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 ensure adequate opportunities for under 16s to engage in sport and cultural activities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and cultural opportunities.

Our arm’s length body Sport England works to increase participation in grassroots sport, including providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.

The Government is committed to revitalising arts education through a reformed curriculum and support for teachers, including via the new National Centre for Arts and Music Education, due to be established by September 2026, and through continued investment in Music Hubs. To increase access to enrichment opportunities across culture, sport, and wider youth sectors for disadvantaged young people, the Every Child Can programme, backed by £132.5 million in dormant assets through the National Lottery Community Fund, will fund activities within school and in communities at weekends and in the holidays, ensuring enrichment is a common entitlement for all.