Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the publishing industry; and what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard the sector from potential risks associated with its use.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
This Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the UK’s publishing sector - one of our most successful and long-standing creative industries, contributing over £11 billion to the economy.
The Government is preparing to publish the Report and Impact Assessment required by Sections 135 and 136 of the D(UA) Act.
This Impact Assessment will include an assessment of each of the options put forward in the government’s consultation on copyright and AI, including the economic impact of each option on copyright owners and AI developers. This will include the publishing sector.
In the meantime, the Secretaries of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have jointly chaired three meetings with representatives of the creative and AI sectors.
We’re also convening expert working groups and parliamentary working groups as we consider all options.
We are dedicated to protecting our world-leading creative industries and ensuring they continue to thrive in the age of AI.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to announce the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after 31 March 2026.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme after March 2026 will be announced when the outcome of the Spending Review and business planning processes have completed.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the grant making agencies on the potential merits of providing additional financial support to buildings with projects valued at over £25,000 that are (a) underway and (b) about to commence work that will not be able to claim back VAT under the proposed changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Based on the Department’s analysis of previous data, 94% of applications between 2022-2024 have been under £25,000, and most of these claims were for under £5,000. We believe that the modifications were necessary and adequate given the tight fiscal challenges we inherited from the previous government and the capital pressures on other parts of the heritage sector.
Guidance has now been published on changes to the Scheme from 1 April 2025, which includes the treatment of works already underway and works about to commence. Claimants should ensure that all claims for work already carried out are submitted before or at 23:59 on 31 March 2025. Claims for work that are submitted from 00:00 on 1 April 2025 will be subject to the cap.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund has committed to investing around £100m between 2023 and 2026 to support places of worship. On 20 February, DCMS Secretary of State announced £15 million of additional funding for Heritage at Risk, building on Historic England's existing Repair Grants for Heritage at Risk programme. Listed places of worship may be eligible for this funding in certain circumstances.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will (a) publish the results of the user survey for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and (b) use those results in future policy development.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DCMS is currently evaluating the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. We will take a decision on publishing the findings of the evaluation, including a user survey, once completed.
Asked by: Pippa Heylings (Liberal Democrat - South Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to provide additional support for owners of listed buildings.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
In terms of financial support, the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s current 10 year strategy, Heritage 2033, increased the maximum funding available to owners from £100,000 to £250,000 to support designated assets, such as listed buildings. Owners must demonstrate that the public benefit of their project outweighs any private gain.
Historic England also offers repair grants to owners of listed buildings, which in total amounts to between £8.5 - £9 million per year. Historic England also offers various guidance and resources which may be useful to owners and occupiers of listed buildings, as well as the heritage sector more broadly, such as the guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency, published July 2024.