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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on local authority funding for sports and cultural facilities.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is committed to working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government on sports and cultural facilities. Sport England works with a wide range of local authorities, providing expert advice and funding to sustain and increase the number of people playing sport regularly. We invest in local authority facilities projects through Sport England's range of funding programmes, such as its Improvement Fund and the Strategic Facilities Fund to make sure that facilities are modern, accessible and in the right places to have the most impact. Sport England has provided expert advice to over 80 local authorities helping them to plan their facilities better and maximise their resources.

Local Government is the biggest public investor in arts and culture in England. Funding decisions using money generated through Council Tax and council budgets should be made at a local level and local authorities should recognise the huge benefits that investing in culture can bring, and many already do. Our City of Culture campaign celebrates local authorities which are championing culture and increasing access to the arts. Arts Council England works with local authorities to promote the impact that culture can have.