Written questions by Leadbeater.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that public investment in sports facilities supports a balanced range of sports, including court-based activities such as tennis and padel, to maximise participation among women, disabled people, and inactive communities.

The Government is investing at least £400 million in new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities over the next four years, promoting health, wellbeing and community cohesion, including by removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls and people with disabilities. £15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in their chosen sports. At least £2.5 million of that will be invested through the Lawn Tennis Association into covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, and additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the £400 million of funding earmarked for grassroots sports facilities benefits a wide range of sports appealing to different demographics and communities.

The Government is working closely with the sport sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. This will ensure that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible to reduce inactivity levels.The Government’s investment of £85 million will deliver new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme in 2026/27. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.Projects funded through the MSGF Programme include artificial grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights, and at least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.

Media and Sport, further to the announcement of £85 million in funding for football facilities, how she plans to allocate the remaining £400 million announced for new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK.

The Government is working closely with the sport sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. This will ensure that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible to reduce inactivity levels.The Government’s investment of £85 million will deliver new and upgraded grassroots sports facilities across the UK through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities (MSGF) Programme in 2026/27. An additional £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to.Projects funded through the MSGF Programme include artificial grass pitches, changing pavilions and floodlights, and at least 40% of funded projects have a multi-sport offer, allowing more people to participate in a wider variety of sports.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of banking safeguards for protecting vulnerable customers, especially the use of gambling blocks and loopholes using open-banking gateways.

The Government recognises that harmful gambling can wreck the lives of individuals, families and communities. Working with the Gambling Commission, we are committed to strengthening protections for those at risk through a range of new safer gambling requirements. The vast majority of banks offer gambling bank blocks, a useful tool to help vulnerable customers control their gambling. We encourage all banks to offer gambling blocks to improve the availability of these tools and support the work of organisations, such as Money Mental Health Lab, to improve the safer gambling tools offered by the financial sector.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to update the loneliness strategy in the context of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.

The Government is committed to supporting people to have the social connections they need. Our ambition to strengthen social connection is a key part of achieving wider government work to create a healthier society, more connected communities and support young people. My department has been working hard to ensure social connection and loneliness are embedded in all government policy making, including the recently published Pride in Place strategy, the upcoming Men’s Health Strategy and National Youth Strategy. In addition we are funding a project to develop the Tackling Loneliness Hub, which was set up to provide a forum for people working on loneliness to come together and share insights, research and best practice. My officials are exploring how the Hub can be made more accessible to the full range of people who work on loneliness, from healthcare professionals to volunteers, sports coaches to youth workers, researchers to policy makers.