Written questions by Hollinrake.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 43101 on Tower of London, whether her Department has received correspondence from (a) ICOMOS and (b) UNESCO in relation to the potential impact of the proposals for a Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint on the Tower of London World Heritage Site; and if she will place a copy of the paragraph 172 notification letter sent by her Department on 25 February 2025 in the Library.

No, the Department has not received any correspondence from ICOMOS or UNESCO regarding the potential impact of the proposals on the Tower of London World Heritage Site.Yes, a copy of the paragraph 172 notification sent by the Department on 28 February 2025 will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Media and Sport, whether her Department's planned national mandatory registration scheme will apply to (a) second homes and (b) second homes which are let occasionally.

The registration scheme for short-term lets legislated for in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 will apply to specified short-term rental properties in England. The detailed scope of the scheme, including how it will apply to second homes, and second homes which are let occasionally, is still being determined and details will be announced in due course.

Media and Sport, with reference to the press release entitled Multi-billion-pound investment secured as Universal theme park and resort set to be built in Bedford, bringing thousands of jobs, published on 9 April 2025, whether (a) Government funding and (b) bespoke tax relief is being provided to (i) Universal Studios and (ii) the local council to support the deal.

Details of negotiations between private investors and the Government are currently confidential but will be set out in due course.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2025 to Question on Public Consultation; Young People, if she will list the DCMS-funded youth programmes through which young people were invited to participate in the long-term strategy for communities.

We invited young people from #iWill and UK Youth Parliament to participate in the roundtables.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 39015 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, if she will have discussions with Historic England on its approach to engaging with the public inquiry on the Chinese Embassy planning application.

Neither I, nor the Secretary of State, have any plans to discuss this matter with Historic England.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 35700 on Tower of London, whether the Government has had discussions with UNESCO on the potential impact of the planning application for a new Chinese Embassy at the Royal Mint on the Tower of London World Heritage site.

On 28 February 2025, DCMS submitted a ‘paragraph 172 notification’ letter to the World Heritage Centre that included updated information on a range of developments relating to the Tower of London World Heritage Site. The letter included an update on the planning process for the redevelopment of the Royal Mint Court, noting that Historic England does not disagree with the conclusions of the Heritage Impact Assessment that any impacts on the Tower of London World Heritage Site from the proposed development would be minimal. As the Heritage Impact Assessment has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and since the Public Inquiry has closed, DCMS as State Party has not requested further specific advice from ICOMOS (the advisors to UNESCO).

Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Historic England on the reasons for which it did not appear at the public inquiry on the Chinese Embassy planning application.

DCMS Ministers have had no such discussions.

Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed Chinese Embassy near the Tower of London World Heritage Site on its UNESCO world heritage status.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is the UK State Party to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, but does not make assessments of planning applications and their impact on World Heritage Sites.

Media and Sport, whether the Government has submitted a report to UNESCO on the state of the Tower of London World Heritage Site.

I can confirm that DCMS, as the State Party to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, submitted a State of Conservation Report for the Tower of London World Heritage Site to UNESCO in November 2024, at UNESCO’s request. The executive summary of this report is published online: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/488/documents/We expect the report to be considered by members of the World Heritage Committee at the annual committee meeting in July 2025.

Media and Sport, with reference to the Answer of 1 December 2020 to Question 119355 on Planning Permission: Local Press, what her Department's policy is on the continued role of statutory notices in local newspapers, in relation to (a) the revenue for local newspapers and (b) bringing matters of importance to the attention of local residents.

Public notices are important for ensuring that the public is kept informed of decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property. The independent 2019 Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism found that public notices are also an important source of revenue for local newspapers. The sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, intended to take advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and provide a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We continue to monitor the progress of the Portal and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices.We also welcome the plans for expansion of the Portal, announced in December and funded by the Google News Initiative, including a fully searchable archive and new consultation functions to help public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively. We consider this type of industry innovation and collaboration to be integral to securing the sector’s future, and will seek to further support and incentivise it through our Local Media Strategy.With specific reference to the answer to Question 119355 on 1 December 2020, planning law requires local planning authorities to publicise planning applications through various means, including site notices, advertisements in local newspapers, and publishing information on their website. In addition to these requirements, we are exploring ways to enhance community engagement in the planning system, including by leveraging digital platforms.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to continue to publish statutory notices in local newspapers.

Public notices are important for ensuring that the public is kept informed of decisions made by their council which may affect their quality of life, local services or amenities, or their property. The independent 2019 Cairncross Review into sustainable journalism found that public notices are also an important source of revenue for local newspapers. The sector’s Public Notice Portal is a welcome innovation, intended to take advantage of print publishers’ growing digital audiences and provide a centralised resource for all types of public notice. We continue to monitor the progress of the Portal and the effect that it has on the audience reach of public notices.We also welcome the plans for expansion of the Portal, announced in December and funded by the Google News Initiative, including a fully searchable archive and new consultation functions to help public bodies and commercial entities engage with the public more effectively. We consider this type of industry innovation and collaboration to be integral to securing the sector’s future, and will seek to further support and incentivise it through our Local Media Strategy.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of boycotts of Israeli participation in (a) sporting and (b) cultural events on levels of community cohesion in the UK.

Sports, arts, and culture are powerful ways to bring communities together. As such, we do not support sports or cultural boycotts in principle, including in relation to Israel.Any disruption or threat to community cohesion is of concern. DCMS therefore works closely with sport and cultural stakeholders to identify issues and to minimise any negative impact on community cohesion. The Secretary of State recently met with a delegation led by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to discuss their experiences of working in the arts and cultural sector at a time of increased tension in the Middle East. She was very concerned by the scale and extent of their experiences and made clear her own view, and that of the government, that antisemitism is as unacceptable in the arts as it is anywhere else in society.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the number of nightclub closures in the UK since 2020.

The government recognises the vital role night-time economy business plays in supporting local economies and our communities. Healthy night-time economy businesses play a key role in supporting our creative industries, including musicians, DJs and performance artists, as well as supporting tourism and strengthening day economy businesses.The government is creating a fairer business rate system and has extended RHL relief at 40% for 2025-26. Beyond this, the government intends to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties from 2026-27. This reform, on which a Discussion Paper was published at Autumn Budget 2024, will provide certainty for businesses regarding their bills. The government is also reducing alcohol duty on qualifying draught products and transforming the apprenticeship levy to support businesses including in the nighttime economy.Following the Autumn Budget, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport has confirmed it will continue to support Arts Council England’s (ACE’s) successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund which provides grants to grassroots music organisations - including those that host or promote electronic music – such as venues, rehearsal and recording studios, promoters and festivals. ACE continues to engage with industry through targeted webinars and events to promote the Fund to the club sector and encourage applications.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 1 November 2024 to Question 10847 on Leisure Centres: Government Assistance, whether she plans to hold further rounds of the Swimming Pool Support Fund.

The Government recognises that sports facilities in communities up and down the country help to support more people to get active wherever they live.The previous Swimming Pool Support Fund was a targeted, one-time, urgent package which has now closed, and further funding rounds were not built into the programme by the previous government.The responsibility of providing access to public swimming pools lies at Local Authority level. The Government continues to encourage Local Authorities to support swimming facilities.