Speeches by Platt.

“Jay, how wide should the scope of a statutory deposit scheme be, and should it include online content?”

“Thank you for attending this morning. I am going to go back to screen heritage and the fantastic trip we had, where we conducted a roundtable. It was really important to follow on from the predecessor Committee and its findings, and to discuss the challenges and concerns. This first question is to Ben: what would be th…”

“Similarly, independent cinema argues that the exhibition has historically been ignored with public funding for skills and development. Just 2.6% of ScreenSkills funding has supported skills in the exhibition sector. How can Government address that?”

“I want to continue on the skills challenges, but more industry-specific—this follows on from what you were saying. We visited the archives and learned that there is no formal training for film archivists in the UK, at either apprenticeship or degree level. That is a huge problem for that particular industry. The indust…”

“This last question is to you Ben. The BFI had its own screen strategy, but that expired in 2022. You have referred to it in a few of the other questions. What are the gaps in support for the archives that you would want to see if—and when—developing this new strategy?”

“How effective do you think that ScreenSkills is as an industry-wide skills body?”

“My hon. Friend makes an excellent point on an issue that I will come to. I think the Government will be focused on that change. For the Labour Government, this is a pivotal moment—a chance to make culture truly accessible for all, and to ensure that communities like mine in Leigh and Atherton experience culture as a dr…”

“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is an honour to follow the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage), who is an excellent chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, even when she is telling me off for going over my allotted time. Growing up in Manchester in the ’90s, I saw at first hand how culture can…”

“I often joke that my time between being an MP and being re-elected was less a career break and more a sabbatical. During that time, I had the pleasure and great opportunity of working at a fantastic facility—Leigh Spinners Mill. We created affordable spaces for local businesses and community organisations to set up and…”

“It is an immense privilege to speak in this debate and express my heartfelt support for Holocaust Memorial Day. This day is not merely a reflection on a single tragedy in human history; it is a time to remember the 6 million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust and to honour those who survived. …”

“Q7. Alongside other Greater Manchester MPs, I recently met constituents who shared distressing accounts of a spinal surgeon’s malpractice affecting many across the region. They have formed an injured staff and patient group, but despite a review, they feel that justice has not been served, and the hospital trust is yet…”

“T6. Groups such as Action for ME and Long Covid Support tirelessly advocate for improved care for over 2 million people living in the UK. How will the Minister ensure that NHS reforms deliver timely diagnosis, effective treatment and long-term support for those affected?”

“My hon. Friend is making some excellent points about our high streets. The Government’s recent move to introduce high street rental auctions is a game changer for places such as Leigh and Atherton. Local businesses such as local construction firm WJ Structures are eager to regenerate, but are often held back by obstruc…”

“I am neatly going to go into the same subject in a way—funding—but for sports and grassroots sports in particular. I am going to blow Leigh and Atherton’s trumpet. I come from a great sporting constituency, especially from a grassroots level. Again, the same issue applies: sometimes funding does not get to where it is …”

“Going back to the point that I made before with regard to the creative industries, they probably feel that they get things done to them rather than being involved and having a stake in it. How will you restore stakeholders’ trust that ACE’s funding decisions are completely independent of Government?”

“Perfect. The Labour party sector plan prioritised equality of access to arts and culture, which you have mentioned earlier. What changes do you think are needed to enact that?”

“Again on how we are informing all creatives, a lot of this information does not necessarily cascade down to where it needs to go. Yes, the bigger institutions will obviously feed in and that is what we usually see, but people need to submit because they need their say in this; that is an important aspect.”

“Is there scope and timelines on this? I know you have said you will be announcing around Christmas, this side of Christmas, but is there any timeline for how long that process will take?”

“I want to go back to what you mentioned earlier—the Arts Council. Chair, I would like to declare an interest. I have submitted Arts Council bids while working with some of the creative industries in my previous job, which gave me that opportunity of working with the most amazing creatives during that time. I also see t…”

“Is this not just old funding? It is a re‑announcement of funding that has already been allocated?”