Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to (a) covered and (b) indoor sports facilities, particularly in socially deprived areas.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will invest £400m in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
We provide the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
We are ensuring that future grassroots sports facilities funding programmes are tailored to local demand, and provide communities with year-round facilities where that demand exists. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which means delivering a range of facilities across the UK.
Through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, we are ensuring investment reaches those who need it most. In 2026/27, we are investing in artificial grass pitches, which play a crucial role in getting more people active across the UK. They provide year-round playing surfaces which can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week - significantly more than grass pitches, helping more people to access the benefits of physical activity.
At least 40% of MSGF-funded projects will have a multi-sport offer to allow more people to participate in sports other than football. This means that more people can get access to a wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them including rugby, cricket and basketball. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that future capital funding helps to tackle disparities in access to year-round sporting provision.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will invest £400m in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
We provide the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
We are ensuring that future grassroots sports facilities funding programmes are tailored to local demand, and provide communities with year-round facilities where that demand exists. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which means delivering a range of facilities across the UK.
Through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, we are ensuring investment reaches those who need it most. In 2026/27, we are investing in artificial grass pitches, which play a crucial role in getting more people active across the UK. They provide year-round playing surfaces which can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week - significantly more than grass pitches, helping more people to access the benefits of physical activity.
At least 40% of MSGF-funded projects will have a multi-sport offer to allow more people to participate in sports other than football. This means that more people can get access to a wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them including rugby, cricket and basketball. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she had made of the potential merits of providing multi-year capital funding settlements for community facilities to help national governing bodies and local partners to (a) plan, (b) deliver matched funding and (c) achieve value for money.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will invest £400m in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
We provide the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
We are ensuring that future grassroots sports facilities funding programmes are tailored to local demand, and provide communities with year-round facilities where that demand exists. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which means delivering a range of facilities across the UK.
Through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, we are ensuring investment reaches those who need it most. In 2026/27, we are investing in artificial grass pitches, which play a crucial role in getting more people active across the UK. They provide year-round playing surfaces which can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week - significantly more than grass pitches, helping more people to access the benefits of physical activity.
At least 40% of MSGF-funded projects will have a multi-sport offer to allow more people to participate in sports other than football. This means that more people can get access to a wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them including rugby, cricket and basketball. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure public funding for sports facilities increases participation among (a) women, (b) people with disabilities, (c) and inactive communities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will invest £400m in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
We provide the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
We are ensuring that future grassroots sports facilities funding programmes are tailored to local demand, and provide communities with year-round facilities where that demand exists. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which means delivering a range of facilities across the UK.
Through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, we are ensuring investment reaches those who need it most. In 2026/27, we are investing in artificial grass pitches, which play a crucial role in getting more people active across the UK. They provide year-round playing surfaces which can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week - significantly more than grass pitches, helping more people to access the benefits of physical activity.
At least 40% of MSGF-funded projects will have a multi-sport offer to allow more people to participate in sports other than football. This means that more people can get access to a wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them including rugby, cricket and basketball. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how her Department ensures that public funding for sports facilities supports a wide range of sports.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government will invest £400m in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority communities.
We provide the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.
We are ensuring that future grassroots sports facilities funding programmes are tailored to local demand, and provide communities with year-round facilities where that demand exists. We are committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities, which means delivering a range of facilities across the UK.
Through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme, we are ensuring investment reaches those who need it most. In 2026/27, we are investing in artificial grass pitches, which play a crucial role in getting more people active across the UK. They provide year-round playing surfaces which can sustain up to 80 hours of use per week - significantly more than grass pitches, helping more people to access the benefits of physical activity.
At least 40% of MSGF-funded projects will have a multi-sport offer to allow more people to participate in sports other than football. This means that more people can get access to a wider variety of sports and activities that appeal to them including rugby, cricket and basketball. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions his Department has had with Buckingham Palace on promoting the Mayflower 400 celebrations in September 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has not had any direct discussions with Buckingham Palace regarding the Mayflower commemorations. The Mayflower 400 group are leading on the preparations and liaising with stakeholders.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has made an estimate of the number of US tourists who will visit the UK in 2020 as part of the Mayflower celebrations in September 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
DCMS has provided £750,000 of funding for the Mayflower celebrations through VisitEngland. This funding was used to:
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to put in place a strategy to attract tourists to the UK during the Mayflower celebrations in 2020.
Answered by Michael Ellis
VisitBritain estimates that the UK will receive approximately 4m visitors from the United States in 2020 - we cannot identify if they will be here specifically for the Mayflower commemorations. Disney Cruises, with whom VisitBritain have a partnership, will also stop at Plymouth on the way from Southampton, Hampshire to Boston, Massachusetts. This is estimated to draw an additional 13,500 visitors for the event.
Asked by: Mark Garnier (Conservative - Wyre Forest)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to promote growth in tourism.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
The GREAT Britain campaign continues to promote great British holidays at home, through the 'Holidays at Home' are GREAT campaign, and overseas. In its first 3 years of operation, it is estimated that the campaign has now generated £520.6 million in incremental spend for the domestic tourism industry and over two million domestic overnight holiday trips. It is anticipated that Visit Britain's GREAT activity will help generate an extra £305 million in incremental spend by inbound visitors (2012/13-2013/14).
The £2 million GREAT UK Challenge Fund, administered by VisitEngland, will help promote cities, regions and nations across the UK overseas. We are also encouraging travel outside of London through an innovative financial incentive scheme for Chinese tourists (equivalent to the cost of a visit visa). Our £10 million tourism in the North and £5 million tourism in the South West funds, also aim to create joined-up strategies for promoting these areas as top holiday destinations for international travellers and aid stable job creation.