Paula Barker Portrait

Paula Barker

Labour - Liverpool, Wavertree

First elected: 12th December 2019


Home Affairs Committee
8th Feb 2022 - 27th Nov 2023
Shadow Minister (Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government)
28th Oct 2022 - 15th Nov 2023
Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Bill
26th Oct 2022 - 2nd Nov 2022
Judicial Review and Courts Bill
27th Oct 2021 - 23rd Nov 2021
Justice Committee
11th May 2020 - 13th Jul 2021


Division Voting information

During the current Parliament, Paula Barker has voted in 746 divisions, and 1 time against the majority of their Party.

14 Dec 2021 - Public Health - View Vote Context
Paula Barker voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 22 Labour No votes vs 124 Labour Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 385 Noes - 100
View All Paula Barker 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
Grant Shapps (Conservative)
Secretary of State for Defence
(8 debate interactions)
Boris Johnson (Conservative)
(7 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(7 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Department of Health and Social Care
(25 debate contributions)
HM Treasury
(24 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(19 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Paula Barker's debates

Liverpool, Wavertree 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

We want the UK to be neutral in the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and withdraw offers of support for Israel.

We want the Government to seek a ceasefire and also seek to address the root cause of the current conflict by promoting dialogue and advocating for the end of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The UK Government should urge the Israeli Government to stop the blockade of Food, Fuel and Electricity to the already impoverished city of Gaza

Make it illegal for any employer to mandate vaccination for its employees. This should apply to all public sector (including the NHS, armed forces, care workers), third sector and all private sector.

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 Paula Barker

20th November 2023
Paula Barker signed this EDM as the primary signatory on Monday 20th November 2023

Local Housing Allowance and housing supply

Tabled by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool, Wavertree)
That this House acknowledges the endemic housing crisis which now affects all communities across the country and the unsustainable rent increases across the private rented sector; affirms the current inadequacy of Local Housing Allowance, frozen since April 2020; believes that Local Housing Allowance has not kept pace with rising rents; …
33 signatures
(Most recent: 10 Jan 2024)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 24
Plaid Cymru: 3
Independent: 2
Green Party: 1
Democratic Unionist Party: 1
Alba Party: 1
Scottish National Party: 1
20th November 2023
Paula Barker signed this EDM as a sponsor on Monday 20th November 2023

Sanctions imposed on Everton Football Club

Tabled by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
That this House condemns the grossly unjust points deduction imposed on Everton Football Club by a Premier League Commission, a punishment lacking any legal or equitable foundation or justification for the level of sanction; notes that financial-not-sporting penalties for far more severe breaches have been applied, including the industry-and-community-threatening European …
28 signatures
(Most recent: 6 Dec 2023)
Signatures by party:
Labour: 19
Democratic Unionist Party: 4
Scottish National Party: 3
Independent: 2
View All Paula Barker's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Paula Barker, 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.


Paula Barker has not been granted any Urgent Questions

Paula Barker has not been granted any Adjournment Debates

2 Bills introduced by Paula Barker


A Bill to make provision about the national minimum wage; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Tuesday 2nd May 2023
(Read Debate)

A Bill to make provision about the national minimum wage; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading
Wednesday 5th February 2020

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
3 Other Department Questions
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment the UK Government has made of the potential merits of the Scottish Parliament's decision to provide sanitary products free of charge; and if she would make it her policy to adopt a similar initiative in England.

This Government takes the issue of period poverty very seriously and we are already taking steps to ensure that period products are available and affordable for those most in need.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 97% of secondary schools, 92% of post-16 organisations and 68% of primary schools have made at least one order since the scheme began in January 2020.

In March 2019 NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them (including long-term in-patients).

As part of our wider strategy to make period products affordable and available for all women, we have also made it clear that a zero rate of VAT applies to period products now that the UK has left the EU. These products are essential so it is right that there is now no VAT charge.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps the Government has taken to help tackle period poverty in England.

This Government takes the issue of period poverty very seriously and we are already taking steps to ensure that period products are available and affordable for those most in need.

Since January 2020, a Department for Education scheme provides free period products in schools and 16-19 education institutions in England. 97% of secondary schools, 92% of post-16 organisations and 68% of primary schools have made at least one order since the scheme began in January 2020.

In March 2019 NHS England announced that it would offer period products to every hospital patient who needs them (including long-term in-patients).

As part of our wider strategy to make period products affordable and available for all women, we have also made it clear that a zero rate of VAT applies to period products now that the UK has left the EU. These products are essential so it is right that there is now no VAT charge.

Maria Caulfield
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
20th Apr 2022
To ask the President of COP26, what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent rise in gas prices on the commitments agreed at COP26.

Our exposure to high gas prices demonstrates the link between climate change, energy security and vulnerability caused by our global dependence on fossil fuels. Now more than ever, we must urgently work together to accelerate the shift to clean power generation.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what due diligence checks the Honours committee conducted before Paula Vennells received an award in the 2019 New Year Honours list.

Names of honours committee members are published within the Government’s reports on the operation of the honours system, and are a matter of public record.

The process relating to individual honours nominations are conducted in confidence. There is an expectation that this remains so, in order to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the honours system. The Government has previously published information relating to routine checks carried out prior to the awarding of honours, which is available online.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list the members of the Honours committee that approved the CBE for Paula Vennells in the 2019 New Year Honours list.

Names of honours committee members are published within the Government’s reports on the operation of the honours system, and are a matter of public record.

The process relating to individual honours nominations are conducted in confidence. There is an expectation that this remains so, in order to protect the integrity and confidentiality of the honours system. The Government has previously published information relating to routine checks carried out prior to the awarding of honours, which is available online.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the cost to the public purse of lecterns used by each Prime Minister since 7 May 2015.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to the Hon Member for Warwick and Leamington on 2 November 2022 (UIN 73117).

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential effect of the use of artificial intelligence on future levels of employment in the civil service.

The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, is working with departments to understand the full potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation and service optimisation.

In June 2022 as part of the Government Roadmap for Digital and Data, the government published our commitment to “systematically identify and capture opportunities arising from emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing”. CDDO has convened external experts and digital leaders across government to rapidly respond to developments in this area.

CDDO is working with departments to establish the frameworks and policies to guide the responsible adoption of new technologies, including AI, and is already working with departments to realise opportunities in service delivery and optimisation. We are working to build a greater understanding of the potential impact of AI on Government work and efficiency which will further enhance our ability to plan future levels of employment in the civil service. Individual departments, within their own delegated authority, will be the ultimate decision maker as to the impact AI (or any other technology) has on their own levels of employment.

Alex Burghart
Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of covid-19 vaccine certificates; and what plans the Government has to introduce such certificates to access certain amenities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by The Minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment, Minister Nadhim Zahawi on 8 September 2021.

Our vaccination programme has given this nation a wall of protection against this deadly virus. Data from Public Health England estimates that two doses of a covid-19 vaccine offers protection of around 96% against hospitalisation and that our jabs have prevented over 100,000 deaths, over 143,000 hospitalisations and around 24 million infections. It is this protection that allowed us to carefully ease restrictions over the past few months. However, we must do so in a way that is mindful of the benefits that both doses of the vaccine can bring.

On 19 July, the Prime Minister announced that:

“by the end of September—when all over 18s will have had the chance to be double jabbed—we are planning to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather. Proof of a negative test will no longer be sufficient.”

We will be confirming more details in due course.”

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
22nd Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average working days lost was for (a) civil servants who have and (b) have not declared themselves as having a disability in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.

The latest sickness absence data for the Civil Service was published on 4 February 2021 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence and includes average working days lost by sex and age for years ending 31 March 2019 and 2020. Sickness absence data by ethnicity and disability is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
22nd Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average working days lost was for civil servants aged (a) 30 and younger, (b) 30 to 50 (c) 50 to 60 and (d) over 60 in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.

The latest sickness absence data for the Civil Service was published on 4 February 2021 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence and includes average working days lost by sex and age for years ending 31 March 2019 and 2020. Sickness absence data by ethnicity and disability is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
22nd Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average working days lost was for civil servants from (a) Black, Asian and minority Ethnic background and (b) recording themselves as White in (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.

The latest sickness absence data for the Civil Service was published on 4 February 2021 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence and includes average working days lost by sex and age for years ending 31 March 2019 and 2020. Sickness absence data by ethnicity and disability is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
22nd Feb 2021
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the Average Working Days Lost were for (a) female and (b) male civil servants in the calendar years (i) 2019 and (ii) 2020.

The latest sickness absence data for the Civil Service was published on 4 February 2021 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-sickness-absence and includes average working days lost by sex and age for years ending 31 March 2019 and 2020. Sickness absence data by ethnicity and disability is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
6th Oct 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 29 September 2020 to Question 95244 on Civil Service: Sustainable Development, how many requests for a meeting of the Sustainability Forum his Department received from the National Trade Union Committee in the last two years.

The information requested is not held centrally.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
30th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that public sector procurement contracts prioritise British manufactured goods and services after the UK leaves the EU.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to PQ84363 on 15 September 2020.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
28th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of Cabinet Office guidance to government departments on annual leave carry-over with the Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not held centrally.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
24th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how frequently Sustainability Forum meetings between civil service unions and the civil service take place.

Sustainability issues can be raised through the Civil Service Forum, which engages nationally with the National Trade Union Committee. Departments are responsible for determining their own sustainable development plans, and their engagement on these matters with relevant departmental trade unions.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
21st Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans his Department has to increase (a) infrastructure spending and (b) the number of large infrastructure projects in the North West of England.

Spring Budget 2020 set out that the public sector will invest more than £600 billion in our future prosperity. The infrastructure plans set out at Budget included measures to invest in strategic roads around England, improve mobile coverage in rural areas, better support flood defences, and further fund urban transport systems. Specific allocations and delivery plans will be set out later this year.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
16th Sep 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the next meeting of the Sustainability Forum of Civil Service unions and the Civil Service will be held.

Sustainability issues can be raised through the Civil Service Forum, which engages nationally with the National Trade Union Committee. Departments are responsible for determining their own sustainable development plans, and their engagement on these matters with relevant departmental trade unions.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to secure frictionless trade with the EU.

We want to reach an agreement and we believe there is still time. We will continue to work hard to achieve it.

The eighth round of negotiations began on 8 September and we hope to make quick progress on an agreement based on our reasonable proposal for a standard free trade agreement, like the one the EU has agreed with Canada and so many others.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
28th Aug 2020
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that raw materials imported into the UK and used for vital nutritional products will not be subject to tariffs at the end of the transition period.

The Government has been clear we want a free trade deal, based on friendly cooperation.

The Political Declaration sets as an aim a zero tariff and zero quota FTA. We would like to achieve that. Reducing the costs and processes associated with trade is in the interests of people and businesses across the UK and the EU.

Penny Mordaunt
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
6th Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate the carbon footprint of urban areas.

The Net Zero Strategy sets out how the Government is enabling local areas to deliver net zero in a way that recognises the differing needs of urban, rural and coastal areas.

Graham Stuart
Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
16th Sep 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support the carbon capture and storage project, HyNet, to (a) safeguard manufacturing jobs in the North West and (b) position the UK as a global leader in clean growth.

The 2019 Manifesto and Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution position the UK as a global leader which will create and safeguard thousands of jobs.

We have already supported Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) deployment in the North West, with an award of over £30m of development funding to HyNet, earlier this year, through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.

In our Ten Point Plan, the Government set out that we would deploy four CCUS clusters by 2030, at the latest. In May this year, BEIS launched Phase-1 of the CCUS Cluster Sequencing Process. An announcement on the results of Phase-1 in October of this year; as the process is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the outcome at this stage.

Greg Hands
Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the ability of the UK to achieve net zero by 2050; and whether the UK is currently on track to meet that target.

Over the last three decades, the UK has achieved record clean growth and has met its world-leading climate change commitments. Between 1990 and 2019, our economy has grown by 78% while our emissions have decreased by 44%, this is the fastest reduction in the G7.

The UK over-achieved against the first (2008-12) and second (2013-17) carbon budgets, and the latest projections show that we are on track to meet the third (2018-22). We recognise the need for further action to meet the fourth (2023-27) and fifth (2028-32) carbon budgets. Our sector decarbonisation strategies, and wider plans to deliver a green economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, will contain further proposals to support delivery of carbon budgets 4 and 5.

We have already published the Energy White Paper, Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy, Transport Decarbonisation Plan and Hydrogen Strategy, and will publish the Heat and Building Strategy in due course. We will also publish a comprehensive Net Zero Strategy ahead of COP26, setting out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy. This will raise ambition as we outline our path to meet net zero by 2050, our Carbon Budgets and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of biofuels, including the burning of wood pellets in the UK, on the loss of biodiversity and deforestation overseas.

The UK only supports biomass which complies with strict sustainability criteria. This considers a range of environmental issues including protecting the biodiversity of forests from which the biomass is sourced, irrespective of its location.

Where biomass is sourced from forests, it is typically waste wood and residues from commercial forestry operations that already occur, and it is a requirement that the relevant legal requirements to protect biodiversity and the environment are adhered to. The evidence does not show that deforestation or biodiversity loss have occurred in the areas from where UK electricity generators source their biomass.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
10th Nov 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of the Insolvency Service’s rules on annual leave carry-over with the Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020; and if he will make a statement.

The Insolvency Service has delegated authority for annual leave from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The Insolvency Service has reviewed its policy and guidance and is content that it is compliant with the Working Time (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2020.

30th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) medium and (b) long-term effect of automation on (i) the labour market and (ii) new job creation.

The Government is continuing to monitor the impact of automation on the labour market. The World Economic Forum estimate that robots will replace 75 million jobs globally between 2018 and 2022 but create 133 million new ones – a “net positive”.

We are committed to capitalising on this opportunity. The launch of the Robotics Growth Partnership will support our national ambition to put the UK at the cutting edge of the smart robotics revolution, turbo-charging economic productivity and unlocking benefits across society.

The Government also recognises that demand for skills will continue to change, in part in response to automation. We have committed to improving the UK's system for training in digital skills, ensuring that working people have the support they need to navigate the challenge of automation to a higher-wage future. This includes fully funding adults to take their first full level 3 qualification and a new entitlement to flexible loans over a lifetime, boosting opportunities to retrain and enhancing the nation’s technical skills.

21st Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government is taking steps to (a) help ensure energy independence and (b) limit the role of overseas state actors in the supply of (i) nuclear and (ii) other forms of energy.

UK energy supplies are currently derived from a wide range of sources; progress towards the UK’s target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 will further diversify our energy system.

The Department has supported measures and programmes to support the production and use of renewable energy infrastructure. For example, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal will support the delivery of up to 30GW of offshore wind by 2030 in Great Britain; the Government has made a £3 billion investment to support low-carbon innovation in the UK up to 2021; and there is an ongoing commitment to developing the UK’s domestic hydrogen sector.

Whilst inward investment into the UK energy sector is welcomed, all foreign involvement in critical national infrastructure undergoes the highest level of scrutiny. The UK civil nuclear sector has a strong regulatory system and companies involved in the industry are required to meet robust standards overseen by independent regulators.

21st Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans the Government has to expand the nuclear energy sector.

The construction of Hinkley Point C in Somerset is well underway, employing thousands of workers and having already invested almost £1.7 billion in the regional economy.

In September 2020, the UK nuclear industry issued an update on progress towards the commitments and targets contained within the £200 million plus Nuclear Sector Deal. the industry also issued a report which set out how to cut the cost of new nuclear plants.

Building on the advanced nuclear spending commitments of the Nuclear Sector Deal, we have developed a package of funding now worth approximately £100 million, designed to turbocharge the UK’s advanced nuclear industry. This includes the initial £36 million received last year by the UK Small Modular Reactor consortium, led by Rolls-Royce, to further develop their design, as well as this year’s investment of £40 million in projects focused on developing advanced modular reactors and upskilling our world-class regulators.

16th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what consultative arrangements are in place between trade unions and his Department to discuss sustainability issues at his Department.

The Department has a range of consultative practices in place to ensure regular and meaningful engagement with our Departmental Trade Unions on internal policy matters, including sustainability considerations.

16th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will place in the Library his Department's plan to reduce its carbon emissions.

Work is in progress to reduce the Department’s carbon emissions and become net zero in the earliest possible timeframe, and by 2050 at the latest. BEIS has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 65% from a 09/10 baseline.

13th Jul 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that UK steel is promoted in the Government’s post-covid-19 rebuild and recovery strategy.

In his speech of 30 June, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear that as we recover from COVID-19, we must build back better, greener and faster, ensuring that our economy will be cleaner, more sustainable, and more resilient. This applies to all sectors of the economy, including those which are currently seen as difficult to decarbonise, such as steel.

The Government is supporting the steel sector throughout this difficult period, as well as providing the £250 million Clean Steel Fund, which will help UK steel producers to reduce emissions in line with our target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. This is complemented by the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to help energy intensive industries, such as steel, transition away from carbon-intensive energy sources.

The Department publishes a pipeline, identifying future steel requirements for all public infrastructure and construction projects annually. An update of this pipeline will be published shortly. We have also introduced steel-specific procurement guidance that requires Government Departments and public bodies to consider social and environmental factors when procuring steel.

16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the grime music scene in urban centres across England.

The Government is committed to supporting our world leading music sector, including at a grassroots level across the country. Grime music projects have been successful in applying for the Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, to which the government last year committed an additional £5 million, taking our total investment through the Fund to almost £15 million. The Fund enables grassroots music organisations including venues, rehearsal and recording studios, festivals and promoters from all music genres to increase support for young, emerging and more diverse artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support them to be more financially resilient.

The Government also supports our world leading music industry through a range of export support programmes, including the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) co-funded by DCMS and DBT. MEGS has supported over 300 musical acts from a range of genres and backgrounds, including grime artists, to grow their international profile and exports in global markets. As part of the Creative Industries Sector Vision we announced that funding for MEGS will be tripled to £3.2 million over the next two years, helping to support more artists than ever before.

DCMS works closely with ACE to develop and invest in artistic and cultural experiences to enrich people's lives. ACE offers a range of grants and support offers, such as Developing Your Creative Practice and Project Grants, which are open to applicants from any music genre or background. DCMS officials continue to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders from across the music industry to better understand issues and concerns and to identify opportunities to support.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on support for (a) Rugby Union and (b) Rugby League clubs in each year since 1 March 2020.

Government provides the majority of its support for Rugby Union and Rugby League through its arms-length body Sport England. A breakdown of funding for each year for both sports is outlined below:

Rugby Union

2020/21- £26,305,065 (includes £21,565,000 of COVID-19 Sport Winter Survival Package provided to the RFU)

2021/22 - £1,484,441

2022/23 - £15,185,674 (This includes £12,505,000 of System partner funding provided to the RFU to grow and develop the sport between the years 2022 and 2027)

2023/24 - £5,737,648

Rugby Union also received £160 million through the Sport Survival Package, helping professional and community sport clubs survive the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and ensure the continuation of sport competitions and events.

Rugby League

2020/21 - £7,044,354

2021/22 - £10,860,922

2022/23 - £10,849,990

2023/24 - £886,207 (The Sport England funding register is only updated to December 2023 at this point, so funding awarded since December has not been captured in this sum)

Rugby League also received £17.1 million through the Sport Survival Package, which included grant funding to support the delivery of the Rugby League World Cup in 2022.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on establishing an independent regulator for football.

The Government is on the side of football fans and the local communities that football clubs serve. We have a clear plan to deliver a sustainable future for football, with fans at its heart, and our legislation will deliver this through a new independent regulator as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on support for grassroots amateur Rugby League clubs since 5 March 2021.

Supporting grassroots sport is a key government priority and we recognise the importance that high quality facilities play in encouraging people to take part in sport and ensuring participation rates continue to grow. Our new strategy ‘Get Active’ sets out our unapologetic ambition to build a more active nation, with a target to get 3.5 million more people classed as ‘active’ by 2030.

Between 2021 and 2025, the UK Government has committed over £400 million to multi-sport grassroots facilities across the UK. This is all part of our mission to ensure every community has the pitches and facilities it needs.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s length body, Sport England - which receives £323m in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Since 2021, Sport England has provided over £22.6m of support to programmes which facilitate participation in grassroots rugby league.

In partnership with the National Lottery, Sport England has also supported the ‘CreatedBy’ capital grants programme. Which delivered £26.4m in legacy funding to celebrate England’s hosting of the 2022 Rugby League World Cup, providing investment in facilities and equipment to encourage participation.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
16th Feb 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the future sustainability of Rugby League.

Government has set out its ambitions for supporting the long-term sustainable growth of the sport sector in the new sport strategy, Get Active.

This includes supporting sports like Rugby League to access additional, alternative forms of investment to help the sector to continue to grow and thrive, and by highlighting best practice, good governance mechanisms, and opportunities offered by technology and innovation. This will allow sport to thrive for future generations, and support the continuation of our sporting institutions.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
28th Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent progress her Department has made on implementing the £100 million fund for frontline charities announced at the Spring Budget 2023; whether there will be deadlines for applications; and whether organisations in the violence against women and girls sector be able to apply for funding.

As announced in the Spring Budget, the Government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England.

Around three quarters of the £100 million funding package will be targeted this year towards those frontline organisations most at risk as a result of cost of living pressures, due to increased demand from vulnerable people and higher delivery costs. The other quarter will be used to provide investment in energy efficiency measures to help civil society organisations reduce their future operating costs.

Officials are working at pace to finalise the delivery time frames and eligibility criteria. Further details, including how to apply for funding, eligibility criteria and application deadlines, will be announced as soon as possible.

Stuart Andrew
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
22nd Jun 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what plans her Department has in place to support the entertainment industry in a (a) national emergency and (b) pandemic.

Responses to national emergencies and pandemics are led by the Cabinet Office, and the UK has well-developed contingency plans to respond to a wide range of scenarios.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) co-ordinated unprecedented levels of support for the cultural and creative sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, including but not limited to the Live Events Reinsurance Scheme, the Film and TV Production Restart Scheme, and the Culture Recovery Fund. Evaluations and lessons learned from these schemes will allow the UK to respond effectively to any future scenario where similar initiatives may be required.

Following our experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, DCMS has established a small, permanent incident response team which will coordinate across the Department and with the central response team in the event of a national emergency.

20th Oct 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is for publishing the reassessment of the business case to privatise Channel 4.

Channel 4 is a great UK success story and, in a rapidly changing media landscape, the government wants it to thrive in the long-term while maintaining its distinctiveness.

As set out in our recent white paper, Up Next - the government’s vision for the broadcasting sector, Channel 4 - along with all broadcasters - is facing challenges to its future success and sustainability. This is due to the rapidly evolving media landscape, including unprecedented competition for viewers, programmes and talent from overseas as well as new, rapidly growing, streaming platforms.

As the Secretary of State has said, she is carefully considering the business case for a sale of Channel 4 and we will set out more detail in due course.

Julia Lopez
Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
21st Jun 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has plans to increase the funding allocated to youth services in areas of high deprivation.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local need. This is funded from the Local Government settlement, which was over £12 billion last year. DCMS is currently reviewing the guidance associated with the statutory duty.

The Government recognises the vital role that youth services and activities play in improving the life chances and wellbeing of young people. The Government has committed to a National Youth Guarantee: that by 2025, every young person will have access to regular clubs and activities, adventures away from home and opportunities to volunteer. This will be supported by a three year £560 million investment in youth services, reflecting young people's priorities and addressing the inconsistencies in national youth spending, with a firm focus on levelling up.

The £368 million Youth Investment Fund will fund the construction or redevelopment of up to 300 youth facilities - such as small youth facilities, youth centres and activity centres - targeting investment in left-behind areas, where young people have the greatest need and lowest provision. Phase One of the Youth Investment Fund, administered by BBC Children in Need, has delivered £12 million of funding this year to over 400 local youth organisations in levelling up priority areas in England.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
9th Feb 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Joint Council for Qualifications' findings that (a) between 2010 to 2021 in England there was a serious decline of -38 per cent in the number of arts GCSE entries, from 673,739 in 2010 to 419,357 in 2021 and (b) from 2010 to 2019 the number of teachers in arts based subjects fell by 23 per cent, what steps her Department plans to take to promote arts and culture for disadvantaged young people (i) in traditional educational settings and (ii) more widely.

Art and design and music are compulsory in the National Curriculum in all maintained schools from the age of 5 to the age of 14, and academies are also required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, which Ofsted considers in their inspections. At key stage 4 all pupils in maintained schools have an entitlement to study an arts GCSE if they wish.

The Government has a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve access to the arts for all children, regardless of their background, and to develop talent across the country. The Department for Education have commited to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years and we will work closely together to ensure that all children and young people, regardless of their background, have the opportunity to access arts and culture and develop their creative talents.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of state funding for grassroots sports across the UK; and what plans the Government has to increase that funding in response to achievements at the Tokyo Olympics and the European Championships.

Sports and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and all generations and communities should be able to enjoy the health, wellbeing, social and other benefits of being active. Because of this, we made sure that people could exercise at least once a day even during the height of the first period of enhanced national restrictions and we opened up grassroots sport and leisure facilities as soon as it was safe to do so.

National pride in our Olympic and Paralympic heroes has provided a source of genuine inspiration and motivation for the public. On 15th August, the Government announced that it will provide £232 million to support Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The £232 million will be invested into aspiring Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes as well as their coaches and support staff, in addition to funding from the National Lottery.

In recognition of how the sector has been impacted by the pandemic working closely with Sport England, UK Sport and the National Lottery, the Government have provided an unprecedented £1 billion to ensure the survival of the grassroots, elite and leisure sectors.

This includes the £220m Sport England has provided directly to support community sport clubs and exercise centres through this pandemic, including their £35 million Community Emergency Fund in supporting people to be more active, including a specific focus on those people who are inactive and engaging people from underrepresented groups.

On 26 January, Sport England also published their strategy ‘Uniting the Movement’ and as part of this have committed an extra £50million to help grassroots sports clubs and organisations affected by the coronavirus pandemic. This is on top of the £18m a year it spends on grassroots facilities through the Football Foundation.

The Government also announced an additional £25m for grassroots sports facilities earlier this year with the Prime Minister committing a further £50m in his Levelling Up speech on 15 July. These contributions are part of the government’s ambition to deliver the pitches that every community in the UK needs by 2030.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
18th Aug 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans his Department has to empower football fans in response to failed plans by certain clubs to form a European Super League; and whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prevent clubs forming breakaway leagues in the future.

The Government was vocal in its opposition to the European Super League (ESL) proposals, which were not in the interests of the game, and I was glad to see the withdrawal of all English teams from the project.

The Government launched the fan-led review of football governance in the immediate aftermath of the ESL. The Chair, the Honourable Member for Chatham and Aylesford, has heard extensively with fans over the past few months including on the subject of supporter engagement. The interim report has already been published and I look forward to receiving its full recommendations in the autumn.

The Government has already taken action to prevent a future ESL breakaway. We have worked with The Football Association (FA) to amend the Governing Body Endorsement criteria document. This criteria has been amended to ensure that overseas players can now only participate in competitions that have been organised and/or sanctioned by The FA. This would exclude such players from participating in the ESL.

The Government continues to work with the football authorities to understand what further policy interventions may be possible though, including legislative options.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
14th Jun 2021
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what timeframe he plans for the rollout of superfast broadband and improved broadband connection speeds throughout the Liverpool area to help support business recovery as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased and as part of the Government's levelling up agenda.

Earlier Superfast contracts took place across Merseyside and were completed fully in March 2019. Across the two phases of the contract, 43,966 premises were connected to Superfast broadband.

Building Digital UK is looking at how to improve levels of gigabit-capable broadband across the UK, and has split the Project Gigabit programme into three phases of delivery. The programme will carry out a national Open Market Review with telecommunications providers across the country to establish which premises will not be covered by commercial plans for gigabit-capable broadband rollout in the coming 3 years. Merseyside and Greater Manchester are currently allocated as a single lot as part of the third phase of rollout which is expected to commence in 2022. At this stage, we will work with the local bodies in that region to highlight communities which require improved connectivity and the appropriate procurement processes for ensuring this takes place.

Furthermore, due to Liverpool’s location, it benefits from a large amount of commercial investment from telecommunications providers. BDUK will be working over the coming months to establish which specific premises are excluded from these plans, and how these can be specifically addressed as part of Project Gigabit.

Statistics according to Thinkbroadband which also takes into account the commercial build undertaken by suppliers are:

Liverpool

Merseyside

UK

Superfast (>24mbps)

97.87%

98.86%

97.13%

Superfast (>30mbps)

97.85%

98.78%

96.82%

Gigabit-capable broadband (>1000mbps)

84.08%

73.44%

40.98%

7th Oct 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how the £1.57 billion support package for the arts and culture sectors has been allocated.

On 22nd August, the £3.36 million Emergency Grassroot Music Venues Fund was shared among 136 venues across England who applied for support to survive the imminent risk of collapse caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The first independent cinemas to be funded by the BFI grants were also announced on 2nd October. In total, 42 independent cinemas across England received a share of £654,883 in funding to preserve the local cultural offer and rescue organisations at risk of insolvency. As this is a rolling fund, more funding decisions regarding cinemas will be announced over the coming weeks. Awards for cinemas can include £10k to help with safety improvements and up to £200k available for business sustainability.

On Friday 9th October 445 heritage organisations were awarded £103 million from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage. Grants of up to £1m will deliver a lifeline for the heritage sector in England with further support to follow and larger grants for capital projects awarded through the Heritage Stimulus Fund.

On Monday 12th October Arts Council England awarded £257 million to over 1,300 organisations which applied for less than £1 million. The funding goes to theatres, galleries, performance groups, arts organisations, museums and local venues facing the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic to ensure they have a sustainable future.

Further announcements of how the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund will be allocated will be made in the coming weeks.

16th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of indoor sport and leisure facilities that have not reopened since the easing of covid-19 restrictions.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. Outdoor swimming pools have been able to open from 11 July, and from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance.

Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total up to £210 million.

The income scheme announced on Thursday 2 July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for.

We are continuing to work across government to ensure the sector has the support it needs to continue providing their central role in helping people be active.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
16th Sep 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on support for public indoor sport facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active. Outdoor swimming pools have been able to open from 11 July, and from 25 July indoor gyms, leisure centres (including sports halls) and swimming pools in England should be able to reopen. These facilities will be able to offer on-site services to customers, provided they are COVID-secure and follow Government guidance.

Sport England have announced a £195 million package of support to help community clubs through this crisis. It recently boosted its Community Emergency Fund by a further £15 million to meet the demand, taking the total up to £210 million.

The income scheme announced on Thursday 2 July by the Secretary of State for Local Government, aims to support local authorities who have incurred irrecoverable loss of income from sales, fees and charge which they had reasonably budgeted for.

We are continuing to work across government to ensure the sector has the support it needs to continue providing their central role in helping people be active.

Nigel Huddleston
Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)