Written questions by Snowden.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Questions 46950 on Night-time Economy: Finance, what assessment her Department has of the potential impact of the Creative Foundations Fund on contemporary culture.

DCMS meets regularly with all parts of the music industry, including the nightclub sector. In developing the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we engaged with the sector to ensure that the expanded fund caters for all grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. Through Arts Council England we continue to engage with the industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.The government’s work to review the licensing framework has brought together representatives from government, industry, police and local government, including key stakeholders from the nightclub sector. This Taskforce will make recommendations that will deliver effective change in the licensing framework that fosters vibrant hospitality, night-time economy, and creative and cultural industries.The Creative Foundations Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This will ensure buildings and infrastructure are fit for future generations to benefit from, and will increase access to culture for all and drive cultural, community and economic growth. Historic England considers there to be currently in the region of 45 listed nightclubs in England.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Questions 46950 on Night-time Economy: Finance, how many nightclubs have been listed.

DCMS meets regularly with all parts of the music industry, including the nightclub sector. In developing the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we engaged with the sector to ensure that the expanded fund caters for all grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. Through Arts Council England we continue to engage with the industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.The government’s work to review the licensing framework has brought together representatives from government, industry, police and local government, including key stakeholders from the nightclub sector. This Taskforce will make recommendations that will deliver effective change in the licensing framework that fosters vibrant hospitality, night-time economy, and creative and cultural industries.The Creative Foundations Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This will ensure buildings and infrastructure are fit for future generations to benefit from, and will increase access to culture for all and drive cultural, community and economic growth. Historic England considers there to be currently in the region of 45 listed nightclubs in England.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2025 to Questions 46950 on Night-time Economy: Finance, what meetings she has had with the nightclub sector to develop those (a) policies and (b) funds.

DCMS meets regularly with all parts of the music industry, including the nightclub sector. In developing the Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, we engaged with the sector to ensure that the expanded fund caters for all grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music. Through Arts Council England we continue to engage with the industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.The government’s work to review the licensing framework has brought together representatives from government, industry, police and local government, including key stakeholders from the nightclub sector. This Taskforce will make recommendations that will deliver effective change in the licensing framework that fosters vibrant hospitality, night-time economy, and creative and cultural industries.The Creative Foundations Fund, delivered by Arts Council England, will invest £85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. This will ensure buildings and infrastructure are fit for future generations to benefit from, and will increase access to culture for all and drive cultural, community and economic growth. Historic England considers there to be currently in the region of 45 listed nightclubs in England.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the number of PIP claimants on the cost of reasonable adjustments required for disabled employees in the public sector.

Whether or not an employer makes a reasonable adjustment for an employee, and how much that costs, is independent of the benefit status of an employee, so no assessment has been made.

What steps he is taking to reduce physical inactivity in older people.

The Government and the National Health Service recognise that prevention will always be better and cheaper than treatment. Reducing physical inactivity in people of all ages, including in older people, is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives, and a key part of the Department’s shift from treatment to prevention.The NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for people of all ages to move more, and signposts to digital support like the NHS Active 10 walking app, an accessible way of building movement into everyday life.The NHS, together with local authorities, provides a range of services to support older people, such as exercise on referral and social prescribing, aquatic/swimming classes, dance classes, and fall prevention training through strength and balance classes.

What steps she is taking to help support residents in Fylde constituency with the cost of living.

The Government know increased costs in essential areas such as energy, food, and housing are causing genuine worries and hardship for many people. That is why the Government is prioritising growth so we can boost wages and put more money in people’s pockets. To support those most in need, we have introduced a Fair Repayment Rate on debt deductions in Universal Credit and extended the Household Support Fund in England, as well as Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales. At recent fiscal events and in the Chancellor’s January growth speech, the Government set out the next steps in delivering our approach for regional growth, spreading growth across the country through investment and reform, including via devolution of funding and powers. This will benefit people across the country, including in the Fylde constituency.

What steps he is taking to improve mental health services in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) across Lancashire.

Too many people with mental health issues are not getting the support or care they need, including in the Fylde constituency and across Lancashire, and we know that waits for mental health services are far too long. We are committed to improving mental health care for people with a range of mental health conditions, and to shifting the focus from treatment to prevention as we make the National Health Service fit for the future. Our reforms to the Mental Health Act will give patients a greater say in their care and will ensure that people get the appropriate and compassionate mental health support they need. We have also launched 24/7 mental health crisis support services via NHS 111, and we will recruit 8,500 mental health staff, create a network of community Young Futures Hubs, and provide access to mental health support in every school.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to increase broadband access for (a) residents and (b) businesses in (i) Fylde constituency and (ii) Lancashire.

According to the independent website Thinkbroadband.com, over 99% of homes and businesses in the Fylde constituency can access superfast broadband speeds (>=30 Mbps) and over 94% have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection (>1000 Mbps). In Lancashire, over 98% of homes and businesses can access superfast broadband speeds, and over 90% have access to a gigabit-capable connection.To improve this coverage further, Openreach is delivering a Project Gigabit contract across Lancashire, targeted at bringing gigabit-capable broadband to homes and businesses in hard-to-reach areas that are unlikely to be otherwise reached by suppliers’ commercial rollout. Approximately 11,450 homes and businesses in Lancashire are currently expected to benefit from this contract, including in Fylde.

What steps she is taking to ensure people with physical disabilities are able to access job opportunities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Government is committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, including people with physical disabilities, and have a range of support available so individuals can stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems. These include Additional Work Coach Support which provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into, work and access wider support including our employment programmes earlier. Support is now available in all Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales, informed by trialling in Jobcentres.Employers play an important role in addressing health and disability. The Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces and to support disabled people to get work and get on in work. The Minister for Social Security and Disability has been discussing ideas for making the Disability Confident scheme criteria more robust with stakeholders and will be bringing forward proposals for this in due course.To build on this, the government has commissioned “Keep Britain Working”, an independent review of the role of UK employers in reducing health-related inactivity and to promote healthy and inclusive workplaces. The lead reviewer, Sir Charlie Mayfield, is expected to bring forward recommendations in Autumn 2025.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of job opportunities in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

As announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. In Fylde and Lancashire our Jobcentre teams are work closely with Blackpool Borough Council and Fylde Borough Council as well as a range of employers and providers to create numerous job opportunities. Our Employer and Partnership Team support events within the community, recently this has included the Northwest Apprenticeship & Careers Expo 2025 and the Fylde Coast 'Work this Way' Jobs Fair. The team also encourage the take up in initiatives such as Sector Based Work Academies, Mentoring Circles, Apprenticeships and Work Experience as these help our customers meet employers and partners and explore all the opportunities available to them. We will provide an update on our plans to Get Britain Working and the steps we are taking in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what recent progress he has made on achieving full gigabit coverage by 2030.

According to the independent website ThinkBroadband.com, over 87% of UK premises now have access to a gigabit-capable connection.More than £2.3 billion in Project Gigabit contracts have now been signed to connect over 1 million more premises. This includes the latest contract in Scotland we announced with Openreach earlier this month.In the last few months, the first premises have been connected as part of Project Gigabit contracts in areas including Norfolk, West Yorkshire and South Wiltshire, and build has now started in earnest in other parts of the country too. In March, we announced the Project Gigabit contract for Cumbria, being delivered by Fibrus, had been extended to connect an additional 21,000 premises.

What steps he is taking to improve primary care in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

The Department is committed to ensuring that primary care services receive appropriate support and resources. We are investing an additional £889 million in general practice to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service, bringing total spend on the GP Contract to £13.2 billion in 2025/26. This is the biggest increase in over a decade and means we are reversing the recent trend with a rising share of total NHS resources going to general practice.The Government has invested £82 million in the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, which has enabled the recruitment of over 1,500 recently qualified general practitioners (GPs) across England since October 2024. This will increase the number of available appointments, secure the future supply of GPs and alleviate the pressure on those currently working in the system.For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents an uplift in funding of over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26.This Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access NHS dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most.To improve primary care, I understand Lancashire and South Cumbria (LSC) Integrated Care Board (ICB) has produced 2030 road maps for each professional group, designed to maximise skills and increase services provided. These plans are for the whole ICB footprint, including Fylde. Highlights from the plan include: the introduction of standard local enhanced services across LSC ensuring consistency of care for patients and increased funding to practices from 25 May 2025; redesigned urgent primary care access hubs from April 2027; increasing uptake of the Pharmacy First service; pilot programme to screen patients for cardiovascular disease within optometry practices; and implementation of the integrated dental access programme targeting care to those most at need.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to consult businesses affected by the extended producer responsibility scheme.

We consulted on the principles, objectives, and proposals for extended producer responsibility in 2019 and 2021, and these received high levels of support. We then consulted on the draft regulations in 2023. To ensure producers are prepared for the implementation EPR we engage widely though our monthly Business Readiness Forum, alongside events on specific topics and our regular newsletter goes to over 11,000 subscribers which contains updates and information on the requirement of the scheme. We also work with the Environment Agency and their programme of work which further supports business. This has included extensive engagement on pEPR disposal fees and the Recyclability Assessment Model. We are also actively listening to the sectors concerns and have recently announced further engagement with the sector to improve specific aspects of the scheme such, such as dual use packaging, the packaging recycling note system, and driving increased efficiency and effectiveness in local authority delivery.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to change the level of funding for farms in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

At February’s NFU Conference, the Secretary of State announced a raft of new policies that will put money in the pockets of farmers in Fylde, Lancashire, and across the country. We remain committed to investing £5 billion of funding in the farming budget over two years, and are on track to do so. We will be working closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to design a future Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer that fairly and responsibly directs funding. Further details about the reformed SFI offer will be announced following the spending review in summer 2025. We plan to launch the new Higher Tier scheme later this year; Capital Grants will re-open in summer 2025; we continue to move forward with Landscape Recovery; we are increasing payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement holders to recognise their ongoing commitment to delivering environmental outcome; and we are making £110 million available for new grant competitions to support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers. We are investing £208 million in biosecurity protections and extending the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years. We are backing British produce in Government catering contracts and ensuring fair competition across the supply chain through contractual reform.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to support the resilience of family farms in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

At February’s NFU Conference, the Secretary of State announced a raft of new policies to put money in farmers pockets and make them more resilient. We are making £110 million available for new grant competitions to support research and innovation, technology and equipment for farmers. We are investing £208 million in biosecurity protections and extending the Seasonal Worker visa route for five more years. We are backing British produce in government catering contracts and ensuring fair competition across the supply chain through contractual reform. We are making good progress in appointing a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector to help embed fair practice across the sector and expect to be able to make an announcement on this shortly. And Baroness Minette Batters has been appointed as a reviewer for the Farming Profitability Review, to understand the barriers farmers face to increasing profitability.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to revise guidance issued to producers on obligations under the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme.

The pEPR Scheme Administrator, working with the relevant UK regulator, will revise producer guidance, where appropriate, to assist them in understanding and meeting their obligations under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in levels of taxation on working people in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the National Insurance Contributions Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.The Office for Budget Responsibility also published an Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in October 2024, which set out the impacts of changes to Employer NICs, including the expected economic and labour market impacts. The Government is providing support for departments and other public sector employers for additional employer NICs costs only. This funding is being allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.

Media and Sport, if she will extend the Arts Everywhere Fund to include (a) nightclubs, (b) electronic music and (c) other core contemporary culture.

The Government is working closely with the music and nightclub sectors, to strengthen the sustainability of the entire music ecosystem. Cultural venues, like nightclubs and music venues, provide enjoyment to many thousands of people as the opportunity to hear live music up close is an essential part of our cultural life.We are continuing to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) Supporting Grassroots Music Fund by providing £2.5 million funding in 2025-26. This provides grants to grassroots music organisations, including those that host or promote electronic music.Earlier this year we announced the Arts Everywhere Fund, a £270 million investment for arts venues, museums, libraries and the heritage sector, including the £85m Creative Foundations Fund. This fund will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. Not-for-profit and grassroots music venues will be eligible, and Arts Council England will release more details in due course. We expect the fund may be over-subscribed, so are not intending to extend its scope.Buildings that are nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces may already be considered for designation as Listed Buildings, where they meet eligibility criteria for special architectural or historic interest. For example, The Crown Hotel, Station Street, Birmingham was listed at grade II in 2024. The music venue has special historical interest for its importance in the 1960s folk music revival, and in the late 1960s as the venue where Black Sabbath created their sound which shaped a new internationally popular genre of music; heavy metal.Applications for listing specific nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces can be made to the Secretary of State via Historic England.

What assessment she has made of potential impact of the Spring Statement 2025 on levels of employment in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

The government is committed to helping people start or stay in work, while protecting those who cannot work due to ill health. At Spring Statement 2025, as part of the Pathways to Work Green Paper, the Chancellor announced investment from 2026-27 in crucial employment, health, and skills support of up to an additional £1 billion a year by 2029-30. Additionally, in November the government published the Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by £240m funding, which set out its strategy to tackle the root causes of economic inactivity, support people into good work and help people progress in work. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2025 forecast expects that unemployment will remain low by historical standards. In line with its mandate as set out in law, the OBR does not produce forecasts at a sub-national level.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on public services in (a) Fylde and (b) Lancashire.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the National Insurance Contributions Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.The Office for Budget Responsibility also published an Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in October 2024, which set out the impacts of changes to Employer NICs, including the expected economic and labour market impacts. The Government is providing support for departments and other public sector employers for additional employer NICs costs only. This funding is being allocated to departments, with the Barnett formula applying in the usual way.