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Written Question
Tennis: Facilities
Monday 15th September 2025

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is on converting existing tennis courts to padel courts.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.


Written Question
Tennis: Facilities
Friday 5th September 2025

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support indoor tennis facilities.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment to the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years to invest in community tennis initiatives.

The Government has also announced another £400 million to transform facilities across the UK following the Spending Review. We will work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this.


Written Question
Tennis: Finance
Thursday 17th July 2025

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding her Department plans to provide for (a) tennis and (b) padel facilities during the Spending Review period.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.


Written Question
Vacancies
Tuesday 7th February 2023

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skill shortages in (i) broadcast and print media, (ii) theatres, (iii) graphic design, (iv) tourism and (v) sport and leisure.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

While DCMS does not have any estimates on the number of vacancies, the Department has published Experimental Official Statistics for skills shortages (%) in DCMS sectors and sub-sectors. These are for the year 2019, using data from the Employer Skills Survey, carried out by the Department for Education that covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The ESS is a biennial survey, which was delayed by a further year during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with 2022-23 data expected to be published later this year (also currently scheduled to include Scotland).

Skills shortage vacancies are defined as vacancies unfilled because applicants did not have the necessary skills. Two measures for skills shortages are published:

  • Percentage of vacancies that are unfilled due to skills shortages

  • Percentage of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy

The “Percentage of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy” estimates are impacted by the fact that some businesses will not have had a vacancy. Therefore the “% of businesses with at least one vacancy” figure was also published to help provide context.

Sector/subsector

% of vacancies unfilled due to skills shortages

% of businesses with at least one skills shortage vacancy

% of businesses with at least one vacancy

Audio Visual (i - Broadcast Media)

19.2

2.1

12.0

Publishing (excluding translation & interpretation activities) (i - Print Media)

10.9

3.2

11.4

Arts (ii)

10.1

2.3

12.7

Design and designer fashion (iii)

36.8

2.9

11.4

Tourism Industries (iv)

21.2

6.0

21.9

Sport (v)

30.1

4.4

17.2

Table 1 - Skills shortages in selected sectors. Estimates are not available directly measuring the areas requested. The sectors presented here have been provided as the closest to the requested sectors, for which DCMS have skills shortages data.

Source: DCMS Sectors Skills Shortages and Skills Gaps: 2019


Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 01 Nov 2022
BBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in Provision

"The BBC is uniquely funded, and it needs to provide unique services. In Chesterfield we are well served by both Radio Sheffield and Radio Derby, and the quality of journalism on those stations is outstanding. It is not a public problem if the BBC is losing market share to Amazon …..."
Toby Perkins - View Speech

View all Toby Perkins (Lab - Chesterfield) contributions to the debate on: BBC Local Radio: Proposed Reduction in Provision

Written Question
Sports: Schools
Friday 21st October 2022

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department will announce its policy on the future of School Games funding.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Sport and physical activity provide important physical and mental health benefits and also help to develop vital social connections and leadership skills that will set young people up for life.

The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people can be physically active and to increase the chances for children to take part in competitive sport. The School Games form a key part of this.

In the academic year 2018/2019, 2.4 million opportunities were provided across inter- and intra-school level through the School Games across the country.

The Government confirmed that the School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year and is considering the position beyond that point.


Written Question
Sports: Schools
Friday 21st October 2022

Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to fund the School Games scheme after 31 August 2023.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Sport and physical activity provide important physical and mental health benefits and also help to develop vital social connections and leadership skills that will set young people up for life.

The Government is committed to ensuring that children and young people can be physically active and to increase the chances for children to take part in competitive sport. The School Games form a key part of this.

In the academic year 2018/2019, 2.4 million opportunities were provided across inter- and intra-school level through the School Games across the country.

The Government confirmed that the School Games Organisers will continue for the 2022/23 academic year and is considering the position beyond that point.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 25 Apr 2022
Football Governance

"Anyone who has spoken to directors and owners of either Chesterfield football club or Staveley Miners Welfare football club will be very much aware that while there may be monstrous profits in the premier league, at every level below that there is huge indebtedness, and football as a sport requires …..."
Toby Perkins - View Speech

View all Toby Perkins (Lab - Chesterfield) contributions to the debate on: Football Governance

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 31 Jan 2022
Dormant Assets Bill [Lords]

"I endorse entirely what my hon. Friend is saying. Does she agree, given the lack of confidence in some of the decision-making processes that the Government have undertaken before allocating funds, that it is all the more reason why new clause 1 would have real public confidence?..."
Toby Perkins - View Speech

View all Toby Perkins (Lab - Chesterfield) contributions to the debate on: Dormant Assets Bill [Lords]

Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 18 Jan 2022
English Football League Governance: Derby County FC

"I have to say that there will be real disappointment among Derby County fans that the sports Minister is not here to respond to this question. I understand that he is serving on a Bill Committee, but arrangements could have been made—[Hon. Members: “Here he is.”] Well, it would be …..."
Toby Perkins - View Speech

View all Toby Perkins (Lab - Chesterfield) contributions to the debate on: English Football League Governance: Derby County FC