Every parliamentary written question tabled by Al Pinkerton this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 61 · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of cultural industries as a driver of soft power.
The UK’s thriving cultural industries are one of our greatest soft power assets. Contributing approximately 6% to our GDP, they play a vital role in supporting economic growth and the UK’s international standing.The UK is the world’s second-largest music ...
Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking to steps negotiate a reciprocal UK-EU mobility agreement for (a) touring artists, (b) musicians, (c) performers and (d) crews.
This Government recognises the 90 / 180 day limits continue to pose a significant challenge for touring artists, including musicians and other performers, and their crews working across multiple EU Member States. That is why we have pledged to help tourin...
Media and Sport, if her Department will publish the most recent available data on employment in the creative industries sector.
We publish annual official statistics on the number of filled jobs in DCMS sectors, including the creative industries, as part of our DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates Employment series. Data from 2011 to 2024 can be found here. Data for 2025 will be availa...
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the 90-in-180-day rule on UK (a) touring artists, (b) musicians, (c) performers and (d) crews.
This Government recognises the 90 / 180 day limits continue to pose a significant challenge for touring artists, including musicians and other performers, and their crews working across multiple EU Member States. That is why we have pledged to help tourin...
Media and Sport, if her Department will publish annual data on the number of jobs in the creative industries, broken down year by year from 2016 to 2026.
We publish annual official statistics on the number of filled jobs in DCMS sectors, including the creative industries, as part of our DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates Employment series. Data from 2011 to 2024 can be found here. Data for 2025 will be availa...
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure children from less privileged backgrounds can access (a) music and (b) dance training in Surrey Heath constituency.
This Government is committed to revitalising arts education including through the reformed national curriculum. Programmes available to children in Surrey Heath that Arts Council England (ACE) fund include: Surrey Music Hub, which helps young people to si...
Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of the UK rejoining Creative Europe.
The Government keeps abreast of many EU and international funding programmes across many sectors of the economy. Where participation is deemed in the national interest - including in terms of value for money and economic impact - the Government seeks to n...
Media and Sport, whether her Department has undertaken economic modelling of the potential impact on GDP of the UK rejoining Creative Europe.
The Government keeps abreast of many EU and international funding programmes across many sectors of the economy. Where participation is deemed in the national interest - including in terms of value for money and economic impact - the Government seeks to n...
Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of access to community spaces in Surrey Heath constituency.
As I emphasised during a recent Westminster Hall debate, the Government recognises and celebrates the contribution that community spaces make to local people and we have taken steps to support more communities to have access to shared environments. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in December 2024, sets out that planning policies and decisions should plan positively for the provision and use of shared spaces, community facilities (such as local shops, meeting places, sports venues, open space, cultural buildings, public houses and places of worship) and other local services to enhance the sustainability of communities and residential environments. Libraries form a key example of these community spaces, Surrey County Council has 52 static libraries. The library service previously received £75,000 from the Libraries Improvement Fund to introduce flexible shelving within eight of its libraries (Ashtead, Chertsey, Dittons, Farnham, Godalming, Haslemere, Oxted, and Reigate). This allows libraries to move furniture around to reconfigure spaces and accommodate more events, services, and visitors. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the NPPF. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, includes proposals relating to community facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of legislating to provide the Charity Commission for England and Wales with additional investigatory powers.
The Government keeps the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and is actively considering what further powers are required to support the Commission in regulating charities. As a non-ministerial department, the Charity Commission receives its funding directly from the Treasury. In the 2025 Spending Review the Charity Commission’s budget increased by over 27% to £37.9m for 2026-27. This will support the Commission to respond to increasing casework demands.The Charity Commission already has the power to disqualify charity trustees whose conduct is damaging to public trust and confidence in charities under section 181A of the Charities Act 2011. As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers will be extended in order to tackle extremist abuse of charities and strengthen the Commission's oversight of the sector. This includes helping the Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.
Media and Sport, what level of contingent liabilities charities can accumulate before regulatory intervention from the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
The Charity Commission’s role is to ensure that charity trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law; that charities further their charitable purposes for the public benefit; and that there is no misconduct or mismanagement. I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.Accounting rules cover when contingent liabilities and contingent assets should be disclosed in a charity's accounts, and charity trustees must ensure that they have complied with the requirements of relevant accounting standards. There is no set threshold over which contingent liabilities become a regulatory concern - it is dependent on an individual charity’s circumstances. However, the Charity Commission expects charity trustees or the charity’s auditor to report matters of material significance to the Charity Commission to assess.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Charity Commission for England and Wales to investigate undisclosed contingent liabilities within registered charities.
The Charity Commission’s role is to ensure that charity trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law; that charities further their charitable purposes for the public benefit; and that there is no misconduct or mismanagement. I am confident that it has the ability to do so effectively.Accounting rules cover when contingent liabilities and contingent assets should be disclosed in a charity's accounts, and charity trustees must ensure that they have complied with the requirements of relevant accounting standards. There is no set threshold over which contingent liabilities become a regulatory concern - it is dependent on an individual charity’s circumstances. However, the Charity Commission expects charity trustees or the charity’s auditor to report matters of material significance to the Charity Commission to assess.
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to introduce powers enabling the Charity Commission for England and Wales to disqualify charity trustees whose conduct is deemed damaging to (a) public trust and (b) confidence in charities.
The Government keeps the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and is actively considering what further powers are required to support the Commission in regulating charities. As a non-ministerial department, the Charity Commission receives its funding directly from the Treasury. In the 2025 Spending Review the Charity Commission’s budget increased by over 27% to £37.9m for 2026-27. This will support the Commission to respond to increasing casework demands.The Charity Commission already has the power to disqualify charity trustees whose conduct is damaging to public trust and confidence in charities under section 181A of the Charities Act 2011. As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers will be extended in order to tackle extremist abuse of charities and strengthen the Commission's oversight of the sector. This includes helping the Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of resources available to the Charity Commission for England and Wales to conduct investigations.
The Government keeps the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and is actively considering what further powers are required to support the Commission in regulating charities. As a non-ministerial department, the Charity Commission receives its funding directly from the Treasury. In the 2025 Spending Review the Charity Commission’s budget increased by over 27% to £37.9m for 2026-27. This will support the Commission to respond to increasing casework demands.The Charity Commission already has the power to disqualify charity trustees whose conduct is damaging to public trust and confidence in charities under section 181A of the Charities Act 2011. As part of the Government’s action plan for social cohesion we have announced that the Charity Commission’s powers will be extended in order to tackle extremist abuse of charities and strengthen the Commission's oversight of the sector. This includes helping the Commission to disqualify charity trustees who have been excluded from the UK, deprived of British citizenship or are engaged in conduct which promotes violence or hatred.
Media and Sport, how many regulatory intervention cases were opened by the Charity Commission for England and Wales in each of the past five years.
The Charity Commission does not publish data about categories of complaints, and therefore cannot provide the number of complaints specifically relating to governance received in the past year or how many resulted in a formal investigation.The following table details the number of regulatory concern cases opened by the Charity Commission between 2021-2025, and how many of these relate to public complaints received by the Charity Commission. Data for 2020/21 is not comparable. Year2020/20212021/20222022/20232023/20242024/2025Regulatory concern cases openedN/A2,9173,4144,2154,477Of which is a complaint about a charityN/A2,0292,0763,1203,659
Media and Sport, how many complaints relating to the governance of charities were received by the Charity Commission for England and Wales in the past year; and how many of those complaints resulted in a formal investigation.
The Charity Commission does not publish data about categories of complaints, and therefore cannot provide the number of complaints specifically relating to governance received in the past year or how many resulted in a formal investigation.The following table details the number of regulatory concern cases opened by the Charity Commission between 2021-2025, and how many of these relate to public complaints received by the Charity Commission. Data for 2020/21 is not comparable. Year2020/20212021/20222022/20232023/20242024/2025Regulatory concern cases openedN/A2,9173,4144,2154,477Of which is a complaint about a charityN/A2,0292,0763,1203,659
Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that people are adequately supported to maintain an active lifestyle at each stage of life in Surrey Heath constituency.
The Government is committed to ensuring people of all ages should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities to maintain an active lifestyle. The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for grassroots sport, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including through campaigns and guidance, providing more opportunities for people of all ages to be active.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that the (a) voluntary, (b) community and (c) social enterprise sector has access to adequate funding in Surrey Heath constituency.
This government recognises the vital role played by voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in supporting people right across the country. As captured in the Civil Society Covenant, these organisations are integral to our vision for national renewal and delivery of the government’s five national missions. DCMS is providing a range of support for VCSEs across the country. The Dormant Assets Scheme Strategy, published in June 2025, set out the next funding tranche of £440 million for England over 2024-28, with £87.5 million of this funding allocated for social investment. We will also deliver up to £500 million through the Better Futures Fund. This is the world’s largest outcomes fund, supporting up to 200,000 children and their families over the next ten years. It will bring together government, local communities, VCSEs, investors, and philanthropists to give children a brighter future. As part of the National Youth Strategy, we aim to work in a more collaborative, local way and local VCSEs will be at the forefront of driving the action we take to support young people. There are several ways for VCSEs to search for further funding opportunities, including:The VCSE Business Hub launched by this Government in January 2025 (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-business-hub)Funding opportunities hosted by The National Lottery Community Fund (https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding)
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the economic contribution of (a) touring musicians and (b) cultural professionals to the UK economy.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) recognises that touring musicians and cultural professionals are essential to the United Kingdom’s economic vitality. The Department assesses the economic contribution of these sectors through the DCMS Sectors Economic Estimates, which provide accredited official statistics on Gross Value Added (GVA), employment, and trade, which are available at national and regional levels. These data can be found on the DCMS website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dcms-sectors-economic-estimate. The Government remains committed to supporting these professionals both at home and abroad. We continue to engage with the sector to address barriers to international touring and to ensure a sustainable environment for domestic performance, maintaining the UK’s position as a world-leading hub for the arts.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots rugby in Surrey Heath constituency.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including rugby.The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.Sport England provides long term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Football Union and £15.7 million to the Rugby Football League between 2022 and 2029, the National Governing Bodies for rugby to support grassroots participation.Since summer 2024, the Government has also provided £6.7 million into the Women’s Rugby World Cup Legacy Programme Impact 25 which has benefited 850 clubs across the country. These clubs have received investment which goes towards supporting girls of all ages to get involved in rugby.