Every parliamentary written question tabled by James Frith this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–17 of 17 · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Media and Sport, what funding she has allocated to paternity leave for each professional tier of each sport.
The Government does not allocate funding to the staffing of professional sport. UK Sport does fund the performance programmes of Olympic and Paralympic sport, but does not allocate specific funding for paternity or maternity leave. Funding is delegated to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to manage in line with the needs of their programmes.
Media and Sport, whether her Department attaches provisions on (a) mentoring and (b) role modelling in its funding of UK sports bodies.
The Department does not attach provisions on mentoring and role modelling in its funding of UK sports bodies. All DCMS funds to sports bodies go through UK Sport and Sport England.
Media and Sport, whether her Department attaches provisions on paternity and parental leave when allocating grants to organisations.
The Department does not include clauses within grant offer letters requiring organisations to adopt specific policies related to paternity or other forms of parental leave as such a requirement would likely go beyond the obligations which can be enforced by the terms and conditions of a grant. Grants are an investment in a specific project which is being run by the grant recipient rather than for the wider operation of an organisation.The Department also does not require organisations to have specific paternity or other forms of parental leave policies in place when bidding for grants.In the event that it became apparent that a grant recipient was not operating within its legal obligations in regard to paternity or other forms of leave then the Department could consider terminating the relevant grant agreement under clause 54 of the standard grant agreement which includes illegal activity as an event of default and therefore a reason for grant termination.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help support the (a) long-term growth, (b) international competitiveness and (c) financial sustainability of the film production sector in the UK.
We are committed to supporting the growth and sustainability of the film sector. We provide globally competitive tax measures to incentivise production. We are investing in infrastructure through continued funding via the British Film Commission (BFC) which has doubled the amount of studio space since 2020, and we are providing a 40% business rates relief for eligible film studios until 2034. We are supporting our independent domestic sector through our 53% independent film tax relief and committing a further £7m this year to the UK Global Screen Fund to promote and distribute UK independent screen content. We are strengthening our public service broadcasters through the Media Act. And we are working with industry to support the skills pipeline to ensure the sustainability of the sector for years to come. As part of our Industrial Strategy, we will soon publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan, which will set out actions to support the growth of the film and TV sector.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure the financial sustainability of film studios in the UK.
We are committed to supporting the growth and sustainability of the film sector. We provide globally competitive tax measures to incentivise production. We are investing in infrastructure through continued funding via the British Film Commission (BFC) which has doubled the amount of studio space since 2020, and we are providing a 40% business rates relief for eligible film studios until 2034. We are supporting our independent domestic sector through our 53% independent film tax relief and committing a further £7m this year to the UK Global Screen Fund to promote and distribute UK independent screen content. We are strengthening our public service broadcasters through the Media Act. And we are working with industry to support the skills pipeline to ensure the sustainability of the sector for years to come. As part of our Industrial Strategy, we will soon publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan, which will set out actions to support the growth of the film and TV sector.
Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 44518 on BetIndex and Football Index, if she will introduce a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money through the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex.
Whilst the Government deeply sympathises with those impacted by the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex, we do not plan to introduce a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money as a result.
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to take steps to modernise (a) heritage and (b) community protection schemes to support (i) nightclubs, (ii) grassroots music venues and (iii) other contemporary cultural venues.
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. Applications for listing specific nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces can be made to the Secretary of State via Historic England.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) listing and National Portfolio programmes and (b) other heritage and community protection schemes reflect (i) nightclubs, (ii) music venues and (iii) other contemporary cultural spaces.
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. Applications for listing specific nightclubs, music venues or other contemporary cultural spaces can be made to the Secretary of State via Historic England.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that people affected by press wrongdoing have access to redress.
The Government does not intervene in or oversee the work of the UK’s independent press regulators. We are clear, however, that with this independence comes responsibility, and newspapers and regulators have a responsibility to ensure access to clear, timely and effective routes to redress.If a member of the public objects to practices of the press they can complain directly to the publication, or the relevant independent regulator, including Impress or the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). These regulators enforce codes of conduct which provide guidelines on a range of areas, including discrimination, accuracy, privacy, and harassment. If they find that a newspaper has broken the code of conduct, they can order corrections. Both regulators also offer arbitration schemes for legal claims relating to defamation, privacy and harassment.
Media and Sport, what plans she has to consult on reforms to press regulation.
The Government currently has no plans to consult on reforms to press regulation.
Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a regulator levy to fund compensation for people who lost money through the collapse of Football Index and BetIndex.
I refer my Honourable Friend to the answer I gave on 8 January 2025 to Question UIN 21381.
Media and Sport, with reference to the UK Live Comedy Sector Survey Report 2024, published on 6 February 2025, if her Department will take steps to recognise live comedy as an art form, in the context of eligibility for funding from (a) Arts Council England, (b) the National Lottery and (c) other organisations.
Comedy is a vital performing art and contributes to the mental health and wellbeing of people, not just in the UK, but around the world. It forms part of our cultural landscape, enriching lives, shaping our collective identity.Arts Council England funds numerous organisations and venues that support comedy. For the purposes of ACE funding, comedy is considered under the broad term of ‘theatre.’ This means that as long as a performer, club or promoter meets the eligibility criteria for specific programmes, then ACE welcomes funding applications. Between the financial years covering 2010/11 to 2024/25 ACE has awarded £12,296,254 in funding where an applicant name, project title or subclassifier contains the word “comedy”.Venues such as theatres also benefit from tax relief. The government believes tax relief is essential to help incentivise investment in productions, and to contribute to innovation and economic growth, enabling arts organisations to continue to produce new content which is vital in keeping them competitive on an international stage.
Media and Sport, whether her Department plans to provide support to the Live Comedy Association's initiative to consult with the sector on (a) introducing a code of conduct and (b) improving working conditions.
Comedy is a vital performing art and part of our cultural landscape. It enriches lives. It shapes our collective identity. And it provides a much-needed corrective to pervasive political pomposity and prolixity, especially from ministers.The government welcomes constructive action on improving working conditions across the creative industries. We know that poor working practices represent a threat to growth and disproportionately affect people who are under-represented. We welcome further details on the Live Comedy Association initiative to consider how we can provide support.More widely, the Good Work Review, published in February 2023, by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre, was the first sectoral deep dive of its kind into job quality and working practice in the creative industries. We are working closely with the sector as it responds to the recommendations of the review, which set out a number of priorities, including developing dedicated support and guidance for self-employed and freelance creators, building awareness of employment rights and responsibilities for creative workers and businesses, and encouraging the establishment of good work standards that reflect the distinct job quality issues in creative sub-sectors.
Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of re-establishing the Cultural Renewal taskforce.
The Cultural Renewal Taskforce was set up to develop guidance for the safe reopening of DCMS sectors following the coronavirus pandemic. There are no plans at present to re-establish the Taskforce.
Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on supporting non-UK (a) artists, (b) sponsors and (c) creative workers to work in the UK.
We have had no such recent meetings, but there are already several routes that provide opportunities for artists and creatives to come to the UK. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers, artists, and their technical staff, from non-visa national countries (such as EU/EEA nationals) to perform in the UK for up to 6 months without requiring a visa, as long as they are not receiving payment from a UK source other than prize money or expenses. Musicians, entertainers and artists from visa-national countries are likewise able to perform in the UK via the Standard Visitor route, and/or if performing at a festival detailed on the Permit Free Festivals list.Additionally, the Creative Worker visa allows a professional artist, model, entertainer or musician (applicable to all nationalities) to carry out activity directly relating to their profession, if they have a Sponsor who is licensed by the Home Office and has assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship to theindividual.We are committed to continuing to work closely with stakeholders to better understand their needs and challenges within the immigration system. This includes exploring ways to better streamline the processes within existing frameworks, to ensure the UK remains an attractive destination for global creative talent.
Media and Sport, whether she plans to re-introduce the Young Audience Content Fund.
The Government has no plans to re-introduce the Young Audiences Content Fund which concluded on 31 March 2022. However, the Government is committed to the success of our world-leading TV production sector. UK-wide television and film tax reliefs, including for children’s television programming, continue to play a vital role in driving production, with more than £4 billion of expenditure supported in 2023.
Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) the Independent Football Regulator plays an integral role in the process to settle the distribution deal and (b) the distribution deal must pass parameters set by the regulator.
The Independent Football Regulator will only have the power to intervene on distributions as a last resort. The backstop mechanism has been designed to give the industry the opportunity and incentives to reach a timely, industry-led solution to distributions and it is right that the Regulator only steps in as a last resort.If the relevant leagues cannot reach an agreement independently, they can apply to trigger the backstop. Then, if certain thresholds are met, the backstop can be triggered.First, the relevant leagues will enter into a period of mediation and, if there is still no agreement, they will move to a final proposal stage.At this point, the Regulator would convene an independent expert panel that will set out the relevant questions that need to be addressed through the arbitration and invite final proposals from both relevant leagues with accompanying analysis. The independent expert panel will then choose the proposal most consistent with the regulator’s objectives with consideration to potential burden on the commercial interests of the leagues. If neither proposal is consistent, the regulator will terminate the process without making a distribution order.