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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support cultural engagement with the Pakistani community.

Through a broad range of activity largely delivered by our Arm’s-Length bodies, my Department supports engagement with the Pakistani community, and indeed the wider South Asian community, as we believe community cohesion is better served by providing universal access to culture, rather than targeting audiences based on their identity.

In 2022, the British Council delivered a six month cultural showcase to mark the 75th anniversary of Pakistan. Pakistan/UK: New Perspectives illuminated the cultural wealth and contemporary creativity of both countries and facilitated professional collaboration for culture, creative and education sectors; and focused on a shared future through building lasting partnerships. The programme also focused on changing perceptions, particularly amongst the younger generation in both countries, with a particular focus on young women and girls.