Written questions by Cooper.

Media and Sport, whether she has (a) made an assessment of the current classification of deaf sport within UK sporting-funding frameworks, (b) what consideration her Department has given to the disparity in funding provided to Deaflympic athletes compared with Paralympic athletes, and (c) what steps she is taking to ensure that deaf athletes are not systematically overlooked in future funding decisions.

The Government is dedicated to making sport across the country accessible and inclusive for everyone, including d/Deaf people. Sport England are exploring a series of talent pilots for deaf athletes. These pilots will see Sport England, National Governing Bodies, and UK Deaf Sport working together to explore issues around accessibility and suggest potential solutions. Sport England has also awarded UK Deaf Sport £150,000 to fund a specialist Talent Inclusion post to further the work of the pilots. The Government, through the UK Sport grant, supports Olympic and Paralympic success. Beyond this the Government does not provide additional funding to performance sport, in line with our approach to a great many other areas of individual sporting performance.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support affordable access to sporting events for young people.

The Government is keen to see as many people as possible benefit from and enjoy the spectacle of live sport. Ultimately, the matter of ticket prices is a commercial decision for individual clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to take. However, the Government remains in ongoing conversation with many of these stakeholders on a variety of issues, including fan engagement and access.In relation to those events that benefit from Government and/or UK Sport funding to facilitate, the Gold Framework guidance on bidding for and staging major sporting events is clear that any bids to host such events should provide evidence that accessibility in all its forms has been considered from the earliest stage. Whilst the ticket pricing strategy for individual major sporting events is a matter for the respective organisers of those events, particularly their international rights’ holders, the Government will always seek to work with partners to ensure that ticketing is as accessible as possible, and balances the need to ensure audience reach and commercial viability. For example, England is hosting the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, which has an inclusive and affordable range of tickets available, with tickets starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with sporting bodies on the affordability of ticket prices for major sporting events.

The Government is keen to see as many people as possible benefit from and enjoy the spectacle of live sport. Ultimately, the matter of ticket prices is a commercial decision for individual clubs, leagues, and governing bodies to take. However, the Government remains in ongoing conversation with many of these stakeholders on a variety of issues, including fan engagement and access.In relation to those events that benefit from Government and/or UK Sport funding to facilitate, the Gold Framework guidance on bidding for and staging major sporting events is clear that any bids to host such events should provide evidence that accessibility in all its forms has been considered from the earliest stage. Whilst the ticket pricing strategy for individual major sporting events is a matter for the respective organisers of those events, particularly their international rights’ holders, the Government will always seek to work with partners to ensure that ticketing is as accessible as possible, and balances the need to ensure audience reach and commercial viability. For example, England is hosting the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup this summer, which has an inclusive and affordable range of tickets available, with tickets starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children.