Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Murray Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

2. If she will ensure that place-based funding for media and creative industries in the regions does not negatively impact London’s media sector.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

Lifting the full potential of our city regions and clusters across the UK is a core objective not just of our modern industrial strategy, but of our plan for growth in every postcode. Place-based funding is helping to ensure that our city regions and high-potential clusters are able to unlock more growth, create more good jobs and continue producing world-class creative content. London is a global creative industries super-cluster, and we are committed to supporting its continued success as one of the 12 priority super-clusters identified in the creative industries sector plan.

[Gregory Stafford]

My constituent Simon has built a media company in the heart of our creative sector in London, but at a recent surgery he told me that the Culture Secretary’s regional funding drive is destroying the creative industry in London and the south-east. Simon and his business partner employ 25 people, and they pay rent, business rates and service charges on top of their wage bill. We should be supporting this industry, not stripping it. What is the Minister doing to support the creative industries in the south of England?

[Ian Murray]

I congratulate Simon on setting up his business. It is true that 67% of all creative industries activity happens in London alone, and an extra 18% in the south-east. The region is a super-cluster, and this Government are doing all we can to ensure that we support the industry right across the United Kingdom. The BBC has built hubs across the country, including in Cardiff, Bristol, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, and they provide the ecosystem that allows companies to thrive. London will remain one of our super-clusters, and the funding that we are putting into the creative industries goes right across the country.

[Dr Rupa Huq (Ealing Central and Acton) (Lab)]

To get growth in every postcode, surely we must junk the Tories’ crude anti-London formula that saw the whole of the capital disadvantaged, including Ealing Studios—the home of comedy—and Acton’s Versa Studios, where “Big Brother” is made. Can Ministers start the rebalancing by introducing an unscripted tax credit? It has worked wonders in Ireland, where it is at 20%.

[Ian Murray]

I do not know whether that was a question to me or a challenge to the hon. Member for Farnham and Bordon (Gregory Stafford), who asked the original question. The Government are fully committed to funding the creative industries wherever they are across the country. The Prime Minister has challenged all of us in the Government to create growth in every postcode, but in order to do so we need creativity in every postcode, because we know that there is talent everywhere, but not opportunity.

[Aphra Brandreth (Chester South and Eddisbury) (Con)]

3. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of facilities for girls’ grassroots sports.

--- Later in debate ---

[Will Stone (Swindon North) (Lab)]

4. What steps she is taking to support development of the new theatre in Swindon.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

I was delighted to see £20 million allocated for a new cultural venue in Swindon via the growth mission fund, thanks to the tenacity of my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander). Officials will continue to work on plans for the theatre with the new Conservative council, which I believe is assessing whether it should take this forward. The investment remains subject to a final business case demonstrating the project’s viability and affordability. I welcome this investment in the arts and communities in Swindon, and I thank my hon. Friend for his question.

[Will Stone]

I thank the Minister for his response. I am actively encouraging the Conservative administration in Swindon to proceed with the plans for a new theatre, following the funding successfully secured by my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander) and me. In the interim, we have to think about our beloved Wyvern theatre. Is there any additional support to retrofit existing theatres in the interim?

[Ian Murray]

There is. We are investing up to £425 million via the creative foundations fund for urgent capital works for not-for-profit cultural venues in England. The funding is already supporting older theatres, such as Scarborough Theatre Trust and Northampton Theatres Trust. I understand that Wyvern theatre’s activities involve Swindon borough council, a commercial operator and a charitable programme via Reach Inclusive Arts. I encourage local partners to discuss capital pressures with Arts Council England and my hon. Friend. I am sure that the Arts Minister would be delighted to meet him and his colleague, my right hon. Friend the Member for Swindon South (Heidi Alexander), to discuss that further.

[Sarah Bool (South Northamptonshire) (Con)]

5. What steps her Department is taking to support owners of listed buildings with the cost of essential repairs and maintenance.

--- Later in debate ---

[Josh Babarinde (Eastbourne) (LD)]

8. What steps she is taking to support local journalism.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

Before I answer the question, I say to the hon. Gentleman that we stand fully with him after recent incidents online, with him having received tens of thousands of disgusting messages and death threats. This Government and everyone else in this House—maybe with the exception of a few Members of Parliament —take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and those kinds of threats. We stand with the hon. Gentleman.

Local journalism is vital to society and democracy, including titles such as the Eastbourne Herald and the Eastbourne Reporter in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency. We published the local media action plan to help the sector adjust and thrive in the digital age. Our actions include a local news fund with up to £12 million, a campaign to inspire the next generation of journalists and readers, and an updated plan for journalists’ safety, both here and abroad.

[Josh Babarinde]

I thank the Minister for his comments. It should not be controversial to say that you do not have to be white to be English. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Much of social media has become a cesspit of abuse and disinformation, but local journalism can be an antidote to such poison. Local journalism in Eastbourne is thriving, with the likes of Adam and Ivana recently joining the Eastbourne Herald and Paul Gibson’s Eastbourne News expanding, too. Will the Minister tell us a little more about what he can do to support local journalism in the fight against disinformation and misinformation?

[Ian Murray]

We have the local news fund and the local news strategy. This is an issue right across the country, and we need to ensure that we have a thriving local journalistic community so that we can get those stories to people and so that the news is trusted and trustworthy. The BBC obviously plays a key role in that, and the BBC charter process is investigating how it can support that infrastructure and ecosystem across the country. I would be very happy to work with the hon. Gentleman in sharing his experience to see what we can do to help his local area and areas across all regions across the country. I want to emphasise from the Dispatch Box, too, that you do not have to be white to be English—the hon. Gentleman is right to say that—although you do have to be tight to be Scottish. [Laughter.]

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

From Scotland to Harlow, Mr Speaker. Online news sites like Your Harlow, which has provided thousands of news articles to Harlow residents across the years, rely on people visiting their site for advertising revenue, but there is a danger posed by AI summaries, particularly when some of those summaries are wrong. What thought has the Minister given to the impact of AI summaries on local news sources like Your Harlow?

[Ian Murray]

The Government are actively looking at this issue, because we know from experience—we always use the Southport example—that when there are incidents or crisis moments across the country, people turn to their local news outlets and the BBC to find the truth because they are sceptical of what they are reading. In the meantime, anyone who is reading these AI summaries online should double-check with their local newspapers and the sources they are given to ensure that that information is true. What happens, of course, is the old adage: a lie is halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on. That happens much faster now with social media. I am delighted that my hon. Friend has broken his habit in the House by at least mentioning Harlow in his question.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[James Wild (North West Norfolk) (Con)]

Vibrant local news is essential to our democracy, but plans for the Government or a state quango to pick what is a source of trustworthy news content and is prioritised over other publishers risk undermining that sector. Does the Minister agree that the approach of picking winners, with the state deciding what can be trusted, is a dangerous course and should be abandoned?

[Ian Murray]

I disagree with the hon. Gentleman on this basis: the media Green Paper to which I think he is referring is trying to deal with the issue of misinformation and disinformation and to answer the exam question posed by the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Josh Babarinde) about how we promote the local trustworthy news that the public are crying out for and have a massive thirst for. It is an ecosystem that we have to try to support. The Green Paper is rightly posing these questions, and we will have the answers for the White Paper shortly.

[James Wild]

The Minister has not given an answer and has declined to rule out going ahead with the proposals in the Green Paper for the state or a quango to decide what is trustworthy news. Will he at least rule out that only news publishers that sign up to an approved regulator under the press recognition system could qualify?

[Ian Murray]

These are questions that have been asked in the Green Paper. The White Paper will be published soon, and I am not going to pre-empt it at this Dispatch Box. The hon. Gentleman will just have to contain himself until then. The big, fundamental issue here is how we deal with the misinformation and disinformation in this country that is undermining our democracy and society and doing the kinds of things that have been experienced by the hon. Member for Eastbourne. Those are the kinds of questions the Green Paper is trying to address. It is in all our interests—the interests of every Member in this House—to get misinformation and disinformation out of our ecosystem so that we can have a thriving democracy and thriving communities.

[Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)]

9. What steps her Department is taking to support volunteering.

--- Later in debate ---

[Tom Collins (Worcester) (Lab)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to improve online safety for children.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

Keeping children safe online is a top priority for this Department and the Government. That is why we are taking urgent steps to clean up our online spaces, including by raising the age limit for social media to 16, dealing with the risks of children livestreaming themselves, stopping unknown adults from communicating with children through online services, including gaming, and switching off harmful features for 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds. We will also prevent under-18s from accessing chatbots that offer sexualised content. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend to continue these discussions.

[Tom Collins]

I am grateful to the Minister for his Department’s open initial response to the product approach, which would see digital products required to meet safety standards, just like every other product marketed in the UK. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade has asked the Law Commission to look at this approach from a product liability perspective, and they are consulting on that now. Will the Minister and the Secretary of State work with their counterparts in that Department to explore treating digital products as products under the law?

[Ian Murray]

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend. He has recently launched a white paper on digital product safety, arguing that platforms, AI and social media should be subject to the same rigorous product safety frameworks as physical goods to protect the public without stifling innovation, and it looks at this from a hazards perspective rather than a harms perspective. It is an incredibly interesting piece of work. It is something that we are actively looking at, and platforms and social media companies should be looking at it to ensure that their products are safe by design for children.

[Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)]

Last week, analysis carried out by 17 expert organisations found that platforms are failing to protect women and girls online. This comes three years after the Online Safety Act and one year after Ofcom published its guidance. Does the Minister agree that this lack of action is unacceptable, and will the Government move quickly to strengthen the Act to better protect women and girls?

[Ian Murray]

I agree with the hon. Lady. Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for the Government. We wish to halve violence against women and girls by the end of this Parliament. Platforms are not doing their duty in making sure that these harms are removed. We are talking about and majoring on tackling harms for children at the moment, but we are trying to create a better online experience for everyone in society, whether they are children or not.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Anna Sabine (Frome and East Somerset) (LD)]

The Government are rightly trying to protect children’s safety online, but AI smart glasses risk undermining some of those protections. Children and adults, particularly women, are being filmed without their consent and the footage is being posted online and used to train AI. In the Westminster Hall debate I secured last week, the Minister for Safeguarding said that the Government are looking at options to restrict the use of smart glasses. Will the Minister for Online Safety confirm what measures are being explored and when they will be laid before this House?

[Ian Murray]

Through the course of the consultation with Members, society and the industry on the under-16 social media ban, a lot of issues have arisen across the age ranges regarding smart glasses and some of the harms of new technologies. We are actively looking at what needs to be done in that area, particularly with smart glasses. It is a security issue and a safety issue; indeed, it is a consent issue. Smart glasses should not be any different from any other issues regarding people’s consent for using their images online and what is being done with those images.

[Rebecca Smith (South West Devon) (Con)]

11. What steps she is taking to help tackle antisemitism in cultural institutions.

--- Later in debate ---

[Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)]

13. What steps she is taking to improve mobile coverage in rural areas.

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

The right hon. Gentleman is really showing his experience in the Chamber there. [Laughter.] Mobile connectivity is not a “nice to have”; it is an everyday necessity which connects people and communities and drives growth in every postcode. Of course, we cannot have growth in every postcode without connectivity in every postcode. The Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to high-quality stand-alone 5G by 2030.

[Sir Julian Smith]

I will try again. Mobile notspots are a big challenge in parts of North Yorkshire and other rural parts of the UK. The shared rural network has been effective at meeting its targets, but now that those targets have been met, what plans do Ministers have for the remaining notspots to be sorted out?

[Ian Murray]

The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to talk about the success of the shared rural network, but notspots still remain. Direct-to-device technology is one way of resolving those. It is a pragmatic solution for remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure is not viable. Lessons learned from the shared rural network programme demonstrate where this might offer a better solution, including for deployment costs, topography and local opposition to new infrastructure in some areas. We will continue to monitor this closely with the industry and ensure that all the tech is being made available to ensure these notspots disappear.

[Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Ind)]

Meur ras ha myttin da, Mr Speaker. With Cornish constituencies ranking on average 628th out of 650 for good-quality mobile coverage, the paucity of our digital connectivity affects businesses, residents and visitors alike. It is an exemplar of market failure. What are Ministers actually doing to correct this Cornish imbalance?

[Ian Murray]

The shared rural network programme has been a huge success, but as I said in answer to the initial question of the right hon. Member for Skipton and Ripon (Sir Julian Smith), there are still notspots and still some infrastructure problems across the country. We are working closely with the mobile networks to ensure that we can resolve those issues. New technology is coming forward all the time, including that direct-to-device satellite technology. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to go through the specific issues in his constituency and region to ensure that we have everything covered.

[Dr Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) (Green)]

A constituent of mine in her 80s living in a village with no mobile signal has contacted me to share her anxieties about the impending digital switchover. She has done everything asked of her to prepare and has a battery back-up, but she has been told that no fall alarm will work outside her house. She is worried that if there is a power cut that lasts longer than an hour, she will have no way of calling for help. As she put it to me, would it not be sensible to ensure that there was adequate mobile reception everywhere before the digital switchover? Does the Minister recognise these concerns and what will he do to address them?

[Ian Murray]

We have received correspondence on the kind of issues that the hon. Lady raises, and I am happy to meet her directly to go through her constituent’s particular concerns. We have to ensure that nobody is left behind when we are doing any kind of switchover from older to new technologies. We need to ensure in particular that vulnerable customers are looked after. We are working closely with the mobile networks to ensure that that happens and with the broadband providers to ensure that they can get to every part of the country as well.

[Amanda Hack (North West Leicestershire) (Lab)]

Mobile reception is patchy at best in my semi-rural constituency. However, what is clear is when industrial sheds are built close to residential areas, mobile reception deteriorates, like in Ellistown in my constituency. Would the Minister agree to meet me to discuss how we can manage situations like this and prevent them in the future?

[Ian Murray]

I can commit to meeting my hon. Friend to talk about these specific issues. We do a regular telecoms drop-in for MPs, and I encourage all MPs to ensure they come to that so they can meet the mobile network operators and Building Digital UK on the broadband side to ensure that we are covering all these issues. It is not an exact science, so when there are examples like that which my hon. Friend brings forward, I would like to hear about them, so I am happy to meet her.

[Mrs Elsie Blundell (Heywood and Middleton North) (Lab)]

14. What steps she is taking to help ensure that people from working-class backgrounds have pathways into the creative industries.

--- Later in debate ---

[Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)]

T3. Neil and the team at Medina Studios have put together a fantastic proposal for a new film studio on the Isle of Wight, which is estimated to create around 875 new jobs and generate over £36 million in gross value added by 2035. All they need is a bit of Government support to help get them going. Will the Minister work with me to help get this proposal over the line and help secure good growth on the Isle of Wight?

[The Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Online Safety (Ian Murray)]

I congratulate Neil and everyone in the team at Medina Studios on putting together a fantastic proposal. We are supportive of areas that want to grow their film industry and the work that has gone into Medina Studios is very impressive indeed. The Government are committed to maximising the potential of the film industry and ensuring that growth benefits the whole of the UK. The Department funds the British Film Commission to support UK infrastructure, including studio space. The BFC promotes the entire UK, including the Isle of Wight, working hand in glove with Creative England on production support, where appropriate. I am pleased to note that the BFC has assisted Medina Studios. Funding from the growth mission fund is a matter for the Treasury. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend and I thank him for the way in which he champions the Isle of Wight through that project.

[Martin Vickers (Brigg and Immingham) (Con)]

T2. Earlier this year, the Secretary of State was in Grimsby at the opening of the Horizon Youth Zone—a fantastic new facility that many of my constituents use. Equally, many of my constituents live in much more rural areas, so what plans does the Secretary of State have to provide better youth services in the more rural areas?

--- Later in debate ---

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

T6. There are currently 1.2 million flats in multi-dwelling units across the UK that are at risk of missing out on full fibre upgrades, including 3,528 in my constituency. This leaves a real danger that a digital divide becomes a reality, and vulnerable people will miss out on the benefits of faster and more reliable broadband. Will the Minister consider granting automatic upgrade rights for network builders as a cost-neutral solution that will ensure everybody has access?

[Ian Murray]

That is an issue for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and we have been working closely with that Department about its planning proposals. I am sure that the right hon. Lady will be not be disappointed when they come forward.

[David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

T5. Across Stoke-on-Trent North and Kidsgrove, we have some of the most incredible heritage buildings, such as the Queen’s theatre, the Burslem indoor market and the Wedgwood Institute, so I welcome the recent announcement of over £2.5 million from the derelict buildings fund for Stoke-on-Trent, for which I campaigned. Will the Minister outline how her Department can work alongside other Departments, such as the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, to bring our beautiful buildings back into use?

--- Later in debate ---

[Dame Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West) (Lab)]

It has been 18 months since my Committee published its report on misinformation, with detailed recommendations on how to address the way in which digital advertising drives scandalous, sensationalist and addictive content, yet our inquiry into digital childhood is raising exactly the same issues. What has been done to address them? To be clear, neither Ofcom’s online information advisory committee nor the online advertising taskforce has taken any steps.

[Ian Murray]

I am delighted that my hon. Friend asked that question, which concerns a vital issue that the Government are trying to deal with. The online advertising taskforce has workstreams that have been looking at the issue very closely. I chair that taskforce, and am keen to push it further forward. The issue is not just the way in which advertising is delivered, but the monetisation of illegal and harmful content; if we want to deal with any of the issues relating to the online world, we must follow the money.

[John Glen (Salisbury) (Con)]

Salisbury Playhouse is one of three producing theatres in the south-west, and this week it launched a campaign to raise £22 million. The Arts Council, Wiltshire council and Salisbury city council have already made a £10 million contribution. Are the ministerial team having conversations with the Treasury to create incentives for private philanthropy and giving, so that we can maximise the opportunity to fill this gap and make Salisbury Playhouse the brilliant place it needs to be for the future?

[Ian Murray]

The right hon. Gentleman asks a great question. The Hodge review into Arts Council England examined what we need to do to bring more philanthropic funding into the sector so that it has more money, not less. I encourage him to engage with Arts Council England on taking those proposals forward. Of course, these questions are always a matter for His Majesty’s Treasury, but we are working very closely with Treasury colleagues on how we can implement the Hodge review in full.

[Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)]

I am proud to represent Liverpool, a city that has produced some very talented footballers, musicians and actors, including Stephen Graham, Jodie Comer and James Nelson-Joyce. However, far too many of our young working-class kids in Liverpool fail to get into the creative sector. Can the Secretary of State commit to doing everything she can to remove the barriers so that more working-class young people in Liverpool can break into the sector based on talent, not on privilege and class?

[David Mundell (Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale) (Con)]

I was pleased to hear the Minister acknowledge that the Government will not achieve growth in every postcode unless we have adequate mobile connectivity. Unfortunately, in my constituency, many postcodes have inadequate mobile connectivity. Indeed, we have some of the worst connectivity in the whole United Kingdom. Will the Minister meet me to ensure that we can get some urgency into finally resolving this important issue for my constituents?

[Ian Murray]

The right hon. Gentleman is exactly right: we cannot have growth in every postcode without connectivity in every postcode. I would be happy to meet him, but I gently remind him that when we do, it is his turn to buy the wine.

[Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)]

In response to Blackpool being shortlisted to be city of culture, Lynn Williams, the leader of Blackpool council, rightly said:

“We have a proud working-class culture and a wonderful history of entertainment, music and performance.”

Our bid to become the next city of culture for the UK is the right and only choice for the panel. It will allow us to celebrate our iconic history and shape our future, because Blackpool never settles for anything small. Will the Secretary of State support our ambition by supporting our much-loved heritage venues and my campaign for a new arena to create a year-round resort, showing Blackpool in a new light?

--- Later in debate ---

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

We need to go faster to get everybody in.

[Ian Murray]

I could not agree more with my hon. Friend.

[Charlie Dewhirst (Bridlington and The Wolds) (Con)]

In his Budget speech, the Chancellor pledged to protect seaside arcades, but the increase in the machine games duty from 20% to 25% threatens businesses in my constituency, such as Leisureland on Bridlington seafront, which I had the pleasure of visiting last week. Will the Minister make representations to the Treasury to ensure that we protect those brilliant local businesses?

--- Later in debate ---

[John Slinger (Rugby) (Lab)]

As someone who played in rock bands and wrote songs, I was delighted to read in the Canadian budget about the Canada creative credit: 48,000 Canadian dollars-worth of tax credit to provide creative artists with income, tax-free, on the creative output that they engage in. Will the Minister update the House on the excellent work we are doing and on what more we can do to help creative artists across this land?

[Ian Murray]

I am delighted that the old rocker has asked that question. We have a 10-point plan for music, which is there to support the music industry from a grassroots level all the way through to our top talent and artists. The Arts Council England review, led by Baroness Hodge in the other place, looked at whether we should support individual artists, and the Arts Council is now looking at that to see how it can best support individual artists. We are backers of music, and we want to continue to be the best in the world.

[Sir Ashley Fox (Bridgwater) (Con)]

Highbridge Social Club is a not-for-profit club led entirely by volunteers, and it has served our community since it was founded in 1913. Club treasurer Rachel Marsh has written to me to say that the rise in machine games duty announced in the Budget will cost the club £1,500 a year. Coming on top of the employer national insurance charges, this Government’s tax increases threaten the viability of the club. What help and advice can the Minister offer to Rachel as she struggles to balance the club’s books?

--- Later in debate ---

[Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)]

What assessment has the Minister made of the cyber-security risks posed by DeepSeek in light of the US’s decision to block it from public procurement?

[Ian Murray]

We will bring forward additional legislation to this House shortly to protect our undersea cables and infrastructure from threats, whether they be state or non-state threats. I hope everyone will support those proposals, including the hon. Gentleman.

[Sean Woodcock (Banbury) (Lab)]

In 2002, Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles said on air that he wanted to help Charlotte Church lose her virginity. She was 15 at the time. He stayed in post for another decade. Does the Secretary of State agree that Brand and Walliams were not aberrations, but reflect a culture across entertainment that needs to be consigned to history?