Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment has her Department made of the potential impact of employer National Insurance Contribution increases in the financial year 2025/2026 on a) the charity sector and b) neurorehabilitation service providing charities.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This government recognises the vital role that charitable organisations and community groups play in providing crucial support to families and individuals across the country. These organisations, as well as the wider voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, are integral to the Government’s vision for national renewal and delivery of the five national missions.
DCMS Ministers have met with representatives from the VCSE sector and are aware of their concerns about changes to National Insurance Contributions (NICs). We recognise the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why we more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that more than half of businesses (including charities) with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change in 2025/26.
The UK continues to have one of the most generous charity tax regimes in the world. More than £6 billion in charitable reliefs were provided to charities, community amateur sports clubs and their donors last year.
In January 2025, NHS England published Standardising community health services which outlines the core community health services that integrated care boards (ICBs) should consider when planning services for their local population. Community rehabilitation for people with neurological conditions is named as one of the ICB-funded core components of community health services.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the use of tipping sliders by online fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that tipping sliders on online fundraising platforms can be dragged to zero.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
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 increase the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Fundraising Regulator on the transparency of fees on online fundraising platforms.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.
The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.
The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which stakeholders (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department had discussions with on the consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence between 1 September 2024 and 4 April 2025.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Between 1 September 2024 and 4 April 2025 DCMS Ministers have met with numerous stakeholders from across the creative industries, including trade bodies and industry leaders, to discuss the government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence. These meetings have included roundtable discussions, as well as individual meetings with stakeholders.
Details of all meetings undertaken by DCMS ministers are included in DCMS transparency data, published on Gov.uk each quarter.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025, to Question 33995, on Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Internet what proportion of spending on the First Draft podcast was allocated to its (a) production and (b) promotion.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I refer the Hon Member to my answer to PQ 33995.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is updating its impact assessment on restrictions on advertisements for less healthy food and drink products.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
DCMS is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care, the lead department for the less healthy food and drink advertising restrictions, to monitor and assess the impacts and potential impacts of the legislation which was enacted by the previous government.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much time officials in her Department spent on the production of the First Draft podcast.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The podcast was created and delivered as part of the DCMS Communications Teams' day to day work at no extra cost.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many officials in her Department are responsible for the First Draft podcast.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The podcast was created and delivered as part of the DCMS Communications Teams' day to day work at no extra cost.