Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
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 30 June 2026 to Question 11673 on Holiday Accommodation: Greater London, in what locations the short-term letting registration user testing scheme is taking place; and how the user testing has occurred.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport is responsible for the delivery of the short-term let registration scheme. The register is national and will be accessed online. The department has carried out multiple rounds of testing with potential users across England including hosts and management agents to ensure the registration service is accessible, user-friendly and reliable. User testing is ongoing.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121321 on Charities: Radicalism, whether the Charity Commission will have any enhanced powers in relation to charities with links to hostile foreign regimes.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers. Further changes will require primary legislation and are subject to parliamentary timetables.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
As set out by the Security Minister in Parliament on 4 March, under the counter-political interference and espionage plan, officials are developing a programme of work to engage with the UK’s think-tanks and non-profit sector to discuss the threats that they face from foreign interference.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121321 on Charities: Radicalism, what the timetable is for the implementation of the new Charity Commission powers.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS will consult on measures to automatically ban individuals convicted of hate crimes from serving as charity trustees or senior managers. Further changes will require primary legislation and are subject to parliamentary timetables.
The Charity Commission has a range of powers at its disposal to take action against abuse of charitable status, including freezing bank accounts, directing trustees to take corrective action, or disqualifying trustees. DCMS keeps the Charity Commission’s powers and charity law under regular review and is actively seeking to strengthen the Charity Commission’s powers.
As set out by the Security Minister in Parliament on 4 March, under the counter-political interference and espionage plan, officials are developing a programme of work to engage with the UK’s think-tanks and non-profit sector to discuss the threats that they face from foreign interference.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will require that organisations in receipt of funding from (a) her Department and (b) its arms-length bodies should not participate in boycotts against (i) Israel and (ii) the participation of (a) Israelis and (b) people from Jewish backgrounds for events connected to that funding.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Sports, arts, and culture are powerful ways to bring communities together. As such, we do not support sports or cultural boycotts in principle, including in relation to Israel. The Secretary of State recently met with a delegation led by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to discuss their experiences of working in the arts and cultural sector at a time of increased tension in the Middle East. The government's view is that antisemitism is as unacceptable in our sectors, as it is anywhere else in society.
Public Bodies are expected to act in line with their Framework Agreements, with their Board members required to adhere to the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies and The Nolan Principles of Public Life. DCMS’s standard terms and conditions include requirements that grant recipients comply with statutory requirements and specifically with the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her policy is on (a) contested heritage and (b) retain and explain.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The policy relating to contested heritage is set out in the 2023 Guidance for custodians on how to deal with commemorative heritage assets that have become contested which was published under the previous government. I have no plans to change the guidance.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on departmental plans to fly flags other than the Union flag in 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The flags other than the Union Flag that will be flown from the DCMS building in London in 2025 will be announced in due course. Currently, in addition to flying the Union Flag throughout the year, the Department flies a flag of Ukraine above the building.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to reduce the legal age to (a) buy Lottery tickets and (b) gamble.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has no plans to reduce the legal age to buy lottery tickets or to gamble.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to support local outdoor activity centres.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
This Government encourages everyone, no matter their age, to be as active as they can. We recognise that outdoor activity centres provide opportunities to all members of society to be active.
Outdoor Activity Centres were supported through the pandemic by government assistance such as the furlough scheme.
The Government has a range of programmes including the National Citizen Service and the £80 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund whose delivery partners include outdoor activity centres.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support grassroots sport.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Sport and physical activity are vital for our physical and mental health, and should be front and centre as we build back better from the pandemic, which is why Sport England has invested over £1.5 billion of funding in developing grassroots sport since April 2016. This includes £120,535 of support in the Honourable Gentleman’s constituency since March 2020.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support grassroots sports initiatives.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Sport and physical activity are vital for our physical and mental health, and should be front and centre as we build back better from the pandemic.
That’s why Sport England has invested over £1.5 billion of funding in developing grassroots sport since April 2016, including £120,535 of support in his constituency since March 2020.
At the recent Spending Review, the government set out our commitment to grassroots sports, investing £205 million to build or transform up to 8,000 multi-use sports facilities; £21.9 million to refurbish park tennis courts; and up to £30 million per year to increase access to school facilities and improve PE teacher training.