Written questions by Jogee.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage a) women and b) young people to play golf.

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and young people as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including golf.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. They provide long term investment of £10.2 million to England Golf between 2022-2029 to support grassroots participation, including for both women and young people.England Golf run a campaign called Girls Golf Rock, which has enabled 5000 girls aged 7-14 to play golf over the last five years.I was delighted to attend The Open Championships at Royal Portrush last year where the R&A hosted a number of programmes aimed at getting young people to play golf including free tickets for children under 16, the R&A swingzone with free lessons and their “Road to the Opens” programme.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the museum sector in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture over this parliament, £160 million of which is earmarked for local museums around the country. This includes further rounds of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which has funded essential infrastructure projects around the country, including a £1.7m grant for Tamworth council announced last year. We have also delivered a new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations in 2025 to maintain public access and programming. This included awards for Ford Green Hall and Tamworth Borough Council in Staffordshire. Guidance on our new Museum Transformation Fund and the next round of MEND funding, both delivered by Arts Council England (ACE), will be published in May.This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England (ACE) invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites. In total, ACE has awarded just over £10 million in government and lottery funding to Staffordshire since 2021, through the National Portfolio and other grants, with the number of National Portfolio Organisations funded in Staffordshire quadrupling since 2023. As a designated Priority Place, Stoke-on-Trent is an area of particular focus for ACE for continued development and investment to boost local cultural opportunities in Staffordshire.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots football in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme has received a total of £1,194,497 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. Staffordshire has received a total of £4,508,388 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders, including the Football Foundation, and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to (a) celebrate the heritage of and (b) support the arts and cultural sector in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.

This government recognises the importance of celebrating heritage and the arts all across the country, including the significant heritage of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Funding is administered through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Arms-Length Bodies.Since 1994, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £101m to 771 projects in Staffordshire. Of this, more than £5.9m has been awarded to 92 projects in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This includes £99,900 awarded in September 2024 to support Brampton Museum to become more financially and environmentally sustainable, ensuring that Newcastle’s unique heritage will remain accessible, valued and in good condition for future generations.Similarly, Historic England has provided funding and advice in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, including a grant of £39,946 for project development works to Tamworth Castle in 2025. This enabled the council to apply for a grant from DCMS’ Museum Estate and Development Fund. Historic England provided a project development grant of £1.7million.Arts Council England invests in Staffordshire with regular funding through its National Portfolio Organisations (NPO) and Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes, as well as with one-off funding through programmes such as the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) and National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG), an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. Across Staffordshire, eight NPOs receive £2.3 million per year, with two CPPs receiving more than £839,000 per year to support creativity in communities across Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands.In Newcastle-under-Lyme specifically, ACE supports the New Vic theatre and Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL) as part of their National Portfolio, and Appetite as part of the Creative People and Places programme. Earlier this year, the New Vic received £295,308 through our new Creative Foundations Fund to update essential control wiring throughout the auditorium and backstage areas. Since 2023, ACE has offered funding through nine NLPGs in the area, totalling more than £218,000.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the BBC regarding the decision not to air the Commonwealth Day service live.

The Secretary of State regularly meets with the BBC to discuss a range of issues. However, the BBC is editorially and operationally independent of the government and decisions regarding the coverage of the Commonwealth Day service are a matter for the BBC.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to ensure access to good quality, safe and secure youth provision in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire received Million Hours Funding, to enable local youth services to deliver more positive activities in anti-social behaviour hotspots, giving young people a place to go and reducing young people's involvement in crime. In December 2025, we launched Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ a 10 year plan to ensure every young person across the country has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. This is backed by over £500 million of new youth funding over the next 3 years from DCMS, which complements a range of funding committed by other departments. The majority of the funding underpinning the first steps of the Strategy will be available from next the financial year 2026/27. We will share more information as our plans develop, including details on the eligible areas for funding.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with Cabinet colleagues on UK representation at the 23rd meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Tourism and Sustainability in April 2026.

While the UK is not a member of UN Tourism, we maintain close and constructive working relationships with UN Tourism officials to ensure that UN resolutions relating to tourism appropriately reflect UK interests. DCMS officials work closely with colleagues across Government to align the UK’s tourism and sustainability priorities with wider international discussions and emerging best practice. DCMS regularly engages in global tourism fora, including Ministerial participation in the UN Tourism Ministerial Summit and EU Sustainability Roundtable at the World Travel Market last year, as well as bilateral engagements with international counterparts, including discussions with the Spanish Minister for Tourism during a recent visit to Spain. The Government remains committed to supporting sustainable tourism growth through a combination of domestic policy, bilateral engagement and multilateral cooperation, including active participation in relevant international fora where the UK is represented.

Media and Sport, if she will visit a) the New Vic Theatre, b) the Brampton Museum and c) Apedale Heritage Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Minister of State (then Sir Chris Bryant MP) had the pleasure of visiting both the New Vic Theatre and Brampton Museum on 27 August 2025. I will ask my officials to keep the Apedale Heritage Centre and attractions across Newcastle-under-Lyme in mind when planning future visits.Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestions of places to visit in your constituency. I am always delighted to support and promote the vital work being done across the cultural sector.

Media and Sport, whether she has plans for a formal national memorial to the Duchess of Kent.

The Government does not have any plans for a formal national memorial for the late Duchess of Kent.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that young people from a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire are able to see the Bayeux Tapestry.

The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027. The British Museum, which is operationally independent of the government, is eager to enable access to the exhibition for as many schoolchildren as possible, and as such is planning dedicated weekly entry slots for school visits. The Museum is also working closely with other organisations commemorating the millennium of the birth of William the Conqueror in 2027, including developing special resources for teachers and activities across the UK.Entrance will be free for schoolchildren and for under 16s, as it is to all of the British Museum’s exhibitions. The Museum will also offer concessionary tickets for other relevant groups, including students, disabled visitors, seniors (over 60s), and jobseekers.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to increase the provision of (a) indoor and (b) covered tennis facilities in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. This commitment includes a £5 million investment to grassroots basketball facilities in England in 2026/27. We are now working closely with other sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other court-based sports, to discuss this. 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 in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to support the development of (a) affordable and (b) accessible padel courts in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) England.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. This commitment includes a £5 million investment to grassroots basketball facilities in England in 2026/27. We are now working closely with other sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other court-based sports, to discuss this. 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 in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, what plans she has for funding (a) tennis and (b) padel facilities in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. This commitment includes a £5 million investment to grassroots basketball facilities in England in 2026/27. We are now working closely with other sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other court-based sports, to discuss this. 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 in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, how much funding she plans to allocate to (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) other court-based sports, in the context of the £5 million allocated to basketball in 2026-27.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. This commitment includes a £5 million investment to grassroots basketball facilities in England in 2026/27. We are now working closely with other sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis and padel, along with representatives from other court-based sports, to discuss this. 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 in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis and padel initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.

Media and Sport, when she expects to launch the UK Town of Culture competition.

The UK Town of Culture competition will help to boost pride in place by shining a spotlight on multiple towns and giving them a platform to share their story, building on the success of the UK City of Culture competition. Further details on the UK Town of Culture competition will be announced in due course.

Media and Sport, what recent engagement she has had with the leadership of the National Army Museum.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has had no recent engagement with the National Army Museum, an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body and sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. Officials meet regularly with the three service museums to share wider museum sector updates, and this includes the Director of the National Army Museum as well as officials from the Ministry of Defence.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential health impact of improved access to grassroots sport for young people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone, including children and young people. Everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Every bit of physical activity counts and the greatest public health benefit is enabling people, currently less active, to move more and lead more active lives. This can help to reduce the risk of a range of chronic diseases, in line with the Government’s aims to prevent ill health as set out in the recent NHS 10 Year Plan.The Secretary of State and I engage regularly with the leadership of Sport England, including at quarterly meetings with the Chairs and CEOs of all DCMS public bodies. A large part of Sport England’s work focuses on bringing the health and sports sectors together at community level, including their place partnerships work which is working in a targeted way with local areas to understand and overcome the specific barriers in their communities. Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire is one of Sport England’s place partnerships.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Sport England in supporting grassroots sport in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone, including children and young people. Everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Every bit of physical activity counts and the greatest public health benefit is enabling people, currently less active, to move more and lead more active lives. This can help to reduce the risk of a range of chronic diseases, in line with the Government’s aims to prevent ill health as set out in the recent NHS 10 Year Plan.The Secretary of State and I engage regularly with the leadership of Sport England, including at quarterly meetings with the Chairs and CEOs of all DCMS public bodies. A large part of Sport England’s work focuses on bringing the health and sports sectors together at community level, including their place partnerships work which is working in a targeted way with local areas to understand and overcome the specific barriers in their communities. Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire is one of Sport England’s place partnerships.

Media and Sport, what recent engagement she has had with the leadership of Sport England.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone, including children and young people. Everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity. Every bit of physical activity counts and the greatest public health benefit is enabling people, currently less active, to move more and lead more active lives. This can help to reduce the risk of a range of chronic diseases, in line with the Government’s aims to prevent ill health as set out in the recent NHS 10 Year Plan.The Secretary of State and I engage regularly with the leadership of Sport England, including at quarterly meetings with the Chairs and CEOs of all DCMS public bodies. A large part of Sport England’s work focuses on bringing the health and sports sectors together at community level, including their place partnerships work which is working in a targeted way with local areas to understand and overcome the specific barriers in their communities. Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire is one of Sport England’s place partnerships.

Media and Sport, what plans she has to invest in (a) tennis, (b) padel and (c) court-base sports in the 2025-2026 financial year.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed at least £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review. We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - 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. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.