Written questions by Stephenson.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer on 7 February 2025 to Question 27307 on Tourism: Local Government, whether her Department has made an estimate of the potential impact of increasing inbound tourism by 50 million visitors per year on tax receipts.

The Department has not made an estimate of the potential tax receipts from an increase of 50 million inbound visitors per year.Inbound tourism already delivers significant value to the UK economy. In 2023, the tourism sector is estimated to have directly contributed £58.2bn in GVA, accounting for 2.5% of the UK economy. DCMS continues to work with other government departments and the tourism sector to support the recovery and long-term competitiveness of the UK’s visitor economy.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to encourage higher numbers of international tourists to visit protected landscapes.

Yes, we want to encourage international tourists to experience the full range of the UK’s visitor attractions including our world class museums, our internationally-renowned bars and restaurants, or indeed our protected landscapes. International tourists are increasingly drawn to the UK's national parks, coastal areas, and gardens and are interested in eco-tourism and sustainable travel.

With reference to his Department's press release entitled, Better deal for motorists and businesses with solar car parks, published on 7 May 2025, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on potential reforms to the planning system to deliver solar car parks.

The government is assessing the potential for the construction of solar canopies on outdoor carparks over a certain size through a call for evidence, which is open until 18th June. At this stage, no decision has been made, but as this policy develops of course I will have conversations with other government departments and the Building Safety Regulator about implementation.

Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of trends in the level of land banking by developers.

My Department does not routinely collect data from private developers on their land holdings or contracts over land.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49573 on Armed Forces: Labour Turnover, what steps he is taking to increase the armed forces inflow.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration. We have made a series of announcements to improve Armed Forces recruitment and retention.Since July 2024 we have taken decisive measures to redress the recruitment and retention crisis, with policies including one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel, slashing the time it takes to access medical records from weeks to hours and restructuring the Army’s recruitment organisation. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces. The results are clear: year on year inflow is up 19%, outflow is down 7%, the Navy’s yearly recruiting target has been exceeded, the RAF’s applications are up 34% compared to early 2024, and the Army is seeing a seven-year high in applications.To support retention of Armed Forces personnel, the Armed Forces pay increase represents a significant investment in our people, and we have gone further in announcing a £30,000 financial incentive to a cohort of tri-Service Air Engineers as well as an £8,000 retention payment for a cohort of Army personnel. We have protected the integrity of the Continuity of Education Allowance, repurchased the Service Family Accommodation estate from Annington Homes and extended Wraparound Childcare to families serving overseas which will potentially save up to £3,400 annually for Service families.

If he will make a comparative assessment of US tariffs on the UK (a) in July 2024 and (b) under the new UK-US trade deal.

On 8 May, we concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. We’re the first country to secure a deal with the US which gives our companies a preferential tariff rate. Lowering or removing tariffs across a range of sectors will help to ease the burden on businesses by reducing costs and making them more competitive, which in the long run will help to secure jobs and avoid businesses closing.We are continuing talks on a wider UK-US Economic Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49573 on Armed Forces: Labour Turnover, what steps he is taking to reduce the armed forces outflow.

The current Government inherited a crisis in recruitment and retention from the last administration. We have made a series of announcements to improve Armed Forces recruitment and retention.Since July 2024 we have taken decisive measures to redress the recruitment and retention crisis, with policies including one of the largest pay increases in the last 20 years for existing personnel, slashing the time it takes to access medical records from weeks to hours and restructuring the Army’s recruitment organisation. These activities and their impacts will inform the development of the Armed Forces Recruitment Service which is being implemented to further improve the speed with which highly motivated and capable people can join our Armed Forces. The results are clear: year on year inflow is up 19%, outflow is down 7%, the Navy’s yearly recruiting target has been exceeded, the RAF’s applications are up 34% compared to early 2024, and the Army is seeing a seven-year high in applications.To support retention of Armed Forces personnel, the Armed Forces pay increase represents a significant investment in our people, and we have gone further in announcing a £30,000 financial incentive to a cohort of tri-Service Air Engineers as well as an £8,000 retention payment for a cohort of Army personnel. We have protected the integrity of the Continuity of Education Allowance, repurchased the Service Family Accommodation estate from Annington Homes and extended Wraparound Childcare to families serving overseas which will potentially save up to £3,400 annually for Service families.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing VAT on independent schools in (a) January, (b) August and (c) September 2025 on the number of independent school closures.

Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury (HMT). HMT published a tax information and impact note concerning the introduction of VAT on independent school fees which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees. Information about individual schools is available at the Get Information About Schools service.Between 2010 and 2024 over 1,000 private schools closed. During the same period 1,213 opened, of which 705 were independent special schools.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press release entitled Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records, published on 19 April 2025, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on the expected quality checks they will need to put in place to ensure that data is transcribed accurately.

The ‘Extract’ tool is currently being tested. When the tool is launched the department will provide guidance alongside it to support local authorities in verifying and producing accurate data. The tool has also been designed to include a human verification element in the process of extracting data, which will enable local authorities to identify if any of the data is inaccurate and amend the results.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to funding to Natural England for national landscapes on important (a) habitats and (b) wildlife.

For the 2024-2025 financial year Natural England received a total of £237 million funding from Defra in their Delegated Authority Document, and for 2025-2026 this figure is £248 million.

If she will make an estimate of the number of schools that were affected by flooding in each of the last five academic years.

The department cannot provide the information requested for all schools. However, our Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) collects details of claims to its service. The table below shows the number of flooding related claims made to the RPA in each of the last five academic years as at 31 December 2024.Academic Year2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25*TotalRPA Member Schools6,3877,7169,09810,00811,14412,538 Members who experienced a weather-related event3172672034274272581899 *Partial year up to and including December 2024.

With reference to the guidance entitled New national flood and coastal erosion risk information, published on 25 March 2025, whether her Department has held discussions with local authorities on insurance costs for schools now included in flood zones (a) two and (b) three.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the department’s Schools Water Strategy team work with delivery partners such as the Environment Agency, water companies and lead local flood authorities to deliver flood prevention measures in schools through a number of workstreams.The department has invested in measures to reduce risk to flooding at 573 schools to the end of 2023/24 and through the Schools Water Strategy, we continue to invest in flood prevention in schools at risk of flooding in line with the published Sustainability and Climate Change strategy.Local authorities can choose which insurance provider is suitable for their needs, considering both breadth of cover and value for money.The department’s Risk Protection Arrangement is an alternative to commercial insurance and operates on a no material fact disclosure basis, which means the cost of the service to its members will be unaffected by this information.

If she will make an estimate of the number of days of education lost because of flooding in each of the last five academic years.

The information requested cannot be provided as this is not held by the department.

How much funding per pupil per school day will be provided to schools to fund universal breakfast clubs.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 56756.

Pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 40352 on Mathematics: Mid Bedfordshire, when she plans to publish further details on (a) funding for the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme and (b) the full offer for (i) schools and (ii) colleges in each area.

On 6 May 2025, the department announced £8.2 million of funding for the advanced maths support programme (AMSP). More information about this programme is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-girls-to-study-maths-under-plans-to-improve-pathway-into-ai-careers.The AMSP have recently provided an update on these changes, effective from 1 April 2025, with further information on the full offer for schools and colleges to be released shortly. These updates can be found via the AMSP’s website using the following link: https://amsp.org.uk/.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the film industry, in the context of President Trump’s announcement of 100% tariffs in the US on films produced in the UK.

Although an authorisation for the Dept of Commerce to introduce tariffs on films produced outside the US was announced on 5 May, no such tariffs have so far been introduced.The deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual economic and cultural benefits to both countries as film production is an inherently international business with global audiences. .The UK agreed a landmark economic deal with the US on 8 May, and we are committed to maintaining our strong partnership.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the level of funding for Natural England's National Landscapes programme on the number of tourists visiting protected landscapes each year.

Tourism is a critical part of the local economy, particularly in regions like Dorset, which benefit from a unique natural landscape and internationally recognised sites such as the Jurassic Coast.I am fully aware of the importance of protecting these natural landscapes across England.The Government is committed to promoting sustainable tourism practices, working with local partners to manage visitor numbers responsibly, and supporting projects that focus on conservation. VisitEngland also provides guidance on sustainable tourism to help protect these areas.National Landscapes play a crucial role in improving public health and wellbeing across England. As well as being essential for our nation’s health, Protected Landscapes protect communities from flooding, fight climate change, and foster a thriving green economy.In recognition of this, we have committed to empower Protected Landscapes to be greener, wilder and more accessible. In December we announced plans to strengthen their underpinning legislation and introduce regulations to ensure that public bodies deliver better outcomes in Protected Landscapes. We have also extended programmes such as Farming In Protected Landscapes, providing £30 million to support projects in our National Parks and Protected Landscapes, until March 2026.We understand resourcing remains a challenge and recognise that the Defra core grant is vital to support England’s Protected Landscapes. The Government is facing a very challenging wider fiscal context. This has meant that Defra has had to make difficult decisions about funding. Given these pressures on public finances, we are also committed to working with Protected Landscapes organisations to identify additional sources of funding and foster innovation to ensure their future for generations to come.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the beer and pub sector on UK culture and tourism.

The Pub and beer sector hold a special place in British culture, as well as being a core attraction for tourists and local people alike. They are an essential part of the visitor economy and found in every single community across England. They are a place for social gatherings, entertainment, food and drink as well as overnight accommodation.According to research published by The British Beer and Pub Association when asked about their go-to spots during UK holidays, 6 in 10 respondents said they visit pubs, placing them just behind restaurants (73%) and on par with historic landmarks (63%).The Government remains dedicated to ongoing collaboration with the DBT who oversees policy for hospitality to ensure stakeholder views are represented. This commitment will help ensure the UK has an attractive and competitive hospitality offer for both domestic and international visitors.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support British filmmaking businesses, in the context of the announcement of 100% tariffs on films produced in the UK by the US President on 5 May 2025.

Although an authorisation for the Dept of Commerce to introduce tariffs on films produced outside the US was announced on 5 May, no such tariffs have so far been introduced.The deep ties between the US and UK film industries provide mutual economic and cultural benefits to both countries as film production is an inherently international business with global audiences. .The UK agreed a landmark economic deal with the US on 8 May, and we are committed to maintaining our strong partnership.

If he will make it his policy to include the beer and pub sector in his Department's forthcoming industrial strategy.

The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences and Professional and Business Services. Sector Plans for the eight growth-driving sectors will be published alongside the Industrial Strategy in Spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review. The Sector Plans will set out the specific sub-sectors of focus, identify key barriers to growth, and describe how government and industry intend to achieve long-term growth for the sector.All sectors will benefit from wider policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, and consumers to spend with confidence.