Written questions by Dillon.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the risk that the implementation of financial risk assessments on gambling could lead customers to switch to unregulated black market operators.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, whether (a) the Government plans to pause the implementation of financial risk assessments for gambling; and (b) if she will make a statement on the matter.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, whether the findings of the Gambling Commission's financial risk assessment pilot will be assessed against the specific commitments made in the April 2023 Gambling White Paper before any decision is taken on a national rollout of financial risk assessments.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, (a) what assessment her Department has made of the outcomes of the financial risk assessment pilot conducted by the Gambling Commission; and (b) what metrics were used to evaluate its effectiveness.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact on the horse racing and sports betting industries of the full implementation of financial risk assessments on gambling.

Awaiting answer.

Media and Sport, what guidance her Department is providing to local authorities implementing Young Futures Hubs on (a) ensuring that they are safe spaces for children, (b) provision for girls and young women to access mixed-gender and gender-specific spaces where appropriate, and (c) appropriate responses to disclosures of violence against women and girls.

Early adopter local authorities were provided with guidance on core requirements for Young Futures Hubs. Local areas co-design their hubs with young people to ensure provision meets their needs, including mixed-gender and gender-specific spaces where appropriate. While facilities may vary, every hub should offer a consistent, safe, inclusive and welcoming experience, with governance structures that support risk and safeguarding management. Learning from the early adopters will inform future guidance. We are passionate about the safety of girls and young women in all youth provision. We committed in the cross government strategy on Freedom from Violence and abuse that frontline professionals, such as GPs, teachers, youth workers and social workers, will spot the signs of abuse and connect individuals to specialist help.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential economic impact on the horseracing industry of the full implementation of financial risk assessments for gambling.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British economy. Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy which helps to drive improvements in the sport.The Government remains committed to supporting the implementation of key measures in the 2023 white paper, including the introduction of Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs).Following the conclusion of its pilot on FRAs, the Gambling Commission has continued to engage with gambling operators and other stakeholders. As the independent regulator, the Gambling Commission will decide how to implement FRAs based on the best available evidence.The Gambling Commission has recently published an updated blog on its pilot findings and plans to publish the pilot data, including updated impact assessment results following implementation decision, as is standard practice.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on horseracing of increasing sports betting duties without changes to the Horserace Betting Levy.

Horseracing was not subject to the 10% increase in General Betting Duty which was announced in the Autumn Budget. His Majesty’s Treasury published a tax information and impact note alongside these changes.Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy, which helps to drive improvements in the sport. The levy is designed to ensure that the financial contribution of betting operators to the racing industry reflects the benefits derived from racing as a betting product. Whilst levy income was the highest ever in 2025 at £108m, it only comprises around 6% of racing’s overall income. The promotion of gambling products is a matter for operators. Britain’s gambling market is regulated by the Gambling Commission, which takes a risk-based approach to regulation.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the promotion of higher-risk gambling products of increasing sports betting duties without changes to the Horserace Betting Levy.

Horseracing was not subject to the 10% increase in General Betting Duty which was announced in the Autumn Budget. His Majesty’s Treasury published a tax information and impact note alongside these changes.Horseracing is the only sport in receipt of a direct government-mandated levy, which helps to drive improvements in the sport. The levy is designed to ensure that the financial contribution of betting operators to the racing industry reflects the benefits derived from racing as a betting product. Whilst levy income was the highest ever in 2025 at £108m, it only comprises around 6% of racing’s overall income. The promotion of gambling products is a matter for operators. Britain’s gambling market is regulated by the Gambling Commission, which takes a risk-based approach to regulation.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase engagement with public libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026.

On 2 March DCMS announced £150,000 for public libraries to support the National Year of Reading. Funding will be delivered by The Reading Agency in support of the Go All In campaign to reconnect people with reading for pleasure.The £150,000 fund is expected to support projects across 72 library authority areas which are disadvantaged by high deprivation, weak social infrastructure and low library engagement with the aim of encouraging greater library use and new members.Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading across the UK. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Media and Sport, what role public libraries will play in the delivery of the National Year of Reading 2026.

On 2 March DCMS announced £150,000 for public libraries to support the National Year of Reading. Funding will be delivered by The Reading Agency in support of the Go All In campaign to reconnect people with reading for pleasure.The £150,000 fund is expected to support projects across 72 library authority areas which are disadvantaged by high deprivation, weak social infrastructure and low library engagement with the aim of encouraging greater library use and new members.Public libraries are central to the success of the National Year of Reading’s campaign to engage people of all ages with reading across the UK. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge in 2026, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April 2026, will be key moments for libraries during the National Year of Reading 2026. Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to support their work and boost engagement.

Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the VAT implications of the Places of Worship Grant Scheme on historic churches, particularly those providing warm community spaces.

The Places of Worship Renewal fund will have a budget of £23 million per year, continuing the 2025/26 funding levels of the previous scheme. The new fund will award grants for total project capital works rather than being restricted solely to the VAT element. By shifting the focus to overall project costs, the scheme ensures that in many instances, the financial support granted to preserve these historic community spaces could exceed the amount currently provided under the VAT-only model. While an official estimate of the specific impact of VAT implications on those churches that provide warm community spaces has not been calculated, the design of the new Places of Worship Renewal Fund is intended to offer broader support for historic churches than simply rebating VAT, including those churches serving as vital community hubs.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that youth and enrichment initiatives across government are aligned to (a) maximise impact, (b) avoid duplication and (c) better join-up in school and out-of-schools offers.

The Government's National Youth Strategy is a 10-year plan designed to ensure that every young person nationwide has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them, and a community they feel a part of. Halving the participation gap in enriching activities between disadvantaged young people and their peers is one of the clear ambitions of this cross-government strategy.As part of our commitment to this ambition, DCMS, in partnership with DfE, will invest £22.5 million over 3 years to enable up to 400 schools in areas of greatest need across England to deliver a youth-voice led, tailored enrichment offer. This funding will help schools meet the Enrichment Framework benchmarks and improve join-up between in-school and out-of-school enrichment offers.The programme will work in tandem with other initiatives, including the Richer Young Lives fund, which will invest over £60 million across the next three years to enable organisations to deliver high-quality youth work and activities, and the £132.5 million ‘Every Child Can’ programme, which will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the culture, sport, and wider youth sectors.We are also working closely with the Department for Education to ensure wider government programmes - including the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, National Centre for Arts and Music Education, and Music Hubs - complement the programme and avoid duplication.

Media and Sport, what recent progress she has made on the review of the Horserace Betting Levy.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape. For this reason, UK horseracing bets will not be subject to the new rate of general betting duty and will remain taxed at 15%.The Horserace Betting Levy is important for the financial sustainability of horseracing. We will provide an update on next steps in due course.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the case for a more sustainable funding model for horseracing through reform of the Horserace Betting Levy.

The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to the nation’s economy and sporting landscape. For this reason, UK horseracing bets will not be subject to the new rate of general betting duty and will remain taxed at 15%.The Horserace Betting Levy is important for the financial sustainability of horseracing. We will provide an update on next steps in due course.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department will take to help support people who have developed neurodivergent conditions due to heading the ball in football.

The safety, wellbeing and welfare of everyone taking part in sport is absolutely paramount. National Governing Bodies are responsible for the regulation of their sports, and they and player associations play a valuable role in supporting players’ welfare.The DCMS Secretary of State and I recently met with a small group of affected ex-footballers and family members, including individuals associated with Football Families for Justice, to discuss player safety and welfare for those suffering from dementia. We are committed to looking further at the issues raised and supporting the families and football authorities to come together to address the lifelong consequences from concussion, as well as post-career mental health and financial crises. We will set out next steps in due course.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed US tariffs on foreign-produced films on the UK film industry.

There are no tariffs on the UK film industry, but we continue to monitor the situation closely and recognise the seriousness of this issue.We continue to take a calm and balanced approach to our discussions with the US following our recent UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal.The US and the UK have a special, mutually beneficial relationship, unique cultural and linguistic ties. Our film sectors are heavily connected, founded on decades of partnership and exchange.Our commitment to helping our film and TV industry flourish remains absolute and it is important to maintain the conditions that allow our sectors to continue to flourish together and avoid measures which undermine these conditions.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to support local football facility plans to developing grassroots football facilities in West Berkshire.

The Government is committed to supporting grassroots football facilities across the UK, and is investing £123 million this year to achieve this. In England, this funding is delivered by the Football Foundation who use Local Football Facility Plans, developed in partnership with local clubs and councils, to plan their investment pipeline.In West Berkshire specifically, Hungerford Recreation Ground Football Field has received funding from the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25, which provided funding towards a changing pavilion upgrade.The Football Foundation plan to work with local stakeholders to refresh Local Football Facility Plans, ensuring that the investment pipeline truly reflects locally-informed demand. Further plans for the refresh will be confirmed in due course.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 11698 on Sports: Children, what steps she is taking to help ensure the adequacy of access to grassroots sports facilities for children under 12.

Our mission-led Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active. The Government’s clear ambition is for all children and young people to have the opportunity to get active in a way that suits them.This Government recognises that grassroots sports facilities are central to communities up and down the country and is acting to support more children to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the number of closures of grassroots sports facilities on young children.

Every child should have the opportunity to play sports and do regular physical activity. Our mission-led Government puts children and young people at the heart of our priorities. This includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child to access high-quality sport and physical activity, especially those who are less likely to be active.This Government recognises that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country and is acting to support more people to get active wherever they live through the delivery of the £123 million Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2024/25.