Written questions by Morello.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to youth work provision in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other rural areas.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. Local Authorities fund youth services from their Local Government Finance Settlement in line with local need.DCMS has also published statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking through youth services to help increase (a) school attendance and (b) the number of young people staying in education.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to live safe and healthy lives, and the positive impact youth services can have on young people, including in educational settings.That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy will better coordinate youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level, moving away from siloed working - ensuring we are better coordinated and more than the sum of our parts.We know that youth services will help deliver the government’s missions, and the National Youth Strategy will work alongside developing Young Future hubs, the Curriculum and Assessment Review and further work across government to fulfill our commitment to improve young people’s lives.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with youth sector representatives on the role of youth work in helping young people (a) prepare for and (b) access employment.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. That is why this government launched the co-production of an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, which has been developed together with the youth sector.The new National Youth Strategy is being co-produced with cross-sector input from stakeholders working with and for young people, particularly drawing on the connections and expertise of the youth sector. We have run engagement sessions in partnership with a range of services, to ensure the strategy can advise and support the youth sector effectively, including to support young people to prepare for and access employment.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of youth workers on improving young people’s (a) physical and (b) mental health outcomes.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. We know that youth workers are vital to youth services, building trusted relationships and creating safe spaces for young people.That is why this government launched the co-production of an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, which has been developed together with the youth sector. The new National Youth Strategy is being co-produced with cross-sector input from stakeholders working with and for young people, particularly drawing on the connections and expertise of the youth sector.DCMS has also commissioned research analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study and the UK Households Longitudinal Survey (longitudinal surveys) which found that at the time of participation, regular attendees of youth activities were more likely to be in good health and not drink/take illegal drugs compared to young people who do not attend youth activities.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support youth organisations serving (a) isolated and (b) rural communities in West Dorset constituency.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential.We also, however, acknowledge the challenges facing the sector and the changing needs of the young people it supports — especially those in rural areas, who often face additional barriers such as limited access to services, transport, and opportunities.That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy will support better coordination of youth services across different regions — including remote and underserved areas and move away from one-size-fits-all approaches from central government. By doing so, we will bring power back to young people and their communities, rebuild a thriving and sustainable sector, and ensure that rural youth are not left behind.We will be publishing an interim report shortly, and the Strategy will be published in Autumn.

Media and Sport, if she will make capital funding available to arts centres for regular inspections on building conditions.

The Government is working closely with the sector to understand the needs of arts centres, which are integral to communities up and down the country. Through sector engagement, as well as the recent Arup and Future Arts Centres report, Evaluating Capital Investment Needs for Arts Centres in the UK, we are aware that arts centres are facing challenges with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work.Arts centres that meet other eligibility criteria will be eligible to apply for the fund. This fund will offer vital support to prevent the closure of operating cultural spaces and the potential irrevocable loss to local communities and economies. However, inspections on building conditions are excluded from the CFF. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the long-term financial sustainability of arts centres.

The Government is working closely with the sector to understand the needs of arts centres, which are integral to communities up and down the country. Through sector engagement, as well as the recent Arup and Future Arts Centres report, Evaluating Capital Investment Needs for Arts Centres in the UK, we are aware that arts centres are facing challenges with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work.Arts centres that meet other eligibility criteria will be eligible to apply for the fund. This fund will offer vital support to prevent the closure of operating cultural spaces and the potential irrevocable loss to local communities and economies. However, inspections on building conditions are excluded from the CFF. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has held recent discussions with (a) Bridport Arts Centre and (b) Dorchester Arts on access to capital funding (i) to tackle maintenance backlogs and (ii) for modernisation.

Our arms-length body Arts Council England (ACE) is investing £176,345 over three years in Bridport Arts Centre as part of their National Portfolio 2023-26 (NPO). In 2024/25 ACE granted a further £20,000 to Bridport Arts Centre from their Area Funds to explore the lease/ownership of the building which will have a direct impact on their ability to address energy efficiency and accessibility.In 2024/25 ACE invested £12,650 in Dorchester Arts through their open-access National Lottery Project Grants to deliver a festival of scriptwriting. All recipients of ACE funding remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities.The Spending Review sets out DCMS’s high-level funding settlement, and individual decisions on how to invest departmental resources will be determined in due course. The Spending Review does, however, commit to significant investment into Arts, Culture, and Heritage infrastructure. Across the spending review period DCMS will be delivering funding across its major capital programmes, supporting local institutions and leveraging economic growth across the regions.DCMS has not had any recent discussions with Bridport Arts Centre or Dorchester Arts directly, however, in September 2024, ACE held discussions with Bridport Arts Centre about their lease on their Grade II listed building as the contract end approaches.On 23 June, an ACE Annual Progress Review took place to assess Bridport Arts Centre’s progress against the objectives set out in their ACE funding agreement over 12 months. This included consideration of their contribution to ACE’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle which includes energy efficiency.Both organisations are eligible to apply to ACE’s current round of capital funding, and more information can be found on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/capital

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support to help (a) Bridport Arts Centre and (b) Dorchester Arts to help meet (i) energy efficiency and (ii) accessibility standards; and what capital funding she has allocated to regional arts centres over the period of the Spending Review 2025.

Our arms-length body Arts Council England (ACE) is investing £176,345 over three years in Bridport Arts Centre as part of their National Portfolio 2023-26 (NPO). In 2024/25 ACE granted a further £20,000 to Bridport Arts Centre from their Area Funds to explore the lease/ownership of the building which will have a direct impact on their ability to address energy efficiency and accessibility.In 2024/25 ACE invested £12,650 in Dorchester Arts through their open-access National Lottery Project Grants to deliver a festival of scriptwriting. All recipients of ACE funding remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities.The Spending Review sets out DCMS’s high-level funding settlement, and individual decisions on how to invest departmental resources will be determined in due course. The Spending Review does, however, commit to significant investment into Arts, Culture, and Heritage infrastructure. Across the spending review period DCMS will be delivering funding across its major capital programmes, supporting local institutions and leveraging economic growth across the regions.DCMS has not had any recent discussions with Bridport Arts Centre or Dorchester Arts directly, however, in September 2024, ACE held discussions with Bridport Arts Centre about their lease on their Grade II listed building as the contract end approaches.On 23 June, an ACE Annual Progress Review took place to assess Bridport Arts Centre’s progress against the objectives set out in their ACE funding agreement over 12 months. This included consideration of their contribution to ACE’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle which includes energy efficiency.Both organisations are eligible to apply to ACE’s current round of capital funding, and more information can be found on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/capital

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the powers of the Charity Commission when allegations are made about links between UK charities and hostile states.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the Charity Commission’s powers to (a) regulate and (b) take action against (i) misconduct and (ii) mismanagement in charities.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support hotels in West Dorset constituency.

The Government recognises that hotels in the West Dorset constituency are a major driver of the local economy, contributing to tourism revenue, creating jobs and supporting related industries like restaurants, retail, and transportation. The Government supports hotels across West Dorset through measures such as business rates relief, and funding opportunities like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the aim to alleviate operational costs, promote regional tourism, and drive economic growth.On Friday 2 May, it was announced that Dorset has acquired LVEP status. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country. They will work collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners to communicate investment opportunities and to showcase Dorset's strengths as a place to live, work, study and invest in, as well as a premier destination for visitors.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) preserve and (b) promote traditional boat building as a heritage craft.

We recognise how important our craft industry is and we are committed to supporting future growth in the sector. The creative industries have been identified as one of the governments eight growth-driving sectors, with the craft industry a contributor.The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports traditional craft skills and training in a variety of ways, including funding projects that train people in traditional crafts and skills. It also runs a Heritage Crafts programme which offers bursaries to help people train in heritage crafts or develop their skills.The importance of the crafts sector was a key driver for the Government in ratifying the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage last year. Our first step in implementing the Convention is to create inventories of living heritage in the UK which will help promote items that could include traditional boat building. We will open the public call for submissions to the inventories later this year.

Media and Sport, how much and what proportion of loans provided to rugby union clubs under government support schemes have been repaid; and if she will provide a breakdown of repayments by club.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and our arm’s-length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, do not provide direct funding to professional rugby union clubs.Since 2020, DCMS has provided loans to rugby union clubs via the Sport Survival Package (SSP). This package of emergency funding was provided to support organisations who were negatively impacted by Covid-19 restrictions to fulfil their sporting commitments, including Premiership Rugby League and RFU Championship clubs.SSP loans were distributed to 13 Premiership rugby clubs (total value of £123.81 million) and seven Championship clubs (total value of £4.84 million).DCMS is not able to comment on repayments of individual borrowers or leagues given the commercial sensitivity.As well as loans, DCMS provides the majority of support for grassroots rugby through Sport England. Sport England has awarded the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, £13.86 million for the period 2022-27 as one of Sport England’s long-term system partners to support grassroots rugby union.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the financial situation of rugby clubs that have (a) entered administration and (b) ceased operations.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not make assessments of the financial situation of rugby clubs post ceasing operations.The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is independent of the Government and is responsible for the regulation of rugby union, and for protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of the sport.

Media and Sport, how much (a) funding and (b) loans her Department has provided to professional rugby union clubs since 2020.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and our arm’s-length bodies, Sport England and UK Sport, do not provide direct funding to professional rugby union clubs.Since 2020, DCMS has provided loans to rugby union clubs via the Sport Survival Package (SSP). This package of emergency funding was provided to support organisations who were negatively impacted by Covid-19 restrictions to fulfil their sporting commitments, including Premiership Rugby League and RFU Championship clubs.SSP loans were distributed to 13 Premiership rugby clubs (total value of £123.81 million) and seven Championship clubs (total value of £4.84 million).DCMS is not able to comment on repayments of individual borrowers or leagues given the commercial sensitivity.As well as loans, DCMS provides the majority of support for grassroots rugby through Sport England. Sport England has awarded the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, £13.86 million for the period 2022-27 as one of Sport England’s long-term system partners to support grassroots rugby union.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) the governance structures in men's rugby union and (b) their alignment with the requirements for government funding allocations.

The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of government.The revised Code for Sports Governance sets out the levels of transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity that are required from sporting governing bodies, including the RFU, who seek – and are in receipt of – DCMS and National Lottery funding from UK Sport and/or Sport England (DCMS’ arm’s-length bodies). This is kept under review.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. Sport England has awarded the RFU £13,859,000 for the period 2022-27 as one of Sport England’s long-term system partners to support grassroots rugby union.

Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to increase the level of funding made available to support the (a) growth and (b) financial sustainability of women’s Rugby Union at (i) grassroots and (ii) professional levels.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport including supporting its expansion.In October last year, the Department for Business and Trade launched the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme. The aim of the scheme is to attract more private investment in women’s sport and drive growth into the sector. Over 20 leagues, teams and competitions across 9 different sports will benefit including Rugby Union.Sport England have awarded the Rugby Football Union £13,859,000 as one of their long-term system partners for the period 2022-27 to support grassroots men’s and women’s rugby union.In addition to this DCMS has provided £28.76 million of investment to support England hosting the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, including £14.55 million of legacy funding. This ‘Impact 25’ funding is providing substantial improvements in facilities and greater opportunities for women and girls at all levels of the game in England.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the growth of women’s grassroots football in West Dorset constituency.

This Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including grassroots football, and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport.The Government is providing £123 million of funding fo...

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with religious organisations on the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on religious buildings.

My officials and I have met with a range of heritage bodies since July and this has included discussions on the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.The Department has received correspondence from religious organisations regarding the Liste...