Lilian Greenwood Portrait

Lilian Greenwood

Labour - Nottingham South

First elected: 6th May 2010

Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)

(since September 2023)

Committee of Selection
18th Jan 2022 - 16th Oct 2023
Opposition Deputy Chief Whip (Commons)
14th May 2021 - 5th Sep 2023
Procurement Bill [HL]
25th Jan 2023 - 21st Feb 2023
Trade (Australia and New Zealand) Bill
7th Sep 2022 - 18th Oct 2022
British Sign Language Bill
2nd Feb 2022 - 23rd Feb 2022
Transport Committee
2nd Mar 2020 - 5th Jan 2022
Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Bill [HL]
1st Dec 2021 - 9th Dec 2021
Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission
23rd Sep 2020 - 8th Jun 2021
Liaison Committee (Commons)
20th May 2020 - 26th May 2021
Finance Committee (Commons)
2nd Mar 2020 - 25th May 2021
Finance Committee (Commons)
3rd Mar 2020 - 25th May 2021
Liaison Committee (Commons)
6th Nov 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Transport Committee
12th Jul 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
National Policy Statements Sub-Committee 2017-19
13th Nov 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
National Policy Statements Sub-Committee
13th Nov 2017 - 6th Nov 2019
Liaison Committee Sub-committee on the effectiveness and influence of the select committee system
13th Feb 2019 - 6th Nov 2019
Education Committee
31st Oct 2016 - 3rd May 2017
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
14th Sep 2015 - 26th Jun 2016
Shadow Minister (Transport)
7th Oct 2011 - 14th Sep 2015
Regulatory Reform
26th Jul 2010 - 30th Mar 2015
Opposition Assistant Whip (Commons)
8th Oct 2010 - 7th Oct 2011
Transport Committee
12th Jul 2010 - 2nd Nov 2010


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Lilian Greenwood has voted in 737 divisions, and never against the majority of their Party.
View All Lilian Greenwood Division Votes

Debates during the 2019 Parliament

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Matt Hancock (Independent)
(25 debate interactions)
Jacob Rees-Mogg (Conservative)
(23 debate interactions)
Gavin Williamson (Conservative)
(18 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(38 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(35 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(32 debate contributions)
Department for Education
(29 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
Legislation Debates
NHS Funding Act 2020
(1,473 words contributed)
Finance Act 2020
(854 words contributed)
View All Legislation Debates
View all Lilian Greenwood's debates

Nottingham South Petitions

e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.

If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.

If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).

Petition Debates Contributed

Extend the criteria for medical exemption certificates. The MedEx criteria should include chronic illnesses as acknowledged by the NHS. This includes but is not limited to MS, PCOS, endometriosis, IBD, POTS, depression, anxiety and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

I would like the UK Government to make it law that nightclubs must search guests on arrival to prevent harmful weapons and other items entering the establishment. This could be a pat down search or metal detector, but must involve measures being put in place to ensure the safety of the public.

We ask Parliament to repeal the High Speed Rail Bills, 2016 and 2019, as MPs voted on misleading environmental, financial and timetable information provided by the Dept of Transport and HS2 Ltd. It fails to address the conditions of the Paris Accord and costs have risen from £56bn to over £100bn.

The government is helping private firms to protect jobs by paying up to 80% of staff wages through this crisis. If it can do this why can it not help key workers who will be putting themselves/their families at risk and working extra hard under extremely challenging and unprecedented circumstances.

During the pandemic government workers have delivered vital public services and kept our country safe and secure. After ten years in which the real value of civil service pay has fallen, many face hardship. The Government must start to restore the real value of their pay with a 10% increase in 2020.


Latest EDMs signed by Lilian Greenwood

23rd March 2022
Lilian Greenwood signed this EDM on Monday 28th March 2022

P&O Ferries and DP World

Tabled by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
That this House condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision of P&O Ferries to fire 800 staff without notice or consultation with their trade unions, the RMT and Nautilus; demands the immediate reinstatement of the sacked workers; condemns their replacement with agency workers earning as little as £1.80 per …
125 signatures
(Most recent: 27 Apr 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 93
Scottish National Party: 12
Liberal Democrat: 7
Independent: 4
Plaid Cymru: 3
Democratic Unionist Party: 3
Alba Party: 2
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
23rd September 2021
Lilian Greenwood signed this EDM on Thursday 21st October 2021

Campaign to secure the future of the Covid Memorial Wall

Tabled by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
That this House welcomes the creation of the Covid Memorial Wall on Albert Embankment by Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice; notes that this memorial now includes over 150,000 hand-painted hearts to symbolise all those who lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic; praises the work of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for …
139 signatures
(Most recent: 21 Feb 2022)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 97
Scottish National Party: 15
Liberal Democrat: 10
Conservative: 5
Democratic Unionist Party: 5
Independent: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Green Party: 1
Social Democratic & Labour Party: 1
View All Lilian Greenwood's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Lilian Greenwood, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Lilian Greenwood has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Lilian Greenwood has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

1 Bill introduced by Lilian Greenwood


A Bill to require the appropriate regulatory authority of on-demand audiovisual programme services to draw up a Code relating to the provision of subtitles, signing and audio-description for persons with disabilities affecting their hearing or their sight or both; to require the appropriate regulatory authority to consult before issuing any such Code; to make provision for minimum requirements to be included in the Code; to require that on-demand programme services providers observe the requirements of the Code; to provide for regular consultation about and review of the minimum requirements; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Wednesday 24th June 2015

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
1 Other Department Questions
14th Jun 2021
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she has taken to ensure her Department’s consultation on banning conversion therapy will prioritise the voices of survivors of those practices.

Any ban we bring forward must work for those who need it most, especially victims and survivors. We have already met with conversion therapy survivors, to hear about their experiences. We have committed to launching a consultation in September and this will be vital for ensuring the action we take is informed, effective and proportionate. I would encourage anyone who has been a victim of conversion therapy to respond to our consultation when it launches in September.

Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
12th Jul 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2023 to Question 181258 on Ageing, what assessment his Department have made of the adequacy of cross-government preparedness for an increase in the older population.

The UK’s changing demographic profile, of which our ageing population is a part, is a significant long-term challenge facing the UK.

Work to protect our older population is cross-cutting and stretches across the whole of Government. Individual departments take responsibility for the delivery of relevant policies in their jurisdiction. For example, policies that relate to the physical and mental health of older generations are delivered through the Department of Health and Social Care. In the Cabinet Office, the Equalities Hub leads on the Equality Act 2010 which provides strong protection from age discrimination across a variety of settings.

I also refer the Hon lady to PQ HL8000, which discusses the work occurring across the government, and my response to PQ 181258 that refers to the ‘The Future of an Ageing Population’ report from 2016.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
18th Apr 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to develop an ageing population strategy to help support adaptation for ageing populations.

The Government Office for Science produced a report in 2016, entitled ‘The Future of an Ageing Population’, which gathered the best available evidence to understand what the ageing of the UK population means both now and in the future.

Work to protect our older generations goes across the whole of Government. Individual departments take responsibility for the delivery of relevant policies within their jurisdictions. For example, the policies to promote the maintenance of the physical and mental wellbeing of our older generations are delivered through the Department for Health and Social Care.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jan 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he has taken to make the Prime Minister's (a) press conferences and (b) speeches outside Parliament accessible to British Sign Language users.

I refer the hon. Member to PQ 59318.

The Government is committed to ensuring government communications are available in an accessible format. British Sign Language interpretation is provided for the vast majority of No.10 press conferences through the BBC. In addition, speeches by the Prime Minister outside of Parliament are published on GOV.UK.

Training is provided to members of the Government Communication Service on accessible communications, including digital comms.

10th Jan 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what guidance his Department provides on the sizes of the audience at (a) his and (b) other official media events that require British Sign Language interpretation under the Equality Act 2010.

I refer the hon. Member to PQ 59318.

There is no minimum audience size for which British Sign Language (BSL) interpretation must be provided. However, BSL interpretation is provided for the vast majority of No.10 press conferences through the BBC. Speeches from the Prime Minister outside of Parliament are also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK.

The Government Communication Service continues to ensure cross-government teams comply with the Equality Act 2010 when undertaking any form of public communication, including making early decisions on reasonable adjustments and the provision of accessible formats such as BSL.

9th Jan 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 124 of the Fourth Report of Session 2019-21 of the Women and Equalities Committee entitled Unequal impact: Coronavirus, disability and access to services, published on 22 December 2020, HC 1050, whether his Department is taking steps to implement the recommendation that Government communications be subject to an accessibility checklist.

I refer the hon. Member to PQ 59318.

As outlined in our response to the Fourth Report, the Government Communication Service (GCS) is leading efforts to support departments in enhancing the accessibility of their communications so key messages are available to all audiences.

This forms part of the Government’s commitment to ensure all communications are in an accessible format.

28th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill on the ability of charities to claim gift aid on membership subscriptions.

The purpose of the subscriptions chapter in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill is to protect consumers from harm caused by unwanted subscription contracts, amounting to £1.6 billion per year.

Generally, charities will only be in scope to the extent that, in the course of their business, they enter into auto-renewing subscription contracts with consumers for the supply of goods, service or digital content in return for payment by the consumer. The Government understands the importance of Gift Aid to charities and officials are engaging with relevant stakeholders and HM Revenue and Customs to ensure the two regulatory frameworks work effectively.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
11th May 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve access to paternity leave.

As set out in the 2019 Manifesto, the Government is committed to making Paternity Leave easier to take.

In 2019 the Government consulted on high-level options for reforming parental leave and pay. We are currently considering responses to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Kevin Hollinrake
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
6th Jul 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has plans to create a minister for hospitality.

Responsibility for the hospitality sector is split between the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS). BEIS is responsible for cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs, while DCMS is responsible for hospitality accommodation, given the close links to tourism.

Within BEIS, we have a dedicated hospitality sector support team, and hospitality has been recognised formally as a key part of my ministerial portfolio.

10th Feb 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to support bus manufacturing in the UK; and when he or his Ministerial team last met with representatives of UK bus manufacturers.

My noble Friend Lord Grimstone recently met with representatives of bus manufacturers at an automotive sector roundtable on 10 February.

The Government is continuing its longstanding programme of support to ensure that the UK automotive sector remains at the forefront of technological developments. Government and Industry have jointly committed almost £1.5 billion through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and Faraday Battery Challenge to support the research, development, and manufacture of zero and low-emission technologies. The Advanced Propulsion Centre is supporting a number of projects aimed at developing technologies to reduce emissions in bus applications.

In addition, as part of my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, nearly £500m of funding for the Automotive Transformation Fund will be made available in the next four years to build an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain.

4th May 2020
What estimate he has made of the number of self-employed people who do not qualify for covid-19 support.

We have prioritised helping the greatest number of people as quickly as possible and it is difficult to come up with reliable criteria that apply to all the relevant sectors of the economy. We are aware some people will not be eligible for the scheme, but they may still benefit from a number of other support schemes available.

The Department is engaging a wide range of stakeholders in relation to Covid-19, and in addition to the Business Secretary’s regular meeting with business representative organisations, I recently hosted a call with stakeholders on support for the self-employed and will continue to engage on the issue.

23rd Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she plans to take to tackle fuel poverty in Nottingham South constituency.

Improving energy efficiency is the best long-term solution to tackle fuel poverty and the Energy Company Obligation Scheme provides such support for low income and vulnerable households. Since ECO launched it has delivered energy efficiency measures to more than 2 million households.

ECO has delivered improvements to more than 6000 homes in Nottingham South, representing 14% of households in the area.

Tenants living in energy inefficient properties are some of the most at risk of fuel poverty. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards now require landlords spend up to £3500 improving their properties to energy efficiency Band E before renting them out.

In addition to support to improve energy efficiency, the Warm Home Discount provides support to more than 2 million low income and vulnerable households each year through a £140 rebate. Over £2.7 billion has been provided by the scheme over the last nine years.

Our 2020 Fuel Poverty Strategy will set out further detail around our future plans to tackle fuel poverty.

11th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2570 on British Library: Cybercrime, which services have already been restored; and what is the planned timetable for the remaining services to be restored.

The final costs of recovery from the recent cyber-attack on the British Library are not yet confirmed. As it has from the outset, the British Library remains in close and regular contact with the Department on the ongoing work to investigate and assess the impact of the attack and to recover services.

Despite the cyber attack, the British Library’s buildings have remained open and well-used throughout, and it has maintained some key services including reading room access for personal study and some limited collection item ordering, exhibitions, learning events, business support, and onsite retail. In the immediate aftermath essential services such as WiFi and event ticket sales were quickly re-established.

On 15 January, the British Library restored a searchable online version of its main catalogue, comprising records of printed books, journals, maps, music scores and rare books. This will enable a manual process of checking availability and ordering to the Reading Rooms. In addition, it will offer access to an increased range of special collection material such as manuscripts and archives. Taken together, these improvements mean that from this date the majority of physical books and special collections held at its St Pancras site will once again be available for use.

Further updates will be provided as the Library continues to recover from the attack.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
11th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 2570 on British Library: Cybercrime, what estimate has her Department made of the cost of restoring services following the cyber attack at the British Library.

The final costs of recovery from the recent cyber-attack on the British Library are not yet confirmed. As it has from the outset, the British Library remains in close and regular contact with the Department on the ongoing work to investigate and assess the impact of the attack and to recover services.

Despite the cyber attack, the British Library’s buildings have remained open and well-used throughout, and it has maintained some key services including reading room access for personal study and some limited collection item ordering, exhibitions, learning events, business support, and onsite retail. In the immediate aftermath essential services such as WiFi and event ticket sales were quickly re-established.

On 15 January, the British Library restored a searchable online version of its main catalogue, comprising records of printed books, journals, maps, music scores and rare books. This will enable a manual process of checking availability and ordering to the Reading Rooms. In addition, it will offer access to an increased range of special collection material such as manuscripts and archives. Taken together, these improvements mean that from this date the majority of physical books and special collections held at its St Pancras site will once again be available for use.

Further updates will be provided as the Library continues to recover from the attack.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
11th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's expected timeline is of when the service providing payments to (a) authors and (b) other rights holders will be restored following the cyber-attack against the British Library at the end of October 2023.

The British Library receives public funding via DCMS to run the Public Lending Right scheme. Payments are made annually to eligible authors who register their work. The British Library is making good progress towards issuing Public Lending Right payments before the end of March at the latest, in line with the PLR Scheme legislation.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
11th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cyber-attack against the British Library at the end of October 2023 on (a) authors and (b) other rights holders receiving payments via the public lending right.

The British Library receives public funding via DCMS to run the Public Lending Right scheme. Payments are made annually to eligible authors who register their work. The British Library is making good progress towards issuing Public Lending Right payments before the end of March at the latest, in line with the PLR Scheme legislation.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
11th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding provided by Arts Council England for cultural activities in the North East.

His Majesty’s Government is deeply committed to supporting access to high-quality arts and culture across the country, including through public funding to organisations across the North East via Arts Council England.

Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 National Portfolio, public funding is being provided to 56 organisations (an increase from 47 in the 2018–22 portfolio) in the North East, encompassing theatre, dance, museums, visual arts, literature and libraries. The total investment in the North East through the national portfolio is currently £24.4 million per year – an increase of more than £2.5 million per year compared to the last portfolio.

Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, Arts Council England will have invested over £181 million in arts and cultural organisations in the North East. This includes £8.5 million of public funding through the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, Libraries Improvement Fund, and Museum Estate and Development Fund, administered by Arts Council England. Arts and cultural organisations across the North East also benefited from over £36 million through the Culture Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
4th Dec 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential merits of supporting schools with transport costs to theatre productions.

The Secretary of State has regular conversations with the Secretary of State for Education on a number of issues, including on improving access to the arts for school pupils.

In March 2022, the Department for Education updated its pupil premium guidance and recovery premium guidance to make it clear that schools may use these funding streams to fund extracurricular activities, including school trips. Many theatres also offer subsidised travel in a bespoke or targeted manner through their work with community groups and targeted to specific groups. For example, the Lyric Hammersmith regularly offers to fund the cost of transport to enable local schools to visit, and its ‘free panto tickets’ for schools programme has been successfully running for many years.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also working with the Department for Education to publish a Cultural Education Plan, as committed to in the Schools White Paper. This aims to improve access to cultural education for all children and young people in England. The development of the plan is supported by an expert advisory panel, chaired by Baroness Bull, which includes advising on routes to tackle disparities in opportunity and outcomes in cultural education.

24th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding provided by Arts Council England for cultural activities in the North West.

His Majesty’s Government is deeply committed to supporting access to high-quality arts and culture across the country, including through public funding to organisations in the North West of England via Arts Council England.

Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 National Portfolio, public funding is being provided to 120 organisations (up from 97 in the 2018–22 portfolio) in the North West across theatre, dance, museums, visual arts, literature and libraries.The total investment in the North West through the national portfolio is currently £49.7 million per year – an increase of more than £7.5 million per year compared to the last portfolio.

Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, Arts Council England will have invested over £428 million in arts and cultural organisations in the North West of England. This includes £13,651,486 of public funding through the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, Libraries Improvement Fund and Museum Estate and Development Fund, administered by Arts Council England. Arts and cultural organisations in the North West of England also benefited from over £120 million through the Culture Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

24th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding provided by Arts Council England for cultural activities in the South East.

His Majesty’s Government is deeply committed to supporting access to high-quality arts and culture across the country, including through public funding to organisations in the South East of England via Arts Council England.

Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 National Portfolio, public funding is being provided to 139 organisations (an increase from 105 in the 2018–22 portfolio) in the South East of England across theatre, dance, museums, visual arts, literature and libraries. The total investment in the South East through the national portfolio is £45.6 million per year – an increase of over £5 million per year from the last portfolio.

Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, Arts Council England will have invested over £360 million of public money in arts and cultural organisations in the South East of England. This includes £12,439,377 through the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, Libraries Improvement Fund, and Museum Estate and Development Fund, administered by Arts Council England. Arts and cultural organisations in the South East also benefited from over £106 million through the Culture Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

23rd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is steps taking to ensure the adequacy of funding for cultural activities in Nottingham.

His Majesty’s Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality arts and cultural opportunities and activities, no matter where they live. We have supported culture in Nottingham in a variety of ways.

Between 2020/21 and 2023/24, Arts Council England will have invested over £30 million in arts and cultural organisations in Nottingham. As part of its 2023–26 National Portfolio, public funding is being provided to 14 organisations in Nottingham encompassing theatre, dance, museums, visual arts, literature and libraries. This funding includes over £1.2 million per year to New Art Exchange, the highly successful visual arts centre.

As part of the above funding, Nottingham City Council’s museum service was reconfirmed as a National Portfolio Organisation in the latest round of funding, meaning it will receive £1.4 million over the next three years. A number of the local projects which it directly funds are aimed at encouraging more people from disadvantaged neighbourhoods and diverse backgrounds to engage with the city’s heritage. The independent National Justice Museum is also part of the Arts Council’s National Portfolio and will receive £733,000 of support over the period 2023–26.

Another of the City Council Museums, Wollaton Hall, has this year received £470,000 from the Government’s Museum Estate and Development Fund for assistance with maintenance, whilst Nottingham libraries have received funding through both rounds 1 and 2 of the Government’s Libraries Improvement Fund.

Nottingham Castle Museum’s recent transformation was funded in part by a £13.9 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants programme also remains open for funding bids from anyone operating arts and cultural organisations in England.

The recent announcement of the third round of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund included support for Bulwell, which will be receiving almost £20 million of public investment for Bulwell town centre – including a new marketplace, and aiming to improve the look and feel of hidden heritage by reinstating original features.

Organisations in Nottingham also benefited from the Culture Recovery Fund to protect them during the COVID-19 pandemic, with 39 organisations sharing over £10.5 million of funding.

23rd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with representatives of the art sector on the potential impact of AI on that sector.

HM Government recognises the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence to a range of sectors, including the arts. As set out in the Government’s recent AI White Paper, our goal is to ensure that the UK becomes an AI superpower. It is important, however, that while we harness the benefits of AI, we also manage the risks. This includes risks to the creative and cultural sectors and to copyright-holders.

The Secretary of State and Ministers have held a number of meetings with people and organisations from across the creative and cultural sectors on this issue and on AI more broadly. This includes a meeting in which the Minister for Arts & Heritage, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay participated, hosted by What Next? in November, during which representatives from small and large arts organisations, freelance creative professionals, academics and other participants from across the country discussed the potential impact of AI on the arts and creative sectors.

DCMS has engaged with the arts and creative sectors to identify areas where AI is being applied through innovation and to understand the sectors’ views – for instance, through a recent meeting held jointly with the Intellectual Property Office and a group of leading sector chief executives.


Last month, the UK also hosted the world's first major summit on AI safety. This summit focused on the risks created or significantly exacerbated by the most powerful frontier AI systems, and looked to ensure that this technology is developed and adopted safely and responsibly. The summit brought together the governments of leading AI nations, technology companies, researchers, and civil society groups. DCMS Ministers and officials also attended the industry-led AI Fringe, which ran alongside the AI Safety Summit, and engaged with representatives from across the creative industries on issues such as research and development for AI in the arts and intellectual property.

22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the level of financial resilience in the charity sector.

DCMS Ministers and senior officials meet regularly with civil society representatives to discuss a wide range of issues including challenges faced by the sector.

We also recognise that charities are seeing higher levels of demand for their services. That is why in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations in England. This funding is split into two strands and is supporting organisations in need right now. The £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has closed for applications, and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable individuals and households. The second strand, the £25 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, will support longer-term sustainability, and will launch later this year for applications.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of charities on (a) capacity and (b) trends in the level of demand for their services.

DCMS Ministers and senior officials meet regularly with civil society representatives to discuss a wide range of issues including challenges faced by the sector.

We also recognise that charities are seeing higher levels of demand for their services. That is why in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations in England. This funding is split into two strands and is supporting organisations in need right now. The £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has closed for applications, and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable individuals and households. The second strand, the £25 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, will support longer-term sustainability, and will launch later this year for applications.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the impact of energy costs on the charity sector.

DCMS Ministers and senior officials meet regularly with civil society representatives to discuss a wide range of issues including challenges faced by the sector.

We also recognise that charities are seeing higher levels of demand for their services. That is why in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations in England. This funding is split into two strands and is supporting organisations in need right now. The £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has closed for applications, and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable individuals and households. The second strand, the £25 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, will support longer-term sustainability, and will launch later this year for applications.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of the cost of living on university students' ability to participate in volunteering.

The Government recognises the valuable contribution that student volunteers make to their communities and the benefits they gain from these experiences.

My department funds and works closely with the Vision for Volunteering, which is a voluntary sector initiative to lead the ongoing support and development of all volunteering in England.

My department has also funded several other initiatives to support volunteering participation including the Volunteering Futures Fund, Know Your Neighbourhood and the Big Help Out, which was a day of community volunteering to mark the Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty The Queen, held on 8 May 2023. My department has allocated funding for a repeat of the Big Help Out campaign, which will take place from 7-9 June 2024.

The Government continues to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of volunteers across the country. Since 2014, over 2,100 people have been named Points of Light by the Prime Minister, highlighting a wide array of innovative and inspirational volunteering across the UK.

The department has not specifically discussed student volunteering with the Secretary of State for Education.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has taken steps to help secure the restoration of the British Library’s services following the recent cyber-attack against it; and what estimate her Department has made of the date by which those services will be restored.

The British Library is undertaking a forensic investigation of this incident, with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre and cybersecurity specialists, and has reported it to the Information Commissioner’s Office. This investigation will help to provide a full picture of what happened, and the extent of disruption caused. This will take time, during which the British Library is liaising closely with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and others to provide updates.

The British Library has taken targeted protective measures to ensure the integrity of its systems, including the quarantining of hardware, the resetting of passwords for all staff, and the installation of additional monitoring and detection software across its estate.

The British Library’s physical sites remain open to the public and are offering a range of services, including reading room access for personal study, some limited manual collection item ordering, exhibitions, learning events, business support, and onsite retail. Details of what the public can access are available via the British Library’s social media channels.

It is too soon to give an exact timetable but the British Library anticipates restoring many digital services in the next few weeks, although some disruption may persist for longer.

20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to increase the effectiveness of the Electronic Legal Deposit system since the cyberattack on the British Library.

The British Library has been keeping the other Legal Deposit Libraries of the UK and Ireland informed since the cyber attack against it. The Non-Print Legal Deposit network is designed for resilience in line with industry-wide digital preservation guidelines, and the British Library is working with partners on additional precautionary steps while the investigation is ongoing.

20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the group or individual responsible for the recent cyber-attack against the British Library has been identified.

The attack has been claimed by a known cyber crime group, and we currently have no reason to doubt their claim.

20th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cyber-attack against the British Library at the end of October 2023 on the public’s access to learning and research materials.

The British Library is undertaking a forensic investigation of this incident, with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre and cybersecurity specialists, and has reported it to the Information Commissioner’s Office. This investigation will help to provide a full picture of what happened, and the extent of disruption caused. This will take time, during which the British Library is liaising closely with the Department for Culture, Media & Sport and others to provide updates.

The British Library’s physical sites remain open to the public and are offering a range of services, including reading room access for personal study, some limited manual collection item ordering, exhibitions, learning events, business support, and onsite retail. Details of what the public can access are available via the British Library’s social media channels.

8th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 49 of her Department's Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, what steps she has taken to tackle the increase in the mean gender pay gap in her Department between 2020 and 2021.

Following actions that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport set out in our gender pay gap report in 2021, the department’s mean gender pay gap reduced from 5.7% in 2021 to 3.3% in 2022.

7th Nov 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rising prices on the financial position of (a) arts organisations, (b) heritage organisations and (c) charities.

The Government continues to assess the impact of rising prices on arts, heritage and charitable organisations, and has taken action to support organisations in these sectors.

Arts Council England, the arm’s-length body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport responsible for funding arts organisations, continues to monitor the situation through regular conversations with National Portfolio Organisations. Relevant insights are then shared with DCMS through our regular engagement with Arts Council England.

The Heritage Pulse Survey, conducted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Historic England, also regularly shares updates and insights on heritage organisations. The department will keep engaging constructively across both sectors to monitor the impact of higher costs.

The Government has acted to support arts, heritage and charitable organisations, including through the Energy Bill Discount Scheme, which continues to support all organisations with their energy bills until 31 March 2024.

We also recognise that charities are seeing higher levels of demand for their services. That is why in the Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a package of over £100 million for charities and community organisations in England. This funding is split into two strands and is supporting organisations in need right now. The £76 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund has closed for applications, and is awarding funding to frontline organisations supporting vulnerable individuals and households. The second strand, the £25 million VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, will support longer-term sustainability, and will launch later this year for applications.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many people are employed by the National Citizen Service.

In 2022/23, NCS Trust had 170 employees. NCS Trust also has 12 young people on their Youth Advisory Board who are remunerated.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many participants of the National Citizen Service described themselves as coming from a lower socio-economic background in each year since 2010.

NCS is open to all 16-17 year olds. Since its inception, over 800,000 young people have participated in the programme.

NCS Trust does not hold data on parents’ or guardians’ education level nor on participants’ perception of socio-economic background. NCS Trustdoes not hold data that aligns with the school classification outlined.

However, the NCS Trust does report annually on the proportion of participants who are eligible for Free School Meals (capturing those who have been ‘eligible within the last 6 years’). The table below outlines the available figures.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total NCS participants

39,566

57,789

75,696

92,996


99,179


100,038


92,057

23,467

95,549

Number of participants eligible for Free School Meals

6,881

9,472

12,338

14,479

16,781

15,676

21,026

4,919

20,753

Percentage of participants eligible for Free School Meals

17.39%

16.39%

16.30%

15.57%

16.92%

15.67%

22.84%

20.96%


21.72%

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many participants in the National Citizen Service in each year since 2010 were entitled to Free School Meals at any point during their school years.

NCS is open to all 16-17 year olds. Since its inception, over 800,000 young people have participated in the programme.

NCS Trust does not hold data on parents’ or guardians’ education level nor on participants’ perception of socio-economic background. NCS Trustdoes not hold data that aligns with the school classification outlined.

However, the NCS Trust does report annually on the proportion of participants who are eligible for Free School Meals (capturing those who have been ‘eligible within the last 6 years’). The table below outlines the available figures.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total NCS participants

39,566

57,789

75,696

92,996


99,179


100,038


92,057

23,467

95,549

Number of participants eligible for Free School Meals

6,881

9,472

12,338

14,479

16,781

15,676

21,026

4,919

20,753

Percentage of participants eligible for Free School Meals

17.39%

16.39%

16.30%

15.57%

16.92%

15.67%

22.84%

20.96%


21.72%

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many participants in the National Citizen Service have parents who had achieved (a) at least one degree level qualification, (b) qualifications below degree level and (c) no formal qualifications in each year since 2010.

NCS is open to all 16-17 year olds. Since its inception, over 800,000 young people have participated in the programme.

NCS Trust does not hold data on parents’ or guardians’ education level nor on participants’ perception of socio-economic background. NCS Trustdoes not hold data that aligns with the school classification outlined.

However, the NCS Trust does report annually on the proportion of participants who are eligible for Free School Meals (capturing those who have been ‘eligible within the last 6 years’). The table below outlines the available figures.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total NCS participants

39,566

57,789

75,696

92,996


99,179


100,038


92,057

23,467

95,549

Number of participants eligible for Free School Meals

6,881

9,472

12,338

14,479

16,781

15,676

21,026

4,919

20,753

Percentage of participants eligible for Free School Meals

17.39%

16.39%

16.30%

15.57%

16.92%

15.67%

22.84%

20.96%


21.72%

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
18th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many participants in the National Citizen Service attended (a) a state-run or state-funded school, selective on academic, faith or other grounds, (b) a state-run or state-funded non-selective school, (c) an independent or fee-paying school with a bursary, (d) an independent or fee-paying school without a bursary and (e) school outside the UK aged 11-16, in each year since 2010.

NCS is open to all 16-17 year olds. Since its inception, over 800,000 young people have participated in the programme.

NCS Trust does not hold data on parents’ or guardians’ education level nor on participants’ perception of socio-economic background. NCS Trustdoes not hold data that aligns with the school classification outlined.

However, the NCS Trust does report annually on the proportion of participants who are eligible for Free School Meals (capturing those who have been ‘eligible within the last 6 years’). The table below outlines the available figures.

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total NCS participants

39,566

57,789

75,696

92,996


99,179


100,038


92,057

23,467

95,549

Number of participants eligible for Free School Meals

6,881

9,472

12,338

14,479

16,781

15,676

21,026

4,919

20,753

Percentage of participants eligible for Free School Meals

17.39%

16.39%

16.30%

15.57%

16.92%

15.67%

22.84%

20.96%


21.72%

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Local Authorities on the use of libraries as warm spaces in winter 2023-24.

The delivery of public library services is a responsibility for upper-tier local authorities under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. It is for those authorities to determine provision based on local needs and priorities, including the use of libraries as warm hubs.

Last winter, a number of local authorities indicated that they intended to use public and community-managed buildings including libraries to provide additional support and advice to local residents following the rise in energy costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure that the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme supported businesses and non-domestic customers such as libraries and other community spaces. Libraries and archives were also eligible to receive an enhanced level of support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the number of libraries that were used as warm spaces in winter 2022-23.

The delivery of public library services is a responsibility for upper-tier local authorities under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. It is for those authorities to determine provision based on local needs and priorities, including the use of libraries as warm hubs.

Last winter, a number of local authorities indicated that they intended to use public and community-managed buildings including libraries to provide additional support and advice to local residents following the rise in energy costs. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport engaged with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure that the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme supported businesses and non-domestic customers such as libraries and other community spaces. Libraries and archives were also eligible to receive an enhanced level of support under the Energy Bills Discount Scheme.

14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of public libraries that have reduced their opening (a) hours and (b) days in each year since 2010.

This information is not collected by the department. Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England, which provides current, but not historical, information about opening hours.

The dataset can be found here.

14th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many new public libraries have opened since 2010.

This information is not collected by the department. However, Arts Council England collects data from local authorities and publishes a basic dataset of information on public libraries in England. The libraries basic dataset 2022 shows the number of static libraries in England (statutory and non-statutory) as at 1 April 2010, 1 July 2016, 31 December 2019, 31 December 2021 and 31 December 2022. It can be found here.

This dataset indicates that there are around 150 static public libraries which were not part of statutory provision in 2010 but were at 31 December 2022.

13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the National Archives, (b) other UK national archives, (c) local archives and (d) specialist archives on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings.

The Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks on 1 May 2019. Since then, individual organisations have been surveying properties and taking action in line with Institution of Structural Engineers guidance.

Government Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC on their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. This work is being co-ordinated by the Office of Government Property.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland are both under the jurisdiction of their respective devolved administrations, and their work is not overseen by the UK Government.

13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on how many buildings containing (a) the National Archives, (b) other UK national archives, (c) local archives and (d) specialist archives contain reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC).

The Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks on 1 May 2019. Since then, individual organisations have been surveying properties and taking action in line with Institution of Structural Engineers guidance.

Government Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC on their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. This work is being co-ordinated by the Office of Government Property.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland are both under the jurisdiction of their respective devolved administrations, and their work is not overseen by the UK Government.

13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to determine the prevalence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in (a) the National Archives, (b) other UK national archives, (c) local archives and (d) specialist archives.

The Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of RAAC planks on 1 May 2019. Since then, individual organisations have been surveying properties and taking action in line with Institution of Structural Engineers guidance.

Government Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC on their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out. This work is being co-ordinated by the Office of Government Property.

The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and the National Records of Scotland are both under the jurisdiction of their respective devolved administrations, and their work is not overseen by the UK Government.

13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish her Department's new public libraries strategy.

HM Government is committed to supporting a sustainable future for public libraries in England, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is presently working on a new Government strategy for public libraries.

To inform this work, the Libraries Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay appointed Baroness Sanderson of Welton last September to lead a review of public libraries and to make recommendations for the Government to consider for inclusion in its new public libraries strategy. Her report was developed through engagement with a diverse range of library services and other organisations with an interest in libraries, and involved nine roundtable meetings held across the country.

Baroness Sanderson submitted her report in July, and the Department is currently considering her recommendations. We plan to publish her report alongside the Government’s response this autumn. Her recommendations will inform the drafting of the new Government strategy, which we intend to publish in 2024, following consultation with the libraries sector.

13th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their archive buildings.

On 1 May 2019, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety issued a safety alert on the failure of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) planks. Local authorities, like other building owners, are advised to follow available professional guidance.

The National Archives, a non-ministerial department of HM Government, has been in contact with the Local Government Association’s Culture, Tourism and Sport team about this issue and has also conducted a write-round to the local Place of Deposit for Public Records network and the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group.

HM Government will consider the approach to any RAAC in other public sector estates on a case-by-case basis.

12th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) charities and civil society organisations, (b) museums and (c) art galleries on the presence of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC) in their buildings.

Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.

Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.

12th Sep 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many (a) museums, (b) art galleries, (c) listed buildings, (d) buildings owned by charities and (e) libraries her Department knows contain reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC).

Departments have been asked to report on the current picture of suspected and confirmed RAAC in their estates as soon as possible. This will be updated on a regular basis as new buildings are identified and surveying and remediation are carried out.

Government published lists of education settings confirmed as having RAAC on Wednesday 6 September and committed to providing further updates.