Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Snowden this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 92 · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Media and Sport, whether the list of designated days for the flying of the Union Flag is kept under regular review; and when the last review took place.
The list of designated days for the flying of the Union Flag is reviewed annually in consultation with No 10 and the Royal Household. The most recent review was completed on 14th March 2025 when the 2025 Designated Days list was published on GOV.UK.
Media and Sport, what criteria she plans to use to determine funding under the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.
The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund is open to bids from accredited museums, museum services and galleries in England that either hold at least one designated collection, or are current Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs).Bids submitted for consideration must meet at least one of the following criteria:Material improvements to the display and interpretation of collections, in permanent galleries, exhibition spaces and public spaces, to enhance visitor experience.Improvements to access and/or interpretation for visitors with disabilities, for children and young people, and/or underrepresented audiences.Improvements to environmental controls, collections storage and conservation facilities to enhance the care of collections.Further balancing criteria and an outline of the assessment process can be found in the application guidance here.
Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the introduction of Local Visitor Economy Partnerships on tourism levels in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.
Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work collaboratively at local, regional and national levels on shared priorities and targets to support and grow the visitor economy. Each LVEP sets out how they measure their agreed activities in their annual growth plan. DCMS and VisitEngland continue to monitor the impact of LVEPs by collaborating with them on their identified growth priorities and sharing best practice.
Media and Sport, how many visits by Ministers in her Department took place in constituencies represented by (a) Labour, (b) Conservative and (c) other hon. Members in the period between 4 July 2024 and 2 July 2025.
This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the future funding model of the BBC.
To ensure the BBC is on a stable financial footing, the Government has committed to the current licence fee model for the remainder of the current Charter period.The licence fee will increase annually in line with CPI inflation until the end of this Charter period, as required by the Licence Fee Settlement agreed by the last Government in 2022.Looking ahead, the Secretary of State is a strong supporter of the BBC and has been clear that it must be funded by a model that is sustainable. The Government is keeping an open mind about the future of the licence fee, and the forthcoming Charter Review will provide an opportunity to consider the best possible funding model to set the BBC up for success long into the future.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Independent Football Regulator’s ownership rules on (a) smaller and (b) community-owned football clubs.
The Government recognises the different levels of resources and the different ownership models of smaller and community-owned football clubs. That is why the Football Governance Act has designed the owners’ and directors’ tests to be applied by the Independent Football Regulator in a proportionate way in line with its regulatory principles. For example, the Regulator will recognise that an owner’s financial plans and resources required for a smaller club will understandably be very different to that of a Premier League club. The Act also accounts for community-owned football clubs in its definition of an owner, ensuring that the tests will be applied appropriately.
Media and Sport, whether she has made provision for the ability of the Independent Football Regulator to require an owner to divest from a club to be subject to (a) Ministerial oversight and (b) parliamentary scrutiny.
The Football Governance Act establishes an operationally independent regulator. The Act does not provide for any ongoing ministerial or parliamentary role in the IFR’s ownership tests. This is to stop undue political interference in football.
Media and Sport, whether the Independent Football Regulator will be required to publish an annual report detailing the number of (a) individuals and (b) entities it assessed under the ownership and directorship tests.
Section 14 of the Football Governance Act requires the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) to publish an annual report, to include a summary of activities undertaken that year. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport can direct the IFR to include specific information. Details of the exact content of the IFR’s annual report are being considered by the organisation and are not yet finalised.
Media and Sport, whether the Independent Football Regulator will have the power to retrospectively investigate incumbent owners or directors in instances where new information comes to light after their appointment.
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) will have the ability to test incumbent owners and officers where it has grounds for concern over their suitability. If an incumbent owner or officer is found to be unsuitable, the IFR has a strong suite of powers to remove them. This approach reduces unnecessary burdens on suitable owners and proportionately targets testing where there is a risk of harm to clubs.
Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that funding provided for The Dome in Farrington will affect wider Lancashire.
The indoor cricket dome in Farington will form part of a new high-quality professional and community cricket facility which benefits the local area and offers the opportunity to connect elite cricket with grassroots cricket, expanding opportunities for players in Lancashire. As home to the Lancashire Women’s first team and Lancashire Disability team, the facility will become a Women’s Centre of Excellence for the North-West of England, as well as a hub for disability cricket, meaning increased access for more players to participate. The facility will help the Lancashire Cricket Foundation to deliver a number of their nationwide cricket programmes such as All Stars Cricket and the Dynamos Cricket programmes for young people and Super 1s programme for young people with a disability. The all-weather nature of the facility means more playing opportunities are available all year round.Work with the England and Wales Cricket Board is ongoing to monitor the impact and effectiveness of these sites and we’re keen that they benefit as wide a local area as possible.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support councils to improve the availability of activities for young people during (a) evenings, (b) weekends and (c) school holidays.
In 2025/26, DCMS is investing £28 million to increase young people’s access to more and better enriching activities. This includes programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Uniformed Youth Fund. As part of the Uniformed Youth Fund, DCMS funded the Volunteer Police Cadets to increase its capacity and reach a greater number of young people in Fylde.DCMS is also investing £8 million to support local authorities through the Local Youth Transformation Pilot, which aims to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people across England.Additionally, the Department for Education has confirmed over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years (from 2026/27), delivered by local authorities to provide healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families during school holiday periods.In Autumn, we will publish the National Youth Strategy, which we have co-produced with young people and the sector. The Strategy will outline a long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve the availability of activities for young people during (a) evenings, (b) weekends and (c) school holidays.
In 2025/26, DCMS is investing £28 million to increase young people’s access to more and better enriching activities. This includes programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Uniformed Youth Fund. As part of the Uniformed Youth Fund, DCMS funded the Volunteer Police Cadets to increase its capacity and reach a greater number of young people in Fylde.DCMS is also investing £8 million to support local authorities through the Local Youth Transformation Pilot, which aims to rebuild a high-quality offer for young people across England.Additionally, the Department for Education has confirmed over £600 million for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for the next three financial years (from 2026/27), delivered by local authorities to provide healthy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families during school holiday periods.In Autumn, we will publish the National Youth Strategy, which we have co-produced with young people and the sector. The Strategy will outline a long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.
Media and Sport, what steps the government is taking to reduce gambling harm in Lancashire.
Those experiencing gambling-related harm in England can access specialist treatment through specialist NHS Gambling Clinics available in every region of the country, including the Northern Gambling Service. There is also a range of support through the National Gambling Support Network.The Government has introduced a statutory levy on gambling operators to improve and expand the research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. The levy will raise around £100 million in funding to deliver priority projects and services across research, prevention and treatment, which together we hope will reduce gambling-related harms across Great Britain. The statutory gambling levy is now in force, and funding will start flowing later this year.
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the sustainability of (a) local radio and (b) news services in Lancashire; and what steps she is taking to support them.
Sustainability of local journalism across the country is an area of particular concern for this Government, including local radio and news services in Lancashire. The Government understands the important work that local media does across the UK, including local outlets and radio such as the Lancs Live and Central Radio. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of this vital sector. Our vision is a thriving local media that can continue to play an invaluable role as a key channel of trustworthy information at local level, reporting on the issues that matter to communities, reflecting their contributions and perspectives, and helping to foster a self-confident nation in which everyone feels that their contribution is part of an inclusive national story. In terms of support for local community radio, the Government has announced a major uplift in community radio funding, which will help stations in need of support to invest in staff, train volunteers, develop business plans, and reach wider audiences.We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops, and we recently held a roundtable discussion with local news editors to discuss our planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has now been set up to consider the issues in more detail and we will announce more in the coming months.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help improve access to sport for (a) children and (b) young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the Fylde constituency.
Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity including those from disadvantaged backgrounds.The Prime Minister recently announced a new School Sport Partnerships approach and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary 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 will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs, including for children and young people, and then set out further plans.In the last financial year, 2024-25, Sport England, our Arm’s Length Body for community sport, invested £11,750 into the Fylde constituency to improve access to sport and physical activity.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support amateur theatre in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
The government supports the arts predominantly through Arts Council England (ACE). Through their main funding programme, the 2023-2027 National Portfolio Investment Programme, ACE is providing over £100 million in grants per year to around 195 theatres across the country. Across all their funding programmes, including lottery schemes, for the financial year 2024-25, ACE awarded around £300 million to theatres/theatre based organisations.While the Arts Council does not have a funding classification for ‘amateur’ theatre specifically, in 2024 they supported the Spot On Festival in Poulton-le-Fylde with over £50k of funding. Spot On works to bring professional performing arts to village halls, libraries, pubs and open spaces across Lancashire. As a combined arts festival, they worked with 30 professional performing arts shows and 8 local groups and provided a number of outreach activities as part of the festival, including drama workshops. Details of all Arts Council Funding in Fylde and Lancashire can be found on their website here: https://culture.localinsight.org/#/mapAmateur Theatre groups across Lancashire and Fylde are able to apply to Arts Council England’s open funding programme, National Lottery Project Grants, which provides over £100 million of support annually to individuals and organisations.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support libraries in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.
Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires the Secretary of State to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England”. To assist this function the department regularly monitors and reviews changes to local authority library service provision, and engages with local authorities to discuss issues related to their respective library service.I understand that as at 31 December 2023, Lancashire County Council’s statutory library provision consisted of 64 static libraries (63 run by the local authority and one community run) and a mobile library service consisting of five vehicles. Six of the static libraries are located in the Fylde constituency.The Secretary of State announced in February 2025 a further £5.5 million of the Libraries Improvement Fund for 2025-26 to enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology. Lancashire County Council has previously received around £165,000 from this fund to support a project at Burnley library.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase in councils' Core Spending Power on 2024-25.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that Fylde constituency will be affected by the Creative Industries Sector Plan, announced on 23 June 2025.
DCMS recognises that there are creative industries clusters and micro clusters in every part of the UK, all of which are crucial to the delivery of our Growth Mission. The new 10-year plan will tackle barriers to growth and maximise opportunities across the Creative Industries sector, with the aim of making the UK the number one destination for creativity and innovation by 2035. It contains a range of new measures including supporting access to finance, innovation and skills which will benefit creative businesses across the UK, including in the Fylde constituency.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is planning to take to ensure that the Creative Foundations Fund is allocated (a) efficiently and (b) equitably across regions.
The Creative Foundations Fund will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. The fund was developed in partnership with ACE, drawing on its knowledge of the arts and culture sector. With urgent need for this funding, the Creative Foundations Fund will support organisations ready to commence capital works in taking this vital step. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their full application and funding committed by Arts Council England by 31 March 2026.We understand the scale of need being felt across the country after fourteen years of underinvestment by the previous Government. Theis Government is encouraging organisations across the country to apply for a share of the fund, including theatres, performing arts venues, galleries, grassroots music venues and contemporary arts centres. Funding will be distributed to ensure maximum impact across England, supporting the Government’s Plan for Change which aims to support economic growth and increase opportunities for people across the country.
Media and Sport, whether she is providing additional funding for local authorities to help (a) maintain and (b) develop leisure facilities.
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 by MHCLG 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.The majority of Government funding for grassroots sport clubs is through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary 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 will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.