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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will he have discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of hosting future major golfing events in Northern Ireland.

The Government remains committed to delivering major international sporting events with pride - building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in event delivery - and seeking new opportunities to do so. We prioritise support for events based on a range of criteria, which includes how far they help create social and economic benefits for the UK and contribute towards the Government's Plan for Change.

We recognise that major events deliver significant benefits to all parts of the UK including Northern Ireland. Having attended The Open at Royal Portrush this July, I am aware that Northern Ireland is well equipped to successfully deliver major golfing events.

We continue to work closely with our expert arm’s-length body UK Sport to explore future hosting opportunities that will strengthen the UK’s major events pipeline. The UK has already secured a strong pipeline of events over the coming years, including the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, the Grand Départ for the Tour De France and the Tour de France Femmes in 2027 and the UEFA 2028 European Championships.