Written questions by Hayes.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support people with gambling addiction in Lincolnshire.

Those experiencing gambling-related harm in Lincolnshire can access specialist treatment through the NHS East Midlands Gambling Harms Service and a range of support through the National Gambling Support Network.To improve and expand the services available to tackle gambling-related harm, the Government is introducing a statutory levy on gambling operators to improve and expand research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. This will include ringfenced funding overseen by NHS England and appropriate bodies in Scotland and Wales to commission the full treatment pathway, from referral and triage through to aftercare.

Media and Sport, for what purposes the Charity Commission has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.The Charity Commission has used Generative AI (GenAI) in the production and editing of some video content in the past 12 months.The Charity Commission has robust internal policies in place that define acceptable and prohibited uses for GenAI modules and applications, to ensure its legal and ethical use.The Charity Commission also considers the Generative AI Framework for HM Government when making decisions concerning the approval of GenAI tools and use cases.

Media and Sport, how the National Youth Strategy will help tackle barriers to opportunity for children and young people in (a) South Holland and The Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The National Youth Strategy will be co-produced with young people and the youth sector to ensure it meets the needs of young people right across the country. This Government is also committed to tackling barriers to opportunity for all young people through the Opportunity Mission.

Media and Sport, for what purposes The National Archives has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.The National Archives has used artificial intelligence for over the past 12 months and its officials have, with robust safeguards, piloted the use of AI in several areas, seeking to:Speed up office-based tasks. For example, piloting the transcription of some internal meetings and summarising texts.Improve public services. For example, investigating creating short summaries of record descriptions for the online catalogue and identifying amendments and enabling powers in legislation on legislation.gov.uk.Support the government to better manage its information. For example, investigating AI tools to aid officials in the appraisal, selection and sensitivity review of digital records before their transfer for preservation at The National Archives.Aid research into historical records. For example, transcribing handwritten and printed text in historical records.The National Archives can draw on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform AI usage. For example the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework and the AI Opportunities Action Plan.The National Archives also has access to the Government Digital Service, part of the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, for expert advice.

Media and Sport, how much funding her Department has provided to youth groups in South Holland and the Deepings constituency in the two latest periods for which data is available; and if she will take steps to increase that funding.

DCMS has not directly provided funding to youth groups for youthwork activities in the South Holland and the Deepings constituency. Local authorities hold the 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.The National Youth Strategy will be co-produced with young people and the youth sector to ensure it meets the needs of young people right across the country. This Government is also committed to tackling barriers to opportunity for all young people through the Opportunity Mission.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to facilitate education on gambling-related harms for young people.

We are committed to protecting children and young people from gambling harm. Since 2020, children have been taught about the risks relating to gambling as part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England. The Gambling Commission also publishes an annual survey on children’s exposure to, and involvement in, all types of gambling to help us monitor gambling-related harm amongst children.We are introducing a statutory levy to be paid by gambling operators raising funding for research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. The levy will play an important part in the Government’s wider aim to have a better informed and protected public when it comes to gambling-related harms.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of public libraries in rural areas.

Public libraries play a vital role in sustaining community networks in rural areas, offering a range of activities and support services to meet local needs and bring people together.Local authorities in England have a statutory duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service. They are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.There is a network of over 2,500 static libraries in the statutory network across England, supported by a number of mobile and home library services. Public library services are found in all types of communities, urban and rural; and are used by all demographics of people.

Media and Sport, how much was paid in bonuses to staff in her Department in 2023-24.

Departments are required to publish data related to non-consolidated performance payments on an annual basis. The publication date for the 2023/24 data is yet to be confirmed, but will happen over the coming months.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of regulation of gambling (a) advertising, (b) sponsorship and (c) marketing.

There are a range of robust rules in place to ensure that gambling adverts, wherever they appear, are socially responsible. The Gambling Commission is further strengthening protections on marketing to improve customer control and ensure marketing does not exacerbate harm. However, as the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, more needs to be done to improve protections. The industry now has a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.Regarding sponsorship, all major sporting bodies have published their gambling sponsorship Codes of Conduct, setting minimum standards for socially responsible gambling sponsorships. The Premier League’s decision to ban front-of-shirt sponsorship by gambling firms will also commence by the end of the 2025/26 season. The Department will closely monitor the implementation of the Codes to ensure they have a meaningful impact.

Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment the effectiveness of self-regulation by the gambling industry with regard to gambling advertising.

There are a range of robust rules in place to ensure that gambling adverts, wherever they appear, are socially responsible. However, as the Gambling Minister set out in her speech at the GambleAware conference on 4 December, more needs to be done to improve protections. The industry now has a clear task to further raise standards to ensure that levels of gambling advertising does not exacerbate harm, and this work will be monitored closely.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to support new FM licences for radio stations in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

The growth and development of digital radio and changes in listener behaviour have resulted in a clear shift away from analogue listening – digital listening now accounts for 74% of all radio listening (RAJAR Q3 2024). Although AM/FM platforms remain important for smaller commercial and community stations, significant numbers of listeners are migrating to digital platforms.The licensing of AM/FM radio services is a matter for Ofcom, and in October Ofcom set out its current approach to licensing in a progress report on the rollout of small-scale DAB (SSDAB) technology. This report set out Ofcom’s current view that SSDAB offers audiences a wider range of services and makes a more efficient use of spectrum than FM, and committed to at least two further rounds of SSDAB licensing before considering the possibility of any further analogue licensing in the future.

Media and Sport, how many full-time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion staff are employed by the Charity Commission.

The Charity Commission for England and Wales has no full time equivalent diversity, equality and inclusion staff.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to tackle gambling advertisements (a) online and (b) on television which are targeted at young people.

There are a range of robust rules and restrictions which apply to gambling adverts, wherever they appear, to ensure they are socially responsible.As part of the UK Advertising Codes, issued by the Committees for Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Co...

Media and Sport, whether external (a) guidance and (b) training has been contracted for discussing (i) unconscious bias, (ii) critical race theory and (iii) decolonisation with staff in her Department.

The information requested is not centrally held.However, Ministers believe that the application of critical race theory threatens to undermine integration and community cohesion, by exaggerating differences within local communities. Instead, we should be ...

Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to ensure that a proportion of the money raised from the statutory levy on gambling operators will be allocated to (a) charities and (b) other organisations that fo

As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, we will introduce a statutory levy charged to all licensed gambling operators to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm.The government is clea...

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions on the charity sector.

The recent Budget took the tough choices needed to fix the foundations and restore economic stability. DCMS Ministers have spoken to representatives from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector and are aware of their concerns about th...

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support charities in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Charities play a vital role in supporting our communities, and have a rich understanding of the local areas in which they are embedded, such as in South Holland and the Deepings.DCMS is supporting the sector across England in a number of ways, including t...

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of youth services in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, 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. At the Autumn Budg...

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing funding for the Spalding Flower Parade.

I think of floristry as one of the great unsung British creative industries, with florists providing imaginative joy for vital family and civic occasions and for private happiness in every constituency in the land. The reinstatement of the Spalding Flower...

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase funding for arts and culture in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.

After 14 years of indifference and cultural vandalism, this government is committed to making sure that arts and cultural activities will no longer be the preserve of a privileged few. We are working with Arts Council England and others to understand what...