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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the level of grant-in-aid for heritage institutions, in the context of rises in inflation.

The UK’s heritage institutions play a vital part in our nation's rich history and cultural life.

Just as we supported it through the challenges of the pandemic, HM Government has made support available to mitigate increasing costs for the whole heritage sector, not just those bodies which receive grant-in-aid. The Energy Bills Discount Scheme was implemented from 1 April 2023, a key component of which is the higher level of support being provided to energy and trade-intensive industries. Heritage was recognised as one of these industries and therefore receives a higher level of discount on energy volumes and will be subject to the maximum discount for gas and electricity bills.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport continues to work with its arm’s-length bodies and other Government Departments to support the sector’s resilience – and to deliver the Government’s promise to halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security.