Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) what support her Department is providing for grassroots theatre and community production groups; and (b) what assessment she has made of the potential impact of participation in grassroots theatre and community productions on the mental health and wellbeing of participants.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government recognises the vital role that the performing arts, including grassroots and community theatre, play in the lives of people and communities across the country, which the government supports primarily through funding via Arts Council England (ACE).
Through the National Portfolio Investment Programme, between 2024/25 and 2026/27, ACE will provide almost £100 million to theatre per year. This supports the work of a number of grassroots organisations, including Unanima, a theatre company based in Mansfield that receives £232,000 per year to help provide creative opportunities for learning disabled and autistic people. Similarly, ACE invests almost £45 million each year in theatre via National Lottery Project Grants, an open-access fund supporting projects at all levels. In February 2026, Julie Bagshaw received a £35,400 project grant for development costs for a community theatre project in Mansfield.
Community and grassroots theatre organisations also benefit from government support through Theatre Tax Relief; and in January, the Secretary of State announced the £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund, to support venues that provide creative and welcoming spaces for communities to come together and celebrate what makes their area special.
In 2024, DCMS research showed that active arts engagement has a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Mental health benefits of attending cultural venues, including the theatre, was shown to have saved the NHS £260 million per year for adults over 50, delivering a total benefit of over £3 billion. Engagement in the arts was similarly shown to have had significant benefits on young people’s mental health, delivering a total benefit of around £800 million for young adults (aged 18-29) each year.
Asked by: Steve Yemm (Labour - Mansfield)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of online storefronts or game servers being shut down on (a) consumer rights and (b) digital ownership.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is aware of concerns relating to the continued access to video games, including licensed, online-only video games, and we appreciate the frustrations of players of some games that have been discontinued. The Government has spoken with the video games industry and has responded to a recent petition on this issue. As the petition has since reached 100,000 signatures, it will be debated by Parliament on 3 November 2025.
Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law, including the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA), giving clear advice to consumers. Video game sellers must not omit or hide material information, or provide it in an unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely manner. If consumers believe that there has been a breach of these regulations, they should report it to the Citizens Advice helpline on 0808 223 1133 (www.citizensadvice.org.uk)