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 support culture and heritage in rural areas.

The Government is committed to ensuring everyone has access to culture and heritage, regardless of location.

Over the course of this parliament, £1.5 billion will be invested across the arts, culture and heritage providing support to arts venues, museums, libraries and heritage buildings across England. It aims to keep venues open, finance urgent repairs and infrastructure projects, bolster long-term resilience, and widen access to arts and culture in communities that have faced under-investment, including in rural areas. The funding includes £160 million for local and regional museums; £425 million to support approximately 300 capital projects in arts venues; £230 million to support heritage projects, including listed places of worship; and £80 million to support Arts Council England's (ACE) National Portfolio Organisations.

ACE plays an important role in supporting arts and culture across the country through its national funding schemes, and is committed to responding to the specific needs of rural areas, supporting artists working in rural areas, improving access for rural audiences and building partnerships for growth. In their 2023–26 investment programme (the ‘National Portfolio’), worth around £440 million a year, investment to cultural organisations in rural areas increased to £44.6 million, benefiting 110 organisations across the country.

Historic England (HE) also plays a central role in celebrating and conserving culture and heritage within rural areas. HE supports DEFRA’s Environmental Land Management, Historic Buildings Restoration Grant, and Farming in Protected Landscapes schemes, which help to safeguard, repair and restore historic and archaeological features on farmland. Further information on HE’s work to support rural heritage, as well as guidance material, can be found on their website.