Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in the context of The Children’s Society’s latest report which highlighted the importance of low-cost activity options for parents during the school holidays, what steps her Department is taking to widen the availability of low-cost holiday activities for children through museums, libraries and leisure centres, which are not covered by the temporary VAT relief on family activities.

This government recognises the importance of our treasured museums, libraries and leisure centres in providing free and low-cost activities for families during the school holidays.

This government is providing billions over this Spending Review period to support our celebrated cultural institutions, such as National Museums or to Libraries via the Libraries Improvement Fund, to ensure cultural activity is accessible to all.

This builds on the existing VAT refund scheme (VAT 33a) available to museums and galleries that offer free admission, and a VAT cultural exemption scheme for eligible bodies that removes the VAT from ticket sales.

DCMS has also committed £400 million to transform sports and leisure facilities over the next four years to promote health, wellbeing and community cohesion for all.