Written questions by Morello.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has had discussions with the Eden Project on support for Eden Portland.

The Department welcomes the ambition of the Eden Project Portland and its stated aims to contribute to tourism, biodiversity education, and scientific learning on the Jurassic Coast.In relation to departmental support, officials discussed the project with representatives of the Eden Portland Project on 22 April 2025. It was explained that while primary responsibility for considering central Government funding for a project of this nature rests with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my department would be happy to engage with them to express our support for the project’s significant cultural, heritage, and tourism contributions.I remain focussed on creating the conditions for the visitor economy to thrive. My department is working closely with the sector to draft a Visitor Economy Growth Strategy, which we anticipate publishing later this year. We encourage projects like Eden Portland to engage with their Local Visitor Economy Partnership, in this case the Visit Dorset Business Support Hub, to ensure they are aligned with and can benefit from this important work.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to develop a cross-departmental strategy on youth work.

DCMS is leading a National Youth Strategy in collaboration with a number of other key departments to set out a new long-term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this. This strategy will cover youth services, provision and policy at local, regional and national levels. We are co-producing this National Youth Strategy with young people and cross-sector experts and so the breadth of issues will be shaped by our engagement. The Strategy will better coordinate youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level, moving away from siloed working - ensuring we are better coordinated and more than the sum of our parts. We will publish the Strategy in the Autumn.

Media and Sport, what recent steps her Department has taken to promote the Women's Rugby World Cup.

We are ambitious and want to make this the biggest Women’s World Cup (RWC) ever. Over 400,000 tickets have already been sold for the tournament, more than double the number bought for the previous tournament in New Zealand in 2022, including a sold out final at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham highlighting the demand for women’s sport in the country. The Government is proud to have provided just under £18m of investment into the tournament since summer 2024 which will be used for all aspects of tournament delivery. In addition to this DCMS Ministers have supported the promotion of the tournament directly with the Secretary of State Lisa Nandy appearing on the BBC at the 100 Days to go event which also coincided with the reveal of the new Women's RWC trophy. I was then delighted to represent the Department at the 50 Days to go Event held in Parliament and the England teams opening match of the tournament in Sunderland against the USA.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of youth workers on levels of costs for (a) the NHS and (b) other public bodies providing services to young people.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. We have not made an assessment of the potential impact of youth workers on costs for the NHS or other relevant public bodies, instead, we utilise the wealth of external research indicating the positive impact youth work and youth services can have on young people’s health and other outcomes, including helping to reduce costs for a range of public services. The new National Youth Strategy will better coordinate youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level, moving away from siloed working and driving efficiencies - ensuring we are better coordinated and more than the sum of our parts.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help encourage girls to participate in grassroots rugby in (a) schools and (b) local clubs through its funding for the Impact 25 programme.

Since July 2024 the Government has invested £6.78m in Impact 25 the legacy programme for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Impact 25 supports women's and girls' clubs across England as part of the Rugby Football Union’s ambition to widen female participation. It has provided investment to 850 clubs to improve facilities and to train 3,385 new female coaches and match officials, making coaching sessions and matches more accessible contributing to a 35% increase in female age grade registrations in England rising from 17,700 places in 2022 to 23,900 in 2025. The programme has provided direct support to clubs in the West Dorset constituency, providing £10,000 of funding to Bridport RFC , Dorchester RFC and Sherborne RFC. Each club received funding for a ‘Girls Activity Day Pack’ to introduce girls aged 6-12 to rugby with activities, merchandise, and prizes (such as tickets to a Women's Rugby World Cup match). All clubs also received sanitary product packages which are made freely available in club restrooms. More broadly, we want as many girls as possible to get involved in sport and physical activity, including in schools. That is why on 19 June 2025, the Government announced a new School Sport Partnerships model and a new Enrichment Framework for schools to ensure all young people have equal access to high-quality sport and extracurricular activity. Girls will be given the same opportunity as boys to play sports at school.

Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the organisers of the Women's Rugby World Cup on the organisation of that event.

The Government is committed to delivering international events with pride, building upon the UK’s global reputation for excellence in staging major sporting events.The Government holds regular discussions with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and World Rugby, as joint venture partners, to ensure the successful delivery of the Women's Rugby World Cup (Women’s RWC) 2025. The Secretary of State and I attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup 100 ‘Days to go’ launch event in May 2025, where we discussed tournament delivery with senior RFU figures and other stakeholders.I also met with senior RFU figures while supporting England at the opening fixture and semi final of the Women's Rugby World Cup and discussed the delivery of the tournament.We are confident that the great collaboration which has taken place across all delivery partners will result in a landmark moment not just for women’s rugby but for women’s sport.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with youth sector representatives on the role of youth work in helping young people (a) prepare for and (b) access employment.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. That is why this government launched the co-production of an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, which has been developed together with the youth sector.The new National Youth Strategy is being co-produced with cross-sector input from stakeholders working with and for young people, particularly drawing on the connections and expertise of the youth sector. We have run engagement sessions in partnership with a range of services, to ensure the strategy can advise and support the youth sector effectively, including to support young people to prepare for and access employment.

Media and Sport, what recent steps she has taken to support youth work that promotes volunteering opportunities among young people.

We know that being part of supportive communities, accessing youth work, youth provision and volunteering opportunities can transform young people’s lives. The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) supports the youth work sector in a number of ways, including through funding the National Youth Agency (NYA) to maintain youth work qualifications, curriculum and national standards for England. The NYA youth work curriculum outlines why and how to involve young people in volunteering and social action in their communities.We also fund and support the #iwill Movement, the only national movement which champions and supports young people engaged in social action, including volunteering. The National Lottery Community Fund and DCMS have jointly run the #iwill Fund since 2016, funding the creation of youth social action opportunities for an estimated 900,000 young people across the country.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of youth work on (a) helping young people stay safe and (b) building relationships in communities.

This Government recognises the important role that youth work plays in young people’s lives. We know that youth workers are vital to youth services, building trusted relationships and creating safe spaces for young people. We also acknowledge the challenges facing the sector and the changing needs of the young people it supports.That is why this government launched the co-production of an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, which has been developed together with the youth sector. As part of the National Youth Strategy, we are exploring what young people’s current needs are, looking at access to safe spaces, role models, communities and much more. We will be publishing an interim report shortly, and the Strategy will be published in the autumn.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support youth organisations serving (a) isolated and (b) rural communities in West Dorset constituency.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential.We also, however, acknowledge the challenges facing the sector and the changing needs of the young people it supports — especially those in rural areas, who often face additional barriers such as limited access to services, transport, and opportunities.That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy will support better coordination of youth services across different regions — including remote and underserved areas and move away from one-size-fits-all approaches from central government. By doing so, we will bring power back to young people and their communities, rebuild a thriving and sustainable sector, and ensure that rural youth are not left behind.We will be publishing an interim report shortly, and the Strategy will be published in Autumn.

Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of youth workers on improving young people’s (a) physical and (b) mental health outcomes.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to help young people live safe and healthy lives, and we are committed to giving all young people the chance to reach their full potential. We know that youth workers are vital to youth services, building trusted relationships and creating safe spaces for young people.That is why this government launched the co-production of an ambitious new National Youth Strategy, which has been developed together with the youth sector. The new National Youth Strategy is being co-produced with cross-sector input from stakeholders working with and for young people, particularly drawing on the connections and expertise of the youth sector.DCMS has also commissioned research analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study and the UK Households Longitudinal Survey (longitudinal surveys) which found that at the time of participation, regular attendees of youth activities were more likely to be in good health and not drink/take illegal drugs compared to young people who do not attend youth activities.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking through youth services to help increase (a) school attendance and (b) the number of young people staying in education.

This Government fully recognises the importance of youth services to live safe and healthy lives, and the positive impact youth services can have on young people, including in educational settings.That is why we are co-producing a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy will better coordinate youth services and policy at a local, regional and national level, moving away from siloed working - ensuring we are better coordinated and more than the sum of our parts.We know that youth services will help deliver the government’s missions, and the National Youth Strategy will work alongside developing Young Future hubs, the Curriculum and Assessment Review and further work across government to fulfill our commitment to improve young people’s lives.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to youth work provision in (a) West Dorset constituency and (b) other rural areas.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people in their area. Local Authorities fund youth services from their Local Government Finance Settlement in line with local need.DCMS has also published statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the long-term financial sustainability of arts centres.

The Government is working closely with the sector to understand the needs of arts centres, which are integral to communities up and down the country. Through sector engagement, as well as the recent Arup and Future Arts Centres report, Evaluating Capital Investment Needs for Arts Centres in the UK, we are aware that arts centres are facing challenges with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work.Arts centres that meet other eligibility criteria will be eligible to apply for the fund. This fund will offer vital support to prevent the closure of operating cultural spaces and the potential irrevocable loss to local communities and economies. However, inspections on building conditions are excluded from the CFF. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.

Media and Sport, if she will make capital funding available to arts centres for regular inspections on building conditions.

The Government is working closely with the sector to understand the needs of arts centres, which are integral to communities up and down the country. Through sector engagement, as well as the recent Arup and Future Arts Centres report, Evaluating Capital Investment Needs for Arts Centres in the UK, we are aware that arts centres are facing challenges with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) will support arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. An important part of this government’s growth mission, this fund aims to strengthen the long-term economic viability of the creative and cultural industries. The fund will support organisations to continue delivering creative or cultural activity, support growth and increase opportunities to develop creative skills and engage in high-quality creative work.Arts centres that meet other eligibility criteria will be eligible to apply for the fund. This fund will offer vital support to prevent the closure of operating cultural spaces and the potential irrevocable loss to local communities and economies. However, inspections on building conditions are excluded from the CFF. Full eligibility details in the guidance can be found on ACE’s website.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support to help (a) Bridport Arts Centre and (b) Dorchester Arts to help meet (i) energy efficiency and (ii) accessibility standards; and what capital funding she has allocated to regional arts centres over the period of the Spending Review 2025.

Our arms-length body Arts Council England (ACE) is investing £176,345 over three years in Bridport Arts Centre as part of their National Portfolio 2023-26 (NPO). In 2024/25 ACE granted a further £20,000 to Bridport Arts Centre from their Area Funds to explore the lease/ownership of the building which will have a direct impact on their ability to address energy efficiency and accessibility.In 2024/25 ACE invested £12,650 in Dorchester Arts through their open-access National Lottery Project Grants to deliver a festival of scriptwriting. All recipients of ACE funding remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities.The Spending Review sets out DCMS’s high-level funding settlement, and individual decisions on how to invest departmental resources will be determined in due course. The Spending Review does, however, commit to significant investment into Arts, Culture, and Heritage infrastructure. Across the spending review period DCMS will be delivering funding across its major capital programmes, supporting local institutions and leveraging economic growth across the regions.DCMS has not had any recent discussions with Bridport Arts Centre or Dorchester Arts directly, however, in September 2024, ACE held discussions with Bridport Arts Centre about their lease on their Grade II listed building as the contract end approaches.On 23 June, an ACE Annual Progress Review took place to assess Bridport Arts Centre’s progress against the objectives set out in their ACE funding agreement over 12 months. This included consideration of their contribution to ACE’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle which includes energy efficiency.Both organisations are eligible to apply to ACE’s current round of capital funding, and more information can be found on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/capital

Media and Sport, whether her Department has held recent discussions with (a) Bridport Arts Centre and (b) Dorchester Arts on access to capital funding (i) to tackle maintenance backlogs and (ii) for modernisation.

Our arms-length body Arts Council England (ACE) is investing £176,345 over three years in Bridport Arts Centre as part of their National Portfolio 2023-26 (NPO). In 2024/25 ACE granted a further £20,000 to Bridport Arts Centre from their Area Funds to explore the lease/ownership of the building which will have a direct impact on their ability to address energy efficiency and accessibility.In 2024/25 ACE invested £12,650 in Dorchester Arts through their open-access National Lottery Project Grants to deliver a festival of scriptwriting. All recipients of ACE funding remain fully responsible for their operations, artistic programme, and the day-to-day management of their activities.The Spending Review sets out DCMS’s high-level funding settlement, and individual decisions on how to invest departmental resources will be determined in due course. The Spending Review does, however, commit to significant investment into Arts, Culture, and Heritage infrastructure. Across the spending review period DCMS will be delivering funding across its major capital programmes, supporting local institutions and leveraging economic growth across the regions.DCMS has not had any recent discussions with Bridport Arts Centre or Dorchester Arts directly, however, in September 2024, ACE held discussions with Bridport Arts Centre about their lease on their Grade II listed building as the contract end approaches.On 23 June, an ACE Annual Progress Review took place to assess Bridport Arts Centre’s progress against the objectives set out in their ACE funding agreement over 12 months. This included consideration of their contribution to ACE’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle which includes energy efficiency.Both organisations are eligible to apply to ACE’s current round of capital funding, and more information can be found on their website here: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/developing-creativity-and-culture/capital

Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to review the powers of the Charity Commission when allegations are made about links between UK charities and hostile states.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of the Charity Commission’s powers to (a) regulate and (b) take action against (i) misconduct and (ii) mismanagement in charities.

As the independent regulator, the Charity Commission for England and Wales has a wide range of powers to tackle misconduct or mismanagement in charities. It acts robustly to tackle those who abuse charities.In 2023-24 the Charity Commission concluded 3,710 regulatory concern cases, 65 statutory inquiries, and exercised its legal powers on 2,189 occasions.Concerns about links to hostile states are taken seriously. Any evidence that there is misconduct or mismanagement within a registered charity should be referred to the Charity Commission.Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Charity Commission and I met with the Commission last week to discuss these and other matters. We keep the Charity Commission's powers under regular review and are actively considering whether further powers are required.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support hotels in West Dorset constituency.

The Government recognises that hotels in the West Dorset constituency are a major driver of the local economy, contributing to tourism revenue, creating jobs and supporting related industries like restaurants, retail, and transportation. The Government supports hotels across West Dorset through measures such as business rates relief, and funding opportunities like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the aim to alleviate operational costs, promote regional tourism, and drive economic growth.On Friday 2 May, it was announced that Dorset has acquired LVEP status. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country. They will work collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners to communicate investment opportunities and to showcase Dorset's strengths as a place to live, work, study and invest in, as well as a premier destination for visitors.