Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to secure multilateral and bilateral agreements for relaxed cabotage rules for the cultural sector.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is aware of concerns raised by the cultural and creative sectors regarding the impact that cabotage arrangements can have for the cultural sector.
Cabotage terms are governed by international agreements, including the UK‑EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) multilateral permit system, which provides additional but limited access. While there are currently no plans to pursue sector-specific cabotage agreements, the Government engages regularly with international partners to explore opportunities to facilitate transport operations more broadly, including through existing bilateral road haulage agreements where appropriate.
The Government also engages with the EU, EU Member States and wider international partners on barriers affecting cultural exchange, including touring. As part of this engagement, we continue to make the case for practical measures that support the movement of artists, crews, equipment and the specialist services that underpin international exchange, as well as engaging with the cultural and the live touring sector to understand the practical impacts of cultural arrangements, including for organisations that operate ‘own account’ vehicles transporting their own equipment.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration she has given to rejoining Creative Europe.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s rich culture. We also understand the value of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes – this is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus and Erasmus+.
However, we have no intention to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
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 that public investment in sports facilities supports a balanced range of sports, including court-based activities such as tennis and padel, to maximise participation among women, disabled people, and inactive communities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities.
£15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Scottish Government and with the Church of Scotland on the closure of the Listed Places of Worship Grant; whether there will be Barnett Consequentials as a result of the new scheme in England; whether the new scheme will continue to offer VAT rebates on repairs and maintenance; and whether churches in Scotland will be eligible for this support.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Heritage funding is devolved, however listed places of worship in Scotland have benefitted from VAT rebate grants from the UK-wide Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, which ran from 2001 to 2026.
The Minister for Heritage met with representatives from the Church of Scotland and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland on 10th March to discuss the closure of the scheme. We have announced a new scheme in England, the Places of Worship Renewal Fund, which will award grants for projects to cover capital works. It will not offer just the VAT rebate of a project.
At Spending Reviews, the Devolved Governments receive Barnett consequentials as a proportion of overall departmental settlements, not specific funding lines or programmes. Barnett consequentials were confirmed for Devolved Governments in the usual way, taking into account the overall DCMS allocation, which includes capital funding for the Places of Worship Renewal fund. Decisions on how this funding is spent are for the Devolved Governments to take.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will formally recognise podcasting and audio production as part of the creative industries.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We recognise audio production and podcasts as part of the Creative Industries. Our statistical definition uses the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and includes economic activities of sound recording and music publishing (code 5920). Audio production and the recording of podcasts are included in this activity.
Our Creative Industries Sector Plan, published in June, highlighted the importance of good data and our ambitions to improve recognition of CI activity in official statistics. DCMS has submitted proposed changes to the industrial classification, in consultation with industry, to the ONS as part of their public consultation to review and create an updated UK SIC. If the proposal is accepted this will improve the distinction of podcast and other sound recording activities from music activities. Following the 14 November submission deadline, the ONS is currently reviewing all submitted proposals and is due to finalise the new SIC2026 classification by the end of March 2026. DCMS will then review the Creative Industries definition to incorporate new codes.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish the (a) minutes and (b) conclusions of the meetings of the expert panel for the Government’s BBC funding model review.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The BBC Funding Review is looking at how alternative funding models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers. It is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel that 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.
Stakeholders are submitting evidence on the basis that evidence provided is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities, and there is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to publish the evidence and submissions received to inform her Department's BBC funding model review.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The BBC Funding Review is looking at how alternative funding models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers. It is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel that 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.
Stakeholders are submitting evidence on the basis that evidence provided is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities, and there is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to enable (a) industry representatives and (b) other relevant stakeholders to make submissions to the BBC funding model review.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The BBC Funding Review is looking at how alternative funding models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers. It is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel that 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.
Stakeholders are submitting evidence on the basis that evidence provided is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities, and there is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Department publishes details of consultancy and professional services spending on an annual basis, in the Annual Report and Accounts. Due to the categorisation of spend within Department systems, it is not possible to extrapolate consultancy spend specifically in relation to recruitment activity. However, a total of £233,056.01 (excluding VAT) has been identified as spend on external recruitment consultants within the last three years, broken down as follows:
Financial Year | Spend (Ex VAT) |
2020/2021 | £116,358.67 |
2021/2022 | £61,824.44 |
2022/2023 (to 31 January 2023) | £54,872.90 |
Total | £233,056.01 |
This spending relates to external consultancy support, engaged by the Department, for the recruitment of substantive Civil Servants at delegated grades, Senior Civil Servants and Board Members, and excludes the recruitment and delivery of Apprenticeship schemes, and contingent labour workers.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in her Department in each year since 1 January 2016.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave the government.
This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a ministerial office within three weeks of leaving government.
Individuals may waive the payment to which they are entitled. That is a matter for their personal discretion, but this approach has been taken in the past.
Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published on GOV.UK.