Written questions by Thomas.

Media and Sport, what consideration the Government has given to extending Freeview as a service beyond 2034.

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is leading a project to assess the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT), also known as Freeview, beyond 2034. The project is continuing to gather and evaluate evidence and the Government has made no decisions at this time. Before any decision is made close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that touring in Europe is viable for UK artists.

We have reset our relationship with the European Union and are determined to improve the UK’s trade and investment relationship with the EU and help our touring artists. This is in full recognition of the challenges that creative and cultural professionals, and their support staff, face when touring in Europe. On 19 May 2025, the first ever Summit between the UK and EU was held. At the Summit, the UK and European Commission recognised the value of cultural exchange, including the activities of touring artists. We continue to engage with the European Commission, Members of the European Parliament and the sector, both in the UK and across Europe, with a view to addressing the challenges that touring artists and their support staff face. This is mutually beneficial - it will help our artists to contribute to Europe’s rich cultural landscape and support shared growth. We are also working with the EU and Member States to promote wider cultural exchange to further the UK-EU strategic partnership.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of Baroness Hodge’s independent review of Arts Council England; and whether she will implement the recommendations.

The government’s full response to Baroness Hodge’s independent review of Arts Council England was published on 26 March and deposited in the House Library.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment has she made of the effectiveness of the Arts Council England’s Incentivising Touring scheme.

The government welcomes the continued success of this fund, which expands domestic touring into new areas. This investment will enrich our cultural landscape and boost local economies by bringing popular productions to communities nationwide, allowing more people to enjoy the arts locally. The second round of this pilot makes £2.9 million available to enable more mid-to-large-scale theatre and dance productions to tour. The funding aims at giving venues and producers the capacity to create, tour, and programme a wider range of work, providing audiences with more opportunities to see a greater range of quality dance and theatre productions at scale. It’s great to see such excellent productions as Dear England, Fiddler on the Roof and Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) being enjoyed across the country in part thanks to this fund. Arts Council England has commissioned AMION Consulting to undertake a process evaluation and an assessment of the impact of the scheme across the pilot rounds, including an assessment of the economic and social impact of the programme.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure funding disbursed by Arts Council England is fairly distributed across the country.

The Secretary of State believes that while talent is everywhere, opportunity is not. As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to ensuring that arts and culture thrives in every part of the country, with more opportunities for people to engage, benefit from and work in arts and culture where they live. It is why, at DCMS, we have adopted a place-based approach, putting local people, communities and places first in everything that we do. And it's why, over the course of this Parliament, the Government will invest £1.5 billion in capital funding for arts and culture - the largest investment of its kind for a generation. We believe that excellent culture belongs to everyone, everywhere, and not just in a handful of cities or institutions, but in every town, city and village in this country. ACE itself uses several mechanisms to ensure funding is distributed fairly across the country. Their funding strategy is a targeted, data-driven, and locally delivered model that prioritises underinvested areas, with an embedded, long-term approach to regional equity. This strategy includes: Geographic investment targets: ACE sets place-based priorities to direct more funding into historically underfunded areas.Regular portfolio balancing: Its National Portfolio Organisations (NPO) funding round is periodically reassessed to rebalance investment across regions.Data-led decision-making: Funding allocations are guided by regional data on deprivation, cultural access, and existing provision.Dedicated regional teams: Local officers assess applications with knowledge of regional needs and context.Strategic funds and programmes: Targeted schemes support touring, grassroots organisations, and underserved communities.Transparency and reporting: ACE publishes funding data and geographic breakdowns to monitor equity and accountability.Access and inclusion criteria: Applications are assessed partly on how they broaden access for diverse and geographically dispersed audiences. Together, these measures aim to reduce regional disparities and ensure public funding benefits communities across all parts of England.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support age-appropriate news content for children that promotes civic engagement.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings. The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production. The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions. More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that children’s programming is culturally relevant and promotes positive values.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings. The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production. The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions. More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support funding for effective UK-produced programming for children.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings. The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production. The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions. More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of educational children’s programming to children's development.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings. The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production. The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions. More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of plans for the future of children’s programming.

The Government recognises the importance of children’s programming and the positive impact it can have on a child’s development. This can be supported not only through educational programming, but through high-quality narratives and storytelling, building their understanding of the world around them. We are committed to supporting high quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content and the considerable benefits it brings. The Government provides generous tax reliefs at a rate of 39% of UK production costs for children’s TV and for animation (equivalent to 29.25% net after tax), with no cap on the total funds available. Additionally, as part of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, we are investing in the future of film and TV - including through a £75 million Screen Growth Package over three years, aimed at making the UK the premier global hub for screen content production. The Government continues to engage with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high quality content. We welcome the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s inquiry into children’s TV and video content, and look forward to its conclusions. More broadly, we recognise that news media plays a vital role particularly at local level in aiding social cohesion and civic engagement, and acting as a key source of trustworthy information to help counter mis and disinformation. We are developing a Local Media Strategy, in recognition of the importance of local journalism. One pillar of the Strategy will focus on helping local media over the longer term to adapt to changing online audience habits, including by promoting the value of journalism to young people, who are the most likely segment of the population to use alternative sources of news and information. More will be announced on the Strategy in due course.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department of the report by BBC Children’s & Education entitled Socioeconomic Impact of BBC Children’s and Education, published on 3 March 2026.

The Government has noted the BBC report on Socioeconomic Impact of BBC Children’s and Education, published on 3 March 2026, and strongly supports the BBC providing high quality children’s and educational content. The BBC’s Royal Charter sets out its Mission and Public Purposes, including to inform, educate and entertain; support learning of people at all ages, including children and teenagers. The BBC is a significant provider of original UK children’s programmes, and in 2024, accounted for 88% of all first-run UK-originated children’s programming by Public Service Broadcasters. The volume of informal learning content on BBC iPlayer has also grown by 60% since 2021. The Government published a Green Paper on BBC Charter Review last year, which also sets out our ambition for the BBC to support ‘at risk’ content, including children’s and educational content. We also want the BBC to build on its work helping people of all ages build digital skills and confidence - through services like BBC Bitesize - to ensure that everyone can continue to benefit from its services. The BBC is a cornerstone of our world-leading creative economy because of its reach and impact - nurturing home-grown talent, driving technological change, and encouraging investment into the UK creative sector. The Charter Review is a vital way we can support this ecosystem and will focus on ensuring the BBC is able to continue playing a central role in the growth of the UK’s creative economy, including entering into mutually beneficial partnerships.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure children, especially from lower-income families, have access to regular, free community sports activities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.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 providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.As examples of the support they provide, Sport England’s online resource, Buddle, offers free online guidance to support sports clubs offering sport and physical activity opportunities for everyone, including children and young people. They ​also encourage ​the sport sector to prioritise young people's perspectives through their free online Youth Voice Innovation Storybook.Sport England also use campaigns to encourage young people to get active.The Studio You partnership for PE teachers is powered by their This Girl Can campaign and funded by The National Lottery, and ​is a digital exercise platform for teenage girls across England, ​w​hich teaches a variety of non-competitive activities to ensure no girl is left behind in PE. The Play Their Way campaign for sports coaches e​mpowers coaches to adopt a child-first approach to coaching​ s​o ​children and young people have the best experience possible when developing their interest in sport.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure stable, long-term funding for free community sports activities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.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 providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.As examples of the support they provide, Sport England’s online resource, Buddle, offers free online guidance to support sports clubs offering sport and physical activity opportunities for everyone, including children and young people. They ​also encourage ​the sport sector to prioritise young people's perspectives through their free online Youth Voice Innovation Storybook.Sport England also use campaigns to encourage young people to get active.The Studio You partnership for PE teachers is powered by their This Girl Can campaign and funded by The National Lottery, and ​is a digital exercise platform for teenage girls across England, ​w​hich teaches a variety of non-competitive activities to ensure no girl is left behind in PE. The Play Their Way campaign for sports coaches e​mpowers coaches to adopt a child-first approach to coaching​ s​o ​children and young people have the best experience possible when developing their interest in sport.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of fragmented media systems on democracy.

It is essential that the public has access to a wide range of views from a variety of accurate and trusted sources to support democratic participation. DCMS is committed to supporting the future sustainability of the media sector and is working across Government to help ensure a coordinated and coherent approach to upholding democracy.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support regional and local media.

Supporting and sustaining local and regional media across the country is a particular concern for this Government, including in Tewkesbury and more broadly across Gloucestershire. The Government understands the important work that local and regional media do, including outlets such as Gloucestershire Live and the Cotswold Journal. 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. The overarching goal of the Strategy is to empower communities through a thriving local media which reflects the issues that matter to them, helping to drive community wellbeing and local growth.We are working across Government and with other stakeholders as the Strategy develops. DCMS ministers held a roundtable discussion with local news editors last year to discuss the planned approach and collaboration with industry on the Strategy. An industry working group has been meeting regularly since June to consider the issues in more detail. More will be announced on the Strategy in the coming months.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC Board on ensuring that it continues to report on local and regional stories of interest.

The Secretary of State meets regularly with the Chair to discuss a wide range of issues.The Government is currently undertaking a review of the BBC’s Royal Charter. The Green Paper sets out our ambition for the BBC to tell a unifying national story that represents all communities across the UK, and to ensure the BBC provides locally relevant services as it supports the delivery of high quality local journalism.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help strengthen public confidence in safeguarding within the Church of England.

All charities should be safe and trusted spaces for everyone; whether employees, volunteers or members of the public. The Charity Commission for England and Wales recently issued a Regulatory Action Plan to the Archbishops' Council of the Church of England. This followed concerns that the charity's trustees were taking too long to implement reforms to safeguarding in the Church of England. The Charity Commission has also recently issued Official Warnings to two Church of England diocesan boards of finance for failures in how safeguarding allegations were handled. The Commission is monitoring the Church charities' compliance with the respective Action Plan and Official Warnings, and will take any steps it considers necessary and within its regulatory remit to hold trustees of Church charities to account.

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to develop a UK major events strategy.

The UK is a world-class host for major events, and the government is investing in a decade-long pipeline to drive economic growth and community impact.Support for sporting events is already established through the Gold Framework. Additionally, DCMS will launch a new Visitor Economy Growth Strategy next year to strengthen the business events industry and enhance the UK's global competitiveness.The Department welcomes the CMS Select Committee Inquiry into major events and continues to engage with industry to address challenges and identify further opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that online platforms offer children diversity of content.

The Government is committed to supporting high-quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content, and the considerable benefits it brings. The popularity of online services, including video-sharing platforms, means there is now more choice than ever for young audiences. The Government is engaging with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high-quality content. We want to ensure children’s programming is easily accessible, and continues to inform, educate, and entertain young people into the future.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support children’s educational content creators on online platforms.

The Government is committed to supporting high-quality, culturally relevant, UK-made children’s content, and the considerable benefits it brings. The popularity of online services, including video-sharing platforms, means there is now more choice than ever for young audiences. The Government is engaging with creators, producers, broadcasters, and video-sharing platforms to see how they can work more closely together to surface UK-made, high-quality content. We want to ensure children’s programming is easily accessible, and continues to inform, educate, and entertain young people into the future.