Oral Answers to Questions

Kim Johnson Excerpts

Thursday 12th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[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?

[Lisa Nandy]

My hon. Friend is right to point to Liverpool’s incredible contribution across sport, art, music—you name it. Mayor Steve Rotheram is doing an enormous amount to invest in order to open up those opportunities further. There is a fantastic organisation in Liverpool called MusicFutures, which we are working with, along with others, to make sure that we do exactly what she rightly presses us to do.