Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 benefits for her policies on tourism of appointing a full-time Tourism Minister focused exclusively on tourism.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has a Minister responsible for Tourism, within a portfolio that also includes Sport, Civil Society and Youth. As ambitions to promote growth and improve the productivity of the tourism sector are reliant on a cross-government approach, DCMS works collaboratively with other government departments. This collaboration facilitates wider discussions to find solutions that help support the Visitor Economy, which in turn can help support the objectives of other departments and cross-government interests on foundational matters such as spreading opportunity, creating jobs and growth across all parts of the UK.
DCMS is supported by the joint industry and government-led Visitor Economy Advisory Council. The Council aims to act as a candid sounding board and challenge function for Government policy decisions. It is also supporting the Government in delivering the Visitor Economy Growth Plan which will set out a long term plan to increase visitor flows across the UK, boost value, and deliver sustainable growth.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) other reviews undertaken by her Department since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The information requested is not centrally held in an easily accessible form as there are no expenditure categories that just cover consultations or reviews.
Due to this any response could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 10 July 2025 to Question 64204 on Parthenon Sculptures: Tourism, if she will make that estimate.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
There are no plans to make such an estimate.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department plans to spend on maintaining the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme in (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
For the 2025/26 financial year, the total budget for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme is £23 million. Of the £23 million, there is a remaining £10,986158 to distribute. The 2025/26 Scheme will close on 31 March 2026, or once the £23 million budget has been reached, whichever is earlier.
The future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after March 2026 will be announced when the outcome of the Spending Review and business planning processes have completed.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 16 May 2025 to Question 50630 on Local Visitor Economy Partnership, whether her Department is providing specialised support to areas without a Local Visitor Economy Partnership.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The purpose of the LVEP programme is to attract investment and ultimately drive growth, training, and help places tell their own unique stories to visitors. Through a collaborative approach that unites local authorities, businesses and regional partners, LVEPs enhance the quality of the visitor offer and ensure that the positive impacts of tourism are distributed widely across communities. economy together.
37 Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) are currently accredited across England, covering a broad mix of urban, rural and coastal destinations. In some other places, such as Bedfordshire, LVEPs are still in development. These areas are still working through how best to organise their destination management functions, align multiple local authorities, and secure the long-term funding and governance arrangements required for accreditation.
The current geographical distribution reflects a strong spread of partnerships across regions, and the Department continues to work with VisitEngland to provide guidance, regional development support and resources to all destinations. VisitEngland offers dedicated assistance through Regional Development Leads and programme tools to help local areas strengthen governance, build capability and work towards accreditation. This support is available to both accredited and aspiring LVEP areas, including Bedfordshire.
LVEP performance is monitored locally through delivery plans and nationally through evaluation by VisitEngland. VisitBritain/VisitEngland’s Business Plan 2025-26 allocated £1.5 million to supporting regional and local growth. This includes working with LVEPs to achieve local growth strategies and supporting the LVEP structure. VisitEngland’s regional leads and the regional pilots in the NorthEast and West Midlands have also benefited from a direct £1.35 million funding boost in 2025/26 to help the regions attract even more tourists and investment to the UK.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 14 May 2025 to Question 50272 on Local Visitor Economy Partnerships, whether her Department plans to provide support to areas without Local Visitor Economy Partnerships.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The purpose of the LVEP programme is to attract investment and ultimately drive growth, training, and help places tell their own unique stories to visitors. Through a collaborative approach that unites local authorities, businesses and regional partners, LVEPs enhance the quality of the visitor offer and ensure that the positive impacts of tourism are distributed widely across communities. economy together.
37 Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) are currently accredited across England, covering a broad mix of urban, rural and coastal destinations. In some other places, such as Bedfordshire, LVEPs are still in development. These areas are still working through how best to organise their destination management functions, align multiple local authorities, and secure the long-term funding and governance arrangements required for accreditation.
The current geographical distribution reflects a strong spread of partnerships across regions, and the Department continues to work with VisitEngland to provide guidance, regional development support and resources to all destinations. VisitEngland offers dedicated assistance through Regional Development Leads and programme tools to help local areas strengthen governance, build capability and work towards accreditation. This support is available to both accredited and aspiring LVEP areas, including Bedfordshire.
LVEP performance is monitored locally through delivery plans and nationally through evaluation by VisitEngland. VisitBritain/VisitEngland’s Business Plan 2025-26 allocated £1.5 million to supporting regional and local growth. This includes working with LVEPs to achieve local growth strategies and supporting the LVEP structure. VisitEngland’s regional leads and the regional pilots in the NorthEast and West Midlands have also benefited from a direct £1.35 million funding boost in 2025/26 to help the regions attract even more tourists and investment to the UK.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 8701, what action her Department has taken since 21 October 2024 to encourage (a) inbound and (b) domestic tourism in Bedfordshire.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to expanding the tourism sector and enabling more inbound and domestic visitors to fully experience the UK's diverse offerings in areas including Bedfordshire, home to stately homes such at Bridgerton’s West Park and family attractions including Whipsnade Zoo.
To drive more inbound visits across Britain, VisitBritain launched a global screen tourism campaign ‘’Starring Great Britain’’ in January 2025. The campaign uses the country's rich film and television history as a hook to inspire visitors to explore diverse and often rural destinations. The launch was supported by a wider advertising campaign across the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor markets including Australia, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, France, Germany and the USA.
The Government has secured a multi-billion-pound investment in a major new Universal theme park and resort in Bedford. This project will create thousands of jobs and drive millions of visitors, both inbound and domestic to Bedfordshire, reinforcing the UK as a world leader in the creative industries.
The Government has also announced the expansion of Luton airport which will significantly increase its passenger capacity enabling it to play a significant role in accommodating international visitors to the Universal theme park. The East West Rail corridor will also include Bedford from 2030, improving connectivity and driving economic growth.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 10 June 2025 to Question 55487 on Tourism: National Landscapes, if she will make an estimate of the economic contribution of tourism to areas with a protected landscape in each of the next five years.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
National Parks are vital assets for tourism, attracting millions of domestic and international visitors each year and supporting local economies through recreation, hospitality, and cultural heritage. While there are no plans to make an estimate of the economic contribution of tourism to areas with a protected landscape, DCMS recognises the importance of protected landscapes to the UK’s tourism offering.
DCMS continues to work with VisitBritain to champion visits to the British countryside to a worldwide audience. VisitBritain’s new GREAT-funded international marketing campaign, ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, uses the hook of Britain’s rich film and television history to encourage more international visitors to explore across Britain, including many rural destinations, landmarks and National Parks.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release entitled Cricket domes to bring year-round sport to communities, published on 25 August 2025, what the location will be of the dome in Luton.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
On 25 August, the Government announced £1.5 million investment into two indoor cricket domes in Luton and Farington, to be delivered through the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Luton’s new state-of-the-art indoor cricket dome will be in Lewsey Park and is expected to open in summer 2026, providing world-class indoor practice facilities for cricket, so local players, schools and grassroots clubs can access the sport all year round.
The flexible space will also have the potential to host other sports, such as hockey, tennis and badminton, ensuring as many local people as possible can get active. The new facility will also have a particular focus on encouraging more women and girls into the game ahead of the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Work with the England and Wales Cricket Board is ongoing to monitor the impact and effectiveness of these sites and we’re keen that they benefit as wide a local area as possible.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish a regional tourism strategy for the east-west rail corridor.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
East West Rail (EWR) will improve connectivity and drive economic growth, enabling people to travel easily and sustainably to the wide variety of existing and proposed tourist destinations along the route. The improved connectivity that EWR will provide, including its key interchanges with the UK’s major railway lines, will bring visitor attractions in Oxford, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge within easier reach for people living both in and outside the region.
The relevant local authorities, Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) and the EWR Company will work together, engaging with relevant stakeholders (including residents, businesses and cultural institutions), to ensure that opportunities for tourism are considered and developed through the project. Opportunities would then be captured in the relevant Destination Management Plans and Growth Plans for the regions concerned.
The Government is committed to supporting the sector through the forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Plan. This will set out a long term plan to increase visitor numbers to the UK and ensure more of these visitors reach our unique regional destinations, of which improved connectivity is a key driver.