubhouses can close, but courses should be allowed to remain open, with social distancing in place.

Consider keeping gyms open during lockdown because so many people have mental health and stress and they need something to do to take their mind off it closing all fitness facilities can affect us pretty badly.

Urgent call for the government to close all nurseries and early years settings in light of the new lockdown to protect early years staff.

We want the government to recognise the importance of gyms, health clubs, leisure centres and swimming pools in empowering people to look after their health and stay fit and for them to open first as we come out of lockdown.

We're also calling for government to fund a Work Out to Help Out scheme.

Isolation essential to the Government’s strategy for fighting coronavirus, and UK citizens must remain healthy and exercise whilst keeping adequate distance between people. The Government should allow golf courses to open so families or individuals can play golf in order to exercise safely.

In the event of a spike we would like you not to close gyms as a measure to stop any spread of Covid. Also for gyms to not be put in the same group as pubs in terms of risk or importance. Gyms are following strict guidelines and most members are following rules in a sober manner.

Football is a powerful tool of which allows a range of benefits such as employment, and other important aspects of life. Football can be associated with passion, emotion, excitement and dedication across the community. With Fans attending football games a range of economic benefits are there too.


Latest EDMs signed by Alison McGovern

29th March 2023
Alison McGovern signed this EDM on Monday 17th April 2023

Paul O'Grady

Tabled by: Mick Whitley (Labour - Birkenhead)
That this House expresses its sadness on the untimely passing of Paul O’Grady; celebrates the life of a much-loved entertainer, writer, actor, and comedian; recognises the great pride that the people of Birkenhead have taken over many years in the continued success of their favourite son; commends the trailblazing work …
32 signatures
(Most recent: 21 Apr 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 22
Scottish National Party: 5
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Independent: 1
20th February 2023
Alison McGovern signed this EDM on Monday 20th February 2023

2022 Champions League Final and Liverpool Football Club supporters

Tabled by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
That this House welcomes the findings of the Independent Panel Inquiry into the near-disaster at the UEFA Champions League Final in Paris on 28 May 2022; notes, further to EDM 131 tabled by the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby, the total exoneration of Liverpool supporters by the panel from …
48 signatures
(Most recent: 17 Apr 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 36
Independent: 6
Scottish National Party: 3
Conservative: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Liberal Democrat: 1
View All Alison McGovern's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Alison McGovern, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Alison McGovern has not been granted any Urgent Questions

2 Adjournment Debates led by Alison McGovern

Monday 24th April 2023
Wednesday 15th June 2022

2 Bills introduced by Alison McGovern


Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 16th July 2014

The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to amend the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to broaden the scope of the general duty of library authorities so as to include a duty to provide related cultural facilities alongside the library service; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 1st December 2010

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
2 Other Department Questions
14th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2023 to Question 903996 on Equality Act 2010, if he will outline the policies and practical actions that the Government plans to implement.

The Government is ensuring that all young people get every opportunity to go as far as their talents will take them. Social mobility initiatives include:

  • Increasing the number of good school places, 87% of schools are now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% in 2010 and;
  • Ensuring people of all ages get the education and skills they need by investing in careers education, transforming technical education, and making apprenticeships and the higher education system more accessible.

On 1 April 2023, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 23 years and over by 9.7% to £10.42. This keeps the Government on track to achieve its manifesto commitment for the NLW to equal two-thirds of median earnings by 2024 (if economic conditions allow).

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
8th Mar 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps the Government is taking to implement section 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

The Government has no plans to commence Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 in England. As merely a “due regard” duty, it requires no specific action from the public body concerned, and risks becoming a tick-box exercise, complied with to minimise the risk of litigation rather than to promote real change in society. The duty is also wrongly focussed on equalising socio-economic outcomes rather than opportunities. The Government’s preferred approach is to progress specific policies and practical actions that will deliver real change.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
5th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 190603 on Cabinet Office: Members, what comparative assessment he has made of the performance of each Department at meeting the 20-day target.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Members’ correspondence. As set out in the Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk and in the response to Question 190603, the deadlines set by Departments for responding to correspondence should not exceed 20 working days and they are strongly encouraged to set more challenging deadlines to ensure greater efficiency in responding to correspondence.

While each Department is responsible for managing their own timeliness in responding to correspondence, the Cabinet Office, as owners of the Guide to Handling Correspondence, regularly engages with correspondence officials in Government Departments to discuss and review performance and issues that may be impacting performance. The Cabinet Office also publishes correspondence performance data on GOV.UK on a regular basis, detailing departmental performance in handling correspondence. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1145941/Data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-MPs-and-Peers-in-2022.docx.pdf

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
5th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant the Answer of 3 July 2023 to Question 90603 on Cabinet Office: Members, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on factors that may be impacting their Department's performance in responding to correspondence.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Members’ correspondence. As set out in the Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk and in the response to Question 190603, the deadlines set by Departments for responding to correspondence should not exceed 20 working days and they are strongly encouraged to set more challenging deadlines to ensure greater efficiency in responding to correspondence.

While each Department is responsible for managing their own timeliness in responding to correspondence, the Cabinet Office, as owners of the Guide to Handling Correspondence, regularly engages with correspondence officials in Government Departments to discuss and review performance and issues that may be impacting performance. The Cabinet Office also publishes correspondence performance data on GOV.UK on a regular basis, detailing departmental performance in handling correspondence. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1145941/Data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-MPs-and-Peers-in-2022.docx.pdf

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
5th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July to Question 190603 on Cabinet Office: Members, what the deadline to respond to correspondence set by each Government Department was as of 5 July 2023.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Members’ correspondence. As set out in the Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk and in the response to Question 190603, the deadlines set by Departments for responding to correspondence should not exceed 20 working days and they are strongly encouraged to set more challenging deadlines to ensure greater efficiency in responding to correspondence.

While each Department is responsible for managing their own timeliness in responding to correspondence, the Cabinet Office, as owners of the Guide to Handling Correspondence, regularly engages with correspondence officials in Government Departments to discuss and review performance and issues that may be impacting performance. The Cabinet Office also publishes correspondence performance data on GOV.UK on a regular basis, detailing departmental performance in handling correspondence. This can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1145941/Data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-MPs-and-Peers-in-2022.docx.pdf

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 188915, what steps he is taking to increase compliance with the 20-day target across Departments.

Departments across government work to strict internal deadlines to ensure responses are progressed within 20 working days. The Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk clearly sets out the importance this government attaches to the effective and efficient handling of correspondence received from Members.

Whilst 4 weeks is the deadline to respond to correspondence, departments are encouraged to set more challenging deadlines.

Officials working on correspondence across government departments are encouraged to engage regularly with policy officials, to ensure responses going out to Members are drafted and progressed as efficiently as possible. Cabinet Office regularly engages with correspondence officials in other Government departments to discuss performance and what may be impacting their performance.

As set out in the response to Question 188915, Government Ministers are expected to respond quickly and effectively to Members’ correspondence and I will continue to drive that message. Every effort must be made to reply to correspondence promptly and within the original deadline.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
12th Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average time is for a Department to respond to casework queries from Rt hon. and hon. Members.

The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence.

As per the Cabinet Office’s Guide to Handling Correspondence on gov.uk, departments and agencies should aim to respond to correspondence from MPs within a 20 working day target deadline, but are advised to consider setting more challenging deadlines than 20 working days to ensure a better minimum service level.

Performance data on responses to correspondence from Parliamentarians for 2022 can be found on gov.uk. This data shows the volume of correspondence received by government departments and agencies from Parliamentarians and the percentage that was responded to within each department’s target deadline as well as the 20 working day maximum target deadline.

I expect Government Ministers to respond quickly and effectively to Members’ correspondence and I will continue to drive that message.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
3rd Dec 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of redundancies in the charity sector.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.

5th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes were retrofitted as a result of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator in Wirral South constituency as of 24 November 2022.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator awarded around £62m of grant funding, delivering from 2021 into 2022, no funding was awarded to Wirral South. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition, which closed on 18th November 2022, will allocate up to £800m of grant funding. Successful projects will be notified around March 2023.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes had been retrofitted through the Local Authority Delivery Scheme in Wirral South on 21 November 2022.

As of 21 November 2022, according to official figures, 28 homes have been retrofitted in Wirral South under the Local Authority Delivery Scheme.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money has the Government spent on the Social Housing Decarbonization Fund in Wirral South constituency as of 24 November 2022.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator awarded around £62m of grant funding, delivering from 2021 into 2022, no funding was awarded to Wirral South. The SHDF Wave 2.1 competition, which closed on 18th November 2022, will allocate up to £800m of grant funding. Successful projects will be notified around March 2023.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the cost to the public purse was of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme in Wirral South as of 24 November 2022.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy does not hold a breakdown of Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funding by constituency. Lists of all projects funded through the scheme can be found on the scheme’s GOV.UK page: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-sector-decarbonisation-scheme.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
5th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many people have received the Warm Homes Discount in Wirral South as of 24 November 2022.

Energy suppliers are responsible for providing rebates to eligible households and are only required to report on the number of rebates provided in England, Scotland and Wales. The Government does not hold data on the number of rebate recipients by constituency.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with businesses in Wirral South on the potential impact of the cost of living crisis on those businesses.

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Wirral South, and is engaging with businesses across the UK to understand these challenges and explore ways to mitigate them.

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The Government has reversed the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs £4,200 on average, cut fuel duty for 12 months and brought in the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is shielding businesses across the country from soaring energy prices, saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs.

We have also announced £13.6 billion of support for businesses over the next five years, reducing the burden of business rates for SMEs.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) the Minister for Women and Equalities and (b) Cabinet colleagues on improving (i) access to entrepreneurial career pathways and (ii) business ownership for people with protected characteristics in Wirral South.

The Government is fully committed to supporting businesses and creating the best conditions for enterprise so that everyone, whatever their background, has the means and know-how to start and grow a business.

We are supporting early-stage entrepreneurs from all backgrounds through the Start-Up Loans Company which provides funding and intensive support to new entrepreneurs. Since 2012, 40% of Start Up Loans have gone to women, worth over £341m and 20% of loans worth 183m have gone to Black, Asian, and Ethnic-minority business. (as at October 2022). 106 SMEs in Wirral South have received loans to the value of £1,014,500 as of October 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many and what proportion of businesses are owned by women in Wirral South.

In the UK in 2021, 19% of SMEs with employees (a three-percentage point increase on 2020) and 20% of firms with no employees (21% in 2020) were female-led. The government does not hold regional data relating to the proportion of female-led business.

The Rose Review is supported by the industry-led ‘Rose Review Council for Investing in Female Entrepreneurs’ that aims to coordinate industry-led action to increase investment into female-led businesses.

The Government has set an ambition to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030, equivalent to 600,000 new entrepreneurs.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many SMEs in Wirral South have received Government funding for support during the cost of living crisis.

The Government recognises the impact rising prices are having on businesses, including those in Wirral South.

Businesses in Wirral South will have benefitted from the Government’s reversal of the National Insurance rise, saving SMEs on average £4,200, cut fuel duty for 12 months and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, to protect SMEs from high energy costs over the winter. The Employment Allowance was increased to £5,000 from April and we have continued to provide business rate relief worth over £7bn, freezing the business rates multiplier for a further year.

The Government is providing financial support - 106 SMEs in Wirral South have received Start Up Loans to the value of £1,014,500 as of October 2022.

Kevin Hollinrake
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes in Wirral South have had ECO scheme measures installed as of 24 November 2022.

BEIS publishes information on the number of households in receipt of ECO measures by Parliamentary Constituency in Table 4.5 accompanying the latest Household Energy Efficiency Statistics release.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help increase the rate of energy efficiency measure installations in homes in Wirral South.

The Government is committed to improving the energy performance of homes across the country, including in Wirral South.

The Government is already investing £6.6 billion over this parliament on decarbonising heat and energy efficiency measures.

The additional £6 billion of new Government funding, announced in the Autumn Statement, will be made available from 2025 to 2028.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department is taking steps to increase the number of green jobs in Wirral South.

The Government is supporting green jobs at a national level with the Green Jobs Delivery Group. This group has already supported 68,000 jobs nationally within the green economy. The Government is also working with the Green Jobs Delivery Group to explore how central Government, local Government and businesses can further support local areas to deliver a successful net zero labour market transition. Alongside this, BEIS is working with DfE and local partners to ensure green skills are considered through Local Skills Improvement Plans.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many projects have been completed in Wirral South through the Green Deal as of 24 November 2022.

BEIS estimates that in Wirral South constituency, six Green Deal projects are live, meaning all measures have been installed, but no projects have been completed, meaning that not all measures have been paid off. Data covers the period from May 2013 to October 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses that have had heat pumps installed in Wirral South constituency as of 31 October 2022.

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database shows that as of 31 October 2022, forty heat pump installations were registered in the Wirral South constituency.

The database does not include all heat pump installations, for example, those installed without Government funding support, such as in new buildings, which are not typically recorded in the Microgeneration Certification Scheme Installations Database.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes in Wirral South have had solar power panels installed as of 31 October 2022.

At the end of October 2022, there were 698 domestic installations of solar panels recorded in Wirral South constituency.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many homes in Wirral South have had external wall insulation installed as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG) government schemes, around 500 cavity wall insulation measures, 400 loft insulation measures, 300 under floor insulation measures and 200 external wall insulation measures have been installed in Wirral South constituency.

Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses that have had under floor insulation installed in Wirral South constituency as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG) government schemes, around 500 cavity wall insulation measures, 400 loft insulation measures, 300 under floor insulation measures and 200 external wall insulation measures have been installed in Wirral South constituency.

Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses with lofts that had loft insulation installed in Wirral South constituency as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG) government schemes, around 500 cavity wall insulation measures, 400 loft insulation measures, 300 under floor insulation measures and 200 external wall insulation measures have been installed in Wirral South constituency.

Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
1st Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an estimate of the number of houses with cavity walls that have been insulated in Wirral South constituency as of 31 October 2022.

BEIS estimates that under the Energy Company Obligation (ECO)and Green Homes Grant (GHG) government schemes, around 500 cavity wall insulation measures, 400 loft insulation measures, 300 under floor insulation measures and 200 external wall insulation measures have been installed in Wirral South constituency.

Data for ECO covers January 2013 to September 2022. Data for the GHG schemes cover October 2020 to September 2022.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
25th Jan 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will publish the official text that was included in the proposed measure to allow creative professionals to travel and perform in both the UK and EU without work permits.

This Government recognises the importance of the UK’s thriving cultural industries, and that is why it pushed for ambitious arrangements to make it easier for performers and artists to perform across Europe as part of the negotiations on our future relationship with the EU.

This Government proposed to the EU that musicians, and their technical staff, be added to the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors in the entry and temporary stay chapter of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. This would have allowed musicians and their staff to travel and perform in the EU more easily, without needing work-permits.

The UK’s legal texts reflected this position, as the EU has now acknowledged. These texts are confidential negotiating documents and it is not appropriate for them to be published.

10th Nov 2020
What assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on corporate social responsibility.

The Government welcomes the social responsibility that most businesses have shown in responding to the pandemic, including making their premises Covid-secure by using the Safer Working guidance led by Government. Groups such as Business in the Community are continuing to coordinate help for communities in need; and the CBI-backed Good Business Charter continues to promote corporate social responsibility.

Amanda Solloway
Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
9th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of the planned increase in the National Living Wage from £8.72 to £9.21 per hour in April 2021 on (a) incomes and (b) public finances.

The minimum wage rates are set on the expert and independent advice of the Low Pay Commission (LPC). This year, we asked the LPC to recommend the National Living Wage rate which should apply from April 2021 in order to reach two-thirds of median earnings by 2024, taking economic conditions into account.

The Government asks the Low Pay Commission to monitor the labour market and the impacts of the National Living Wage closely, advising on any emerging risks, to ensure that the lowest-paid workers continue to see pay rises without significant risks to their employment prospects.

We will announce the 2021 Minimum Wage rates in due course. A full Impact Assessment estimating the benefits and costs to employers and workers will be published alongside the legislation. We estimated that over 2 million workers benefitted from the increase earlier this year, which gave a full-time worker on the NLW an increase of £930 over the year.

5th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what regulation is in place for the sale of cinema tickets within the UK.

The sale of cinema tickets in the UK is subject to the general consumer law with associated rights and protections. These are outlined on gov.uk here.

Furthermore, cinemas are required, under the Licensing Act 2003, to have secured a premises licence in order to screen films to the public. These licences include conditions requiring cinemas to restrict the admission of children to films in accordance with the film classification given by the Licensing Authority. In most circumstances, these are provided by the British Board of Film Classification (as the designated authority under the Video Recordings Act 1984), however the local Licensing Authority is ultimately responsible for issuing permission for a film to be shown in their locality. You can find out more about the requirements for showing films in public on gov.uk here.

28th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the educational arts sector.

His Majesty’s Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people have a broad and balanced curriculum, of which creative education is a key part. We have a wide range of music and arts education programmes designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background or where they live, and to maximise potential and unlock opportunity across the country. The Department for Education will continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years, through its music, arts, and heritage programmes.

The recently published Creative Industries Sector Vision highlighted our Creative Careers Promise, which will build on our educational arts offering to young people. As part of this, and as committed to in the Schools White Paper, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education are working together to develop a Cultural Education Plan. This plan aims to highlight the importance of high-quality cultural education in schools, promote the social value of cultural and creative education, outline and support career progression pathways, address skills gaps, and tackle disparities in opportunity and outcome. It will also connect relevant organisations delivering cultural learning opportunities and to support the cultural education workforce, including freelancers.

This week, the Government announced 22 independent experts who will sit on an advisory panel to support the development of the Cultural Education Plan. This panel, chaired by the crossbench peer Baroness Bull, comprises teachers, education leaders, and representatives from the performing arts, museums, heritage and youth sectors, and the creative industries.

As part of their work, Baroness Bull, members of the panel, and officials from both Departments are undertaking a series of around 50 listening exercises, working with organisations including the Confederation of School Trusts, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Youth Agency, Creative UK, the Royal Society of Arts, and Arts Council England’s Youth Advisory Board.

This is on top of existing Government initiatives to support the arts in education, including £25 million for musical instruments as committed to alongside the National Plan for Music Education, exploring opportunities for enrichment activities as part of the Government’s wraparound childcare provision, improving creative apprenticeships, and supporting the rollout of relevant T-Levels.

Additionally, we recognise the rich cultural learning experiences that children and young people in England access through the cultural sector, and we are pleased that 79% of organisations being funded through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 national portfolio are delivering activities directly to children and young people – a 20% increase from the last national portfolio.



21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the provision of swimming facilities.

The Government does not hold data on individual swimming clubs, but Sport England data shows that the number of operational swimming pools on sites owned by Local Authorities in the North West in June 2013 was 239.

We regularly engage with Local Authorities and the Local Government Association (LGA) on the provision of swimming pools, particularly in light of the £63 million support package for swimming pools announced at the Budget. This package will help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
21st Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 June 2023 to Question 189203, whether the Sport England data shows how many local authority swimming pools were open in the North West in June 2013.

The Government does not hold data on individual swimming clubs, but Sport England data shows that the number of operational swimming pools on sites owned by Local Authorities in the North West in June 2013 was 239.

We regularly engage with Local Authorities and the Local Government Association (LGA) on the provision of swimming pools, particularly in light of the £63 million support package for swimming pools announced at the Budget. This package will help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken with media stakeholders to help ensure that the FIFA Women's World Cup will be show on television.

Last summer we witnessed a major success in women’s sport as our very own Lionesses beat Germany at Wembley to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy. The Women’s World Cup this summer will again shine a light on women’s football and we want to make the most of this opportunity.

The Secretary of State made clear the need for a solution to FIFA and a statement was also published in May signed by the Governments of the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy urging both parties to reach an agreement. I welcome the announcement made on 14 June that all 64 matches in this summer's women's World Cup will be broadcast live on the BBC and ITV so our nation can cheer on their heroes as they take on the world at the Women's World Cup this summer and continue to inspire future generations.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many council-run swimming pools were open in June (a) 2013 and (b) 2023.

We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools, as swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.

At the Budget, we announced a dedicated £63 million support package for swimming pools, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers. It will also help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Sport England continues to support swimming, having invested over £12 million in swimming and diving projects since April 2019.

While the Government does not hold data on individual swimming clubs, data held by Sport England shows that in the North West, in June 2019, there were 228 Local Authority swimming pools, compared with 224 in June 2023.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the number of swimming clubs in the North West that have had their home training pool closed down since December 2019.

We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools, as swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.

At the Budget, we announced a dedicated £63 million support package for swimming pools, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers. It will also help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Sport England continues to support swimming, having invested over £12 million in swimming and diving projects since April 2019.

While the Government does not hold data on individual swimming clubs, data held by Sport England shows that in the North West, in June 2019, there were 228 Local Authority swimming pools, compared with 224 in June 2023.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
13th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many council-run swimming pools were open in the North West in (a) December 2019 and (b) June 2023.

We recognise the importance of ensuring public access to swimming pools, as swimming is a great way for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy. The responsibility of providing this access lies at Local Authority level, and the Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.

At the Budget, we announced a dedicated £63 million support package for swimming pools, which is targeted at addressing cost pressures facing public swimming pool providers. It will also help provide investment in energy efficiency measures to reduce future operating costs and make facilities sustainable in the long-term. Sport England continues to support swimming, having invested over £12 million in swimming and diving projects since April 2019.

While the Government does not hold data on individual swimming clubs, data held by Sport England shows that in the North West, in June 2019, there were 228 Local Authority swimming pools, compared with 224 in June 2023.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her timetable of future meetings with the Chair of the Future of Women's Football Review is; and if she will publish regular updates on those meetings.

This Government is a staunch supporter of women’s football and the Future of Women’s Football Review is the next step in driving forward momentum for women’s football in this country.

Officials from the Department form the secretariat of the Review alongside the FA. Officials are in near daily contact with the Chair of the Review, and speak at least twice weekly with the Chair to discuss progress and analyse evidence. To date officials have collaborated with the Chair on nine individual stakeholder evidence sessions, a roundtable with Women’s Super League Clubs, and a roundtable with Women’s Championship Clubs. Officials will work with the Chair on a further eight stakeholder roundtables covering the key themes of the review over the next two weeks.

Ministerial engagement will take place in tandem with planned stakeholder roundtables over the coming weeks. The results of the Review will be published in the Chair’s final report, which will be published in spring 2023.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many times (a) she and (b) officials from her Department have had discussions with the Chair of the Future of Women's Football Review since the Chair's appointment.

This Government is a staunch supporter of women’s football and the Future of Women’s Football Review is the next step in driving forward momentum for women’s football in this country.

Officials from the Department form the secretariat of the Review alongside the FA. Officials are in near daily contact with the Chair of the Review, and speak at least twice weekly with the Chair to discuss progress and analyse evidence. To date officials have collaborated with the Chair on nine individual stakeholder evidence sessions, a roundtable with Women’s Super League Clubs, and a roundtable with Women’s Championship Clubs. Officials will work with the Chair on a further eight stakeholder roundtables covering the key themes of the review over the next two weeks.

Ministerial engagement will take place in tandem with planned stakeholder roundtables over the coming weeks. The results of the Review will be published in the Chair’s final report, which will be published in spring 2023.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to increase support to women's football, following the success of the lionesses at Euro 2022 and the open letter the Lionesses wrote to the Prime Minister in August 2022.

We are determined to support more women and girls to get active and football is the most popular team sport in terms of participation for women and girls.

The Lionesses’ fantastic performance at the 2022 Women’s Euros has truly inspired the nation with a record breaking crowd of over 87,000 attending the final and 23.3m UK viewers tuning into the BBC’s coverage. It is essential that we take the opportunity to capitalise on and build on the success and legacy of the tournament and the team to secure a long lasting and sustainable future for the women’s game.

To raise the profile of facilities in the UK, and to commemorate the Lionesses, the Football Foundation is working with facility owners to name pitches/facilities in towns and cities that have a strong link to each tournament winning squad member. We will also continue to invest in grassroots sport to bring on the next generation of Lionesses and continue to work with the Department for Education to ensure girls have equal access to sports. The Prime Minister and the DCMS Secretary of State were delighted to meet the Lionesses earlier this month who are extraordinary ambassadors for sport. They reconfirmed their commitment to reviewing the barriers to girls accessing two hours of PE.

The recently announced Women’s Football Review will look at how to deliver bold and sustainable growth of the women’s game at elite and grassroots level. We would encourage all interested stakeholders and organisations to come forward and contribute views to Karen Carney’s review. It is vital that we hear from a variety of voices across the game.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the adequacy of supply of covid-19 lateral flow tests; and what assessment he has made of whether there will be adequate supplies of those tests to enable planned summer events to go ahead safely.

Last year we quickly established one of the largest asymptomatic testing programmes in the world. We have now conducted over 90m lateral flow tests in England alone, finding nearly 200k cases. Home testing has been confirmed for some Events Research Programme (ERP) pilots only, and is not indicative of Step 4 policy decisions. ERP learnings will feed into wider policy making on step 4, and further details on broader testing policy will be released in due course. Current asymptomatic testing is available until 31 July, with further decisions on extending this to be taken in line with Step 4 of the Prime Minister's roadmap.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the financial situation of companies in the live events industry supply chain due to the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

DCMS continues to work closely with other government departments, academic institutions and stakeholders to review evidence on the impact of ongoing restrictions within the live events industries.

Most of the financial support schemes do not end until September or after, in order to provide continuity and certainty for businesses.

Throughout this pandemic there has been over £400 billion of economic support, one of the most generous and comprehensive packages in the world.

Although there is no current plan to make a statement on financial situations of individual sectors/settings, our engagements have helped us to understand both the nature and scale of the impact that this particular industry has faced.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish a list all ministers, including the Prime Minister who have received a copy of the Events Research Programme results.

The Events Research Programme report was published on Friday 25 June and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/events-research-programme-phase-i-findings

The Events Research Programme is a joint programme between DCMS, DHSC, and BEIS overseen by an industry-led steering group co-chaired by Sir Nicholas Hytner and David Ross. Evidence from the pilot events is considered by the group to make recommendations to the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for DCMS, BEIS and DHSC on how restrictions could be safely lifted at Step 4 of the Roadmap.

The report has been subject to a comprehensive and rigorous coordination and approval process across departments, academic institutions and ERP governance boards, and takes into account the latest public health data.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the results of the Events Research Programme.

The Events Research Programme report was published on Friday 25 June and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/events-research-programme-phase-i-findings

The Events Research Programme is a joint programme between DCMS, DHSC, and BEIS overseen by an industry-led steering group co-chaired by Sir Nicholas Hytner and David Ross. Evidence from the pilot events is considered by the group to make recommendations to the Prime Minister and the Secretaries of State for DCMS, BEIS and DHSC on how restrictions could be safely lifted at Step 4 of the Roadmap.

The report has been subject to a comprehensive and rigorous coordination and approval process across departments, academic institutions and ERP governance boards, and takes into account the latest public health data.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
23rd Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish all (a) economic and (b) other assessments of the effect of not allowing large events during the covid-19 outbreak in summer 2021.

We recognise the challenging times facing all sectors currently, and continue to support them in line with the prime minister's roadmap to the full reopening of the economy.

Although we have no plans currently to publish an assessment, the Department has been working closely with stakeholders across large event settings throughout the pandemic, and this has helped us to understand both the nature and the scale of the impact this sector has faced.

Step 4 of The Prime Minister's roadmap allows large events to go ahead in Summer 2021 without restrictions. The roadmap sets out a cautious and gradual approach - led by data, not dates - and while we know there may be loss of some business as a result of the delay to step 4, public health must remain the government’s top priority.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
26th May 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2021 to Question 185358 on the National Leisure Recovery Fund, when the early information from the Government's data capture system will be published.

The data capture system for the National Leisure Recovery Fund, Moving Communities, is now fully operational. The platform opened for data submissions at the start of April with 280 Local Authorities relating to c.1100 leisure facilities across England.


A series of headline national statistics will be released over the coming weeks with a fuller report available at the end of June. Local Authorities and the leisure service providers have been able to access their local data and interrogate through the filtering and dashboards available on the platform since the beginning of May.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)