Speeches by Murray.

“The key thing is that responsibility lies with the Scottish Government, and it is for them to determine how they spend the money. I am very clear in acknowledging and understanding the concerns of Scottish churches about no longer having access to the UK-wide VAT reclaim scheme. The UK Government have introduced a sche…”

“The current Information Commissioner, who becomes the head of the Information Commission, is contracted until January 2027, and the terms will not change for that contract. Through the process of public appointments, the Department will be going through the process of finding a new post-current commissioner. That will …”

“I do not think that it will expand or detract from them. The role of head of the Information Commission is exactly the same as the role of Information Commissioner.[Official Report, 11 March 2026; Vol. 782, c. 3WC.] (Correction) Obviously, before the role was held by an individual with the Information Commission below …”

“Let me take that away, but the answer should be yes. When a lobbying perspective has tried to influence consultations, from Governments of any colour, that has been taken into account when assessing the consultation. Let me take that away and give the hon. Member an exact answer. Even if the consultation receives a bul…”

“Let me answer the questions from the shadow Minister. Do we agree with the Conservative party on how they tabled the new clause? No, we do not. The consultation into the Online Safety Act 2023 and the protection of children online was launched this week. The sheer volume of responses that we have had so far justifies t…”

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026. It is lovely to see you in the Chair, Ms Lewell, as it always is. We have a rowdy bunch of Members on the Committee—I hope does not mean that we will be here …”

“This Government are championing the UK’s living heritage: the crafts, customs and festivals that are important for local pride and community cohesion. Following the ratification of the 2003 UNESCO convention, we invite communities to submit their traditions to inventories of living heritage in the UK. Some examples are…”

“It is not just about building homes and economic drivers; it is about building cultural and heritage communities as well. It is fantastic to see so many infrastructure projects taking shape across Cambridgeshire and Cambridge this year. Cambridge already has a fantastic cultural offer, with Arts Council England’s natio…”

“I thank the hon. Member for being a wonderful champion for Stafford and for culture and arts in Stafford. In February, we announced £1.5 billion over this Parliament for the arts everywhere fund, which is broken down to make sure that we can support infrastructure in every part of the country. The Secretary of State’s …”

“We encourage local authorities to continue to work in partnership with key players in local arts ecosystems, such as Arts Council England, and make the most of the opportunities provided by the mayoral strategic authorities to deliver strategically for culture in their areas. Furthermore, the Government are providing s…”

“The hon. Member makes a great point, and I congratulate to his father on being the professional at St Annes cricket club—I think he said that it was in 1973. If the hon. Member gets in trouble for saying that, I have just said it as well. We know our cricket clubs and all our sports clubs are right at the heart of our …”

“I have not personally had any discussions with my counterpart in the Hellenic Republic on the future of the management of the sculptures. The sculptures are legally owned by the trustees of the British Museum. The chair of the British Museum has been in discussions with the Greek Government about a partnership, includi…”

“It is clear that the UK and Greece do indeed have a strong bilateral relationship built on our shared history and values. We greatly value the friendship that exists between our people and our Governments. It is for the British Museum to seek to reach an agreement with the Greek Government on the loan of the sculptures…”

“I commend my hon. Friend’s campaign for Newcastle’s swing bridge in its 150th anniversary year. I know the Minister for Heritage, who sits in the other place, has been dealing closely with her on those issues. I understand that Newcastle city council is leading a feasibility study on returning the bridge to full operat…”

“The hon. Gentleman raises a very good point. Our museum renewal fund, worth £20 million, is supporting three museum groups in Oxfordshire, including Vale and Downland Museum in his constituency. Our new museum transformation programme, a 5% funding uplift for the ACE national portfolio organisation and the museum devel…”

“I would be delighted to go to Luton carnival; it sounds slightly less scary than participating in skeleton. We would welcome a submission to the living heritage inventories for Luton carnival, which is an important event in my hon. Friend’s constituency, as she has laid out. Congratulations to everyone involved in orga…”

“It is an enormous task to deliver such a historic exhibition, but doing so in such a short timeframe is a particular challenge. Usually, exhibitions at our major museums take three to five years to plan, but the British Museum is rising to the challenge of putting this exhibition on in a little over one year, as well a…”

“My hon. Friend raises the key principle behind what the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I do, in the Department and right across the country. I am an Edinburgh MP, but I remember studying the Bayeux tapestry in primary school some 40 years ago—I know that hon. Members will find that hard to believe.…”

“I am pleased to respond to this debate. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Helena Dollimore) not only on securing this debate, but on her lovely speech. I noticed that she did a little bit of lobbying for Hastings to become the town of culture, and I am sure my officials noted that. This wil…”

“I appreciate the right hon. Gentleman’s intervention. [Interruption.] I am sorry to upset my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell). The Government are acting at pace, but we want to act in the right way. We must act in the right way because this is such a complex and serious issue. It is impo…”