Written questions by Shannon.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle loneliness among older men.

The government is committed to supporting people of all ages, including older men, to have the social connections they need. Our ambition to strengthen positive social connections is a key part of achieving wider government objectives to create a healthier society and more connected communities across all ages.This government funds the Tackling Loneliness Hub, an online community which enables people to connect across sectors to share insights and collaborate. A recent webinar on the Hub highlighted this report regarding interventions to specifically address loneliness among older men. The Hub has recently been refreshed to reach a broader range of people who work on tackling loneliness and improving social connection.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help protect whistleblowers in small charities.

Charity workers in England and Wales have statutory protections and are able to make disclosures to the Charity Commission for England and Wales about their charity. Charity workers in Northern Ireland and Scotland also have statutory protections and are able to make disclosures to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator respectively.Volunteers, including charity trustees, do not have the same statutory whistleblowing protections as workers. However, the Charity Commission treats whistleblowing disclosures by volunteers and trustees in the same way as disclosures by workers. DCMS considers the current protections for those who make whistleblowing disclosures, regardless of their status, to be appropriate.The Charity Commission for England and Wales publishes guidance for charities on a range of subjects, including reporting serious wrongdoing at a charity as a worker or volunteer.

Media and Sport, how funding is allocated to local sports clubs.

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots sport clubs, which play an important role within communities across the country.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport clubs through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding.Through its Movement Fund, Sport England allocates funding to grassroots sports clubs primarily based on their ability to deliver against the aims set out in their ‘Uniting the Movement’ strategy around getting more people active, reducing the number of inactive people and tackling long-standing inequalities. Sport England’s website provides transparency data about how their funding is invested.

Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the number of people employed in the creative industries in each of the last five years.

DCMS Economic Estimates provide annual estimates of employment in the creative industries in the UK, based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Population Survey. The total number of filled jobs in the creative industries for 2019 to 2024 are presented below. Employment data for 2025 is not yet available.In 2024, there were 2.4 million filled jobs in the creative industries. This is a 308,000 (14.7%) increase from 2019. Table 1: Filled jobs in the creative industries, 2019 to 2024, with lower and upper confidence intervals (95% confidence level) Filled jobs: 2024 (Latest estimate)Lower Bound Confidence IntervalUpper Bound Confidence Interval20242,409,0062,320,0382,497,97420232,418,7992,316,9492,520,64920222,396,1382,308,5752,483,70120212,339,0382,260,3952,417,68120202,221,2042,148,5062,299,42820192,100,6952,039,6012,161,789 This table includes confidence intervals which provide a range within which the ‘true’ value is likely to be. This helps us to assess whether changes over time are statistically significant, giving us confidence that we are seeing a real effect, rather than due to change or random factors in the survey used to collect the data.

Media and Sport, how many libraries have closed, opened, or relocated in England in each of the last five years.

As the libraries development agency for England, Arts Council England (ACE) collects and publishes data on library closures, openings and relocations in its annual English Public Libraries Location Dataset. The dataset can be found at the following link: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/supporting-arts-museums-and-libraries/supporting-libraries DCMS estimates the number of static libraries that have permanently closed (and not been replaced by or relocated to a new static library) in England in each of the last 5 years (for which data is available) is as follows: Calendar YearEstimated Permanent Static Library Closures2020132021162022172023102024172025Data not yet available2026Data not yet available This data is based upon ACE’s English Public Libraries Location Dataset 2024, which shows the number of static libraries open as at 31 December 2024 is 2,866. The 2025 basic library dataset is expected to be published later this year.

Media and Sport, how many community sports facilities received Government funding in each region of England in the last three years.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what each local community needs. Number of facilities that have received fundingRegionMSGFPTCP SPSF Total North East2853021336North West65411085849Yorkshire and Humber6625637755West Midlands4925455601East Midlands5725454680East of England86777661010London24922441514South West7066866840South East823150961069In addition to programme investment, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions. A breakdown of individual grants for facilities per region by Sport England is below:RegionNumber of grantsNorth East49North West131Yorkshire and Humber80West Midlands115East Midlands87East of England81London95South West99South East127

Media and Sport, how many cultural heritage sites received direct Government grant funding in each of the last three financial years.

In 2023-2024 to 2025-2026 period the government has directly funded Marlborough House, Chatham Historic Dock Yard and the Old Royal Naval College. The Department for Culture Media and Sport also ran the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. In the last three years of the scheme, between April 2023 and March 2026, a total of 8,218 individual Listed Places of Worship have received grant funding from the scheme.The value of funding paid to these applicants for the 3-year period was £89,504,426. In March 2026, Government provided a £9 million grant to the National Trust to contribute to an endowment to support the acquisition and ongoing running of Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust. In 2025-2026 the Government also provided funding for two grant schemes, the Heritage Revival Fund and the Heritage at Risk Capital fund. However, those were administered by Historic England on our behalf so have not been included here.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to (a) ensure adequate funding to youth clubs and (b) promote social inclusion in communities.

This Government is committed to rebuilding and improving local youth services to ensure every young person across the country has a community. We’re also investing in the #iWill Movement to support place-based youth social action work. In this work, young people will play an active role in addressing local issues, supporting their sense of belonging and connection to community.

Media and Sport, whether she has plans to financially aid or support local leisure facilities, and is this doable with local government making cuts to services.

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.In June, we committed another £400 million to transform sports facilities, including public leisure, across the whole of the UK over the next four years, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are working closely with the public leisure sector, sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need, before setting out further plans on how future funding will be allocated.

Media and Sport, how the monies raised through the statutory gambling levy is being allocated; and if they will publish a breakdown of spending by (a) prevention, (b) treatment, (c) innovation and (d) research into gambling-related harms.

This year the statutory levy has raised just under £120 million, which will be ringfenced solely for the use of tackling gambling-related harm. Details on how this has been allocated are available in this Written Ministerial Statement.DCMS will publish an Annual Report setting out each year how levy funds have been spent. We expect the first Annual Report to be published this summer.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the trends in the level of the tv license.

As of 1 April 2026, the annual cost of the colour TV licence will increase by £5.50, in line with CPI inflation. This uplift will provide the BBC with a stable financial footing to continue delivering for audiences and supporting the wider creative industries.Under the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, the cost of the licence fee was frozen for two years and then required to increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of the current Charter Period (2027). The Culture Secretary committed to increasing the licence fee in line with CPI annually for the remainder of this Charter Period in a Written Ministerial Statement in 2024.As part of the Charter Review, the government is looking at a range of options to ensure the BBC’s funding model is sustainable while also being fair and affordable for households.

Media and Sport, whether any further financial support is planned for individuals in the culture and arts sector.

The Government believes that British artists and creators are second-to-none and is committed to giving them security and a regulatory and fiscal environment where creativity can flourish. Arts Council England, a Department for Culture, Media and Sport arm’s length body, receives grant-in-aid funding and money from National Lottery Good Causes to enable it to fund individuals and organisations in the culture and arts sector.Arts Council England currently provides a number of funds open to individuals including National Lottery Project Grants and Developing Your Creative Practice. Arts Council England expects to launch the next round of Developing Your Creative Practice in April 2026. Between rounds of Developing Your Creative Practice, Arts Council England introduced dedicated R&D funding for individuals, as part of the National Lottery Project Grants under £30,000 strand.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the holiday parks industry.

DCMS recognises the significant value that the holiday parks industry provides in supporting our rural and coastal economies. The Government is committed to ensuring their long-term viability by modernising the business rates system and providing targeted marketing to overseas visitors.From April 2026, we are replacing temporary reliefs with permanently lower business rate multipliers for eligible retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties. This structural shift provides long-term certainty and is worth nearly £900 million annually. To protect businesses from sudden valuation shocks, we have introduced a £3.2 billion Transitional Relief scheme, which caps bill increases at 15% for most businessesThe Government has set out a package of pro-growth regulatory changes for the retail and hospitality sectors, including the first National Licensing Policy Framework, which supports the flexible growth of hospitality services within holiday parks.DCMS and VisitBritain are actively working to boost visitor numbers and extend the tourism season for coastal and rural operators. The ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign uses the UK’s film and television heritage to drive international visitors into rural destinations, increasing the profile of areas where many premier holiday parks are located.The forthcoming Visitor Economy Growth Strategy will cement these measures, providing a long-term plan to increase visitor flows, maximise sector value, and deliver sustainable growth for our coastal and rural communities.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing charities lotteries to operate UK-wide.

Large-scale society lotteries in Great Britain are legislated through the Gambling Act 2005, which does not extend to Northern Ireland. Gambling is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and therefore the operation of large-scale society lotteries is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on the number of schools that took part in the Youth Parliament.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to enable young people to learn about the democratic process, engage with policy and decision makers, and have a say on issues that matter to them. UKYP is not designed to be a schools programme. We do not therefore hold data on the amount or type of school involvement.UKYP is made up of approximately 300 Members of Youth Parliament (MYPs) aged 11-18. MYPs are elected every 2 years to represent the views of their young constituents to government and to national and local youth service providers. A small number of MYP elections are delivered by schools, who provide ongoing support to the elected young people. In most cases, MYP elections are delivered by local authorities and support for MYPs is provided by UKYP delivery partners and local youth workers.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the Northern Ireland film industry.

While culture is a devolved policy area, the department works closely with its Arm’s Length Body, the British Film Institute (BFI), and the devolved governments on a range of funding and initiatives for the film industry - including in Northern Ireland. This includes the UK-wide screen sector tax reliefs, as well as the £75 million Screen Growth Package announced in the Creatives Industries Sector Plan. DCMS will continue to work with the Northern Ireland Executive to support culture and creativity in Northern Ireland - particularly through the Belfast Cluster as an anchor location creating opportunities for businesses and talent. This includes continued annual funding from the UK government to NI Screen to support the Irish Language and Ulster-Scots Broadcast Funds. Through their National Lottery programmes, the BFI will also continue to support the screen sector in Northern Ireland - particularly through the dedicated Northern Ireland Screen fund. The British Film Commission (BFC), a national body supported by funding from DCMS, also supports and promotes UK-wide film and high-end television production and works in close partnership with the national and regional screen agencies.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the provision of cricket clubs across local communities.

The Government has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to supporting grassroots cricket through its recent announcement of funding for the England and Wales Cricket Board to build two new indoor cricket domes in Farington and Luton. This funding for cricket domes is in addition to the £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation which was announced following the spending review. As part of this funding, 40% of projects across the UK will be required to benefit a sport other than football, including cricket, basketball and rugby league. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to the ECB, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots sports.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to, and benefit from, quality sport and physical activity opportunities.In England, the Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sports through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding in areas of greatest need to tackle inactivity levels through community-led solutions.Sports facilities provide important community hubs for people of all ages to be active and connect people to the places in which they live. On 19 June 2025, we announced that following the Spending Review at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help uphold the right to free speech.

DCMS has responsibility for protecting media freedom, which is protected under the Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which sets out the right to freedom of expression. An integral part of DCMS's work to support media freedom is working with partners to tackle threats to journalist safety and protect journalistic freedoms. DCMS and Home Office Ministers co-chair the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, which convenes criminal justice, civil society and media partners to tackle journalist safety and oversees a National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that television documentaries that contain pornographic scenes are (a) censored and (b) blocked.

Broadcast regulation is a matter for the independent regulator Ofcom. The Broadcasting Code prohibits material equivalent to the British Board of Film Classification R18-rating. Adult sex material, as defined by Ofcom, must not be broadcast at any time other than between 10pm and 5.30am on channels with mandatory restricted access, such as requiring a PIN. Broadcasters must ensure that material broadcast after the 9pm watershed, which contains images and/or language of a strong or explicit sexual nature, but is not ‘adult sex material’, is justified by the context. Representations of sexual intercourse must not occur before the watershed, unless there is a serious educational purpose.