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 assessment she has made of the potential benefits of negotiating free-to-air television coverage of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart in the UK.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Hosting the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs in 2027 will cement Britain's reputation as a destination for major international sporting events. These events will stimulate growth, attract new visitors and leave a lasting legacy for athletes and fans alike.
As a Government, we want to ensure sport can be accessed, played and enjoyed by as many people as possible. With more than 900km of route spanning England, Scotland and Wales, and free spectating all the way, together these races will be the most accessible major sporting event Great Britain has ever hosted.
Broadcast rights are ultimately commercial decisions for broadcasters and event owners, in this case the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). I know that organisers are keen to work with all partners to maximise exposure and ensure these races can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.
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, how much funding her Department has allocated to preparations for UEFA Euro 2028.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
As part of the government’s Plan for Change, we are investing more than £500 million in the upcoming Spending Review period to support the delivery of world class sporting events being held in the UK over the coming years, including UEFA EURO 2028 and the Tour de France/Tour de France Femmes Grands Départs 2027.
Following the conclusion of a comprehensive review of the tournament hosting budget, the Government will be able to disclose to Parliament details of our funding allocated to the preparations for and delivery of UEFA EURO 2028 in the near future.
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 recent progress her Department has made on implementing the reprofiled Youth Investment Fund.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Youth Investment Fund continues to deliver significant numbers of new youth facilities in less advantaged areas across England.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has invested over £145 million to provide stability to the youth sector and ensure young people can continue to access opportunities, as we transition to the new National Youth Strategy. Part of this funding is in recognition of the urgent need for more youth facilities and has enabled more flexibility with project delivery and continues to support the completion of Youth Investment Fund projects into 2026.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of awarding European football viewing rights to streaming platforms for free on access to sport.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Secretary of State has not made any assessment on the potential impact of awarding European Football viewing rights to streaming platforms for free on access to sport.
The Government does not own or have the ability to award the streaming rights for competitions run by private entities, such as FIFA or UEFA.
The Government recognises the importance of ensuring access to a number of sporting events, including European football, so that they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. However, this must also be balanced with the ability of sports national governing bodies and rights holders to generate revenue to invest in their sports at all levels. Broadcasting rights provide essential income for these organisations.
All UK broadcasters are operationally and editorially independent of the Government. Therefore decisions relating to coverage of particular sporting events, including European football are ultimately a commercial decision for the relevant broadcaster and/or the rights holder of the specific sporting event.
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 progress she has made in delivering the EURO 2028 programme on (a) time and (b) budget.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government continues to work with our football and government partners across the UK and Ireland, and with UEFA, to deliver a spectacular tournament with far-reaching social and economic benefits.
As part of the government’s Plan for Change, we are investing more than £500 million in the upcoming Spending Review period to support the delivery of world class sporting events being held in the UK over the coming years, including UEFA EURO 2028.
Regular financial updates on the budget will be provided in the lead up to the event, including via the DCMS Annual Report and Accounts.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing the 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing to align with the 21% tax rate on online gaming on the number of jobs in the horse racing industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There has been ministerial engagement between my Department and His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the specific way British horseracing is funded and the potential implications of any changes to taxation.
Future proposals on Gambling Duties are a matter for HMT, should legislative changes come about, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HMT, as is standard practice.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning the 15% tax rate paid by bookmakers on racing with the 21% tax rate on online gaming on the horse racing industry.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There has been ministerial engagement between my Department and His Majesty’s Treasury to ensure that they are aware of the specific way British horseracing is funded and the potential implications of any changes to taxation.
Future proposals on Gambling Duties are a matter for HMT, should legislative changes come about, we expect them to be accompanied by tax and impact notes from HMT, as is standard practice.
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 recent progress she has made on heritage high street regeneration programmes.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This year the government launched new funding for heritage which will benefit high streets and beyond.
The £15m Heritage at Risk Capital Fund which enables individuals and organisations in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England to rescue and repair at-risk historic sites and buildings that bring people together, like shops, pubs, parks and town halls. In August 2025, funding was announced for 37 much-loved historic buildings and sites, many of which are located on high streets and in town centres.
Alongside this, the £4.85m Heritage Revival Fund has a particular emphasis on town centres and helps to rescue and repurpose neglected historic buildings in England, enabling community organisations, charities and social enterprises to take ownership and repurpose sites such as theatres, department stores and former banks.
These funds will support the government’s Pride in Place Strategy, announced by the Prime Minister on 25th September 2025, to tackle local issues in 339 of the UK's most disadvantaged communities.
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, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.
The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025.
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 assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed loan of the Parthenon Sculptures to Greece on trends in the number of visitors to the (a) British Museum and (b) UK in the next five years.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
No such assessment has been made.