Written questions by Sobel.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the online gaming industry on its impact on the economy.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, what Government support is available to young people in Leeds Central and Headingley constituency seeking careers in i) theatre and ii) the television and film sector.

We want to boost opportunities and support so that people from across the country, including those in Leeds Central and Headingley, feel like a creative career is an option for them. In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we committed to delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. The government will partner with industry to equip the next generation of young people with the ambition and knowledge to work in the Creative Industries, including theatre and the television and film sector. The programme is designed to raise young people’s awareness of creative careers and pathways into them by providing specialist advice and information, and is designed in collaboration with employers to support young people from all backgrounds. This year, this included funding for UK Music and Music Local to hold a Music Careers Day and activities engaging young people in schools in Leeds, focussing on careers in the creative industries. We are also supporting young people in the Leeds Central and Headingley constituency through Arts Council England funding. This funding enables organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder Theatre Company and British Youth Music Theatre to offer training, placements and development opportunities, while Leeds Heritage Theatres and Transform Festival provide work experience and skills relevant to theatre, TV and film careers Our Creative Places Growth Fund will devolve £150m in total over 3 years to 6 Mayoral Strategic Authorities for them to distribute, according to local barriers and opportunities, including West Yorkshire. This will allow areas to maximise the impact of national interventions, including providing business support for local creative businesses, supporting regional skills initiatives to support job creation, innovation capacity building programmes, or by providing sector specific support such as TV and film production funds.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support employment opportunities in i) theatre, and ii) the television and film sector, in Leeds Central and Headingley constituency.

We want to boost opportunities and support so that people from across the country, including those in Leeds Central and Headingley, feel like a creative career is an option for them. In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we committed to delivering a refreshed UK-wide £9 million creative careers service. The government will partner with industry to equip the next generation of young people with the ambition and knowledge to work in the Creative Industries, including theatre and the television and film sector. The programme is designed to raise young people’s awareness of creative careers and pathways into them by providing specialist advice and information, and is designed in collaboration with employers to support young people from all backgrounds. This year, this included funding for UK Music and Music Local to hold a Music Careers Day and activities engaging young people in schools in Leeds, focussing on careers in the creative industries. We are also supporting young people in the Leeds Central and Headingley constituency through Arts Council England funding. This funding enables organisations such as Leeds Playhouse, Red Ladder Theatre Company and British Youth Music Theatre to offer training, placements and development opportunities, while Leeds Heritage Theatres and Transform Festival provide work experience and skills relevant to theatre, TV and film careers Our Creative Places Growth Fund will devolve £150m in total over 3 years to 6 Mayoral Strategic Authorities for them to distribute, according to local barriers and opportunities, including West Yorkshire. This will allow areas to maximise the impact of national interventions, including providing business support for local creative businesses, supporting regional skills initiatives to support job creation, innovation capacity building programmes, or by providing sector specific support such as TV and film production funds.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the EHRC draft code of practice for services, public functions and associations on LGBTQIA+ tourism to the UK.

The Government is committed to ensuring the UK remains one of the safest and most welcoming destinations in the world for all visitors, including for LGBTQIA+ tourists. Inclusivity is a key part of what we offer tourists and contributes to our global appeal.The Department has not conducted a specific assessment of the potential impact of the draft code on tourism. However, DCMS, through VisitBritain and VisitEngland, continues to support tourism businesses in this area. A new e-learning course to help the industry welcome LGBTQIA+ customers was recently launched and is being promoted through Local Visitor Economy Partnerships to their networks.To provide clarity for the sector, interim EHRC guidance relating to the recent Supreme Court ruling has also been added to the ‘Pink Book’, VisitEngland’s guide to accommodation and attraction legislation. Furthermore, VisitEngland will review its Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit for businesses and LGBTQIA+ course once the EHRC’s updated guidance is finalised.

Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the Fundraising Regulator on the transparency of tipping sliders on online fundraising platforms.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues, including fundraising platforms.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps with the Fundraising Regulator to help ensure compliance by social fundraising platforms with its guidance on the prominence of a zero fee or tip option.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues, including fundraising platforms.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to require that tipping sliders on online fundraising platforms can be dragged to zero.

Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues, including fundraising platforms.The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way. The Fundraising Regulator will engage with fundraising platforms to ensure they are clear on the new transparency requirements for fees and tipping sliders before the new Code comes into effect.The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to publish the research that her Department has commissioned London Economics to undertake on the online prize draws and competitions market.

The Department is still considering the findings of the independent research, which looked at the size and nature of the prize draw market, as well as possible gambling harm associated with these products. This research is informing our policy considerati...

Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age, published on 27 April 2023, when she plans to introduce consumer protections for players

Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...

Media and Sport, whether she plans to bring forward secondary legislation to regulate large-scale commercial prize draws.

Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...

Media and Sport, whether she plans to limit the value of prizes offered by large-scale commercial Prize Draws.

Large scale commercial prize draws are a significant and growing market. Whilst not regulated as a gambling product under the Gambling Act, we want people who participate in large scale commercial prize draws to be confident that proportionate protections...

Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on non-UK (a) artists, (b) sponsors and (c) creatives and the UK border.

We have had no such recent meetings, but there are already several routes that provide opportunities for artists and creatives to come to the UK. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers, artists, and their technical staff, from non-visa nati...

Media and Sport, what proportion of revenue the Health Lottery has given to charity in each year since 2019.

All society lotteries, including the Health Lottery, are required to publish information on their websites about the proportion of revenue they return to good causes. This data is available on the Health Lottery’s website. The Department does not hold dat...

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reviewing the Health Lottery’s licence to operate.

The oversight of both operating and personal management licences for society lotteries, including assessing an applicant’s suitability to hold a licence, is a matter for the Gambling Commission.More information about the Gambling Commission’s principles f...

Media and Sport, what steps the Gambling Commission took in 2011 in response to the announcement of an inquiry into the Health Lottery.

From 2011 onwards, the Gambling Commission has provided advice and worked with the Health Lottery to ensure it remains compliant with its statutory responsibilities. The ongoing assessment of the Health Lottery has been in line with the Commission’s usual...

Media and Sport, if she will request that the Gambling Commission provide an overview of where (a) the Health Lottery and (b) other large scale lotteries have not fulfilled their social responsibility duties; and

The oversight of operating licences for large scale lotteries such as the Health Lottery, including compliance with social responsibility duties, is a matter for the Gambling Commission. Where the Commission takes regulatory action against an operator, it...

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of whether the current Health Lottery licence holder meets the fit and proper person test.

The oversight of both operating and personal management licences for society lotteries, including assessing an applicant’s suitability to hold a licence, is a matter for the Gambling Commission.More information about the Gambling Commission’s principles f...