Written questions by French.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure organisations funded by her Department promote free speech.

Everyone has the right to express themselves and share ideas without interference from the government. This right is protected by Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998.We are committed to freedom of speech, including in the creative and cultural sectors, and the Secretary of State has expressed an unequivocal ambition that the era of the government stoking “culture wars” should be over.

Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to ring-fence funds levied through the statutory gambling levy for the research, treatment and prevention of gambling harms.

As set out in the government’s consultation response, section 123 of the Gambling Act 2005 is clear that statutory levy funding will be ringfenced for gambling-related purposes and all spending is subject to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and HM Treasury approval. We will ensure robust governance processes for the levy system as a whole to ensure that funding allocated for research, prevention and treatment to the lead commissioning bodies we have appointed is being used in line with the government’s objectives.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to prevent ticket touts from selling tickets to the Women's Rugby World Cup at inflated prices.

The Government has published a consultation on introducing new consumer protections on the resale of live events tickets, including sporting events such as the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. The consultation, which closes on 4th April, includes a range of proposals, including a price cap on resales and new requirements on resale platforms.Over 220,000 tickets have already been sold for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, double the number bought for the previous tournament in New Zealand 2022. These early ticket sales demonstrate the demand for women’s sport in this country.World Rugby have urged fans to only buy tickets for the tournament via official channels. Fans purchasing tickets from unofficial sources risk having match tickets cancelled and being refused entry to match venues. Tickets will be issued and distributed closer to the tournament, and an official resale service will be available in the coming months.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to help increase the number of women and girls participating in motorsport.

The Government is dedicated to supporting every aspect of women’s sport and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have access to high quality sport. Female role models are vital in encouraging more girls to get active and find a route into the sports they enjoy.We welcome the continued growth of the Formula 1 Academy in providing opportunities for young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition in motorsport, and are supportive of its focus on uncovering the next generation of young female drivers.I also recognise the work organisations such as Motorsport UK and the British Women’s Racing Drivers Club are taking forward to increase female participation within the sport.In the broader field of motorsport, I also recently met with Formula One to congratulate them on their amazing 75th anniversary last month. This milestone provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the sport’s long history in the UK, of which we are very proud, and we will continue to work closely with them to see how best we can further support the success story of Formula One in the UK.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the selling of shares in cricket clubs competing in The Hundred on the level of Government support that will be provided to grassroots cricket teams.

We want a thriving sector, with robust National Governing Bodies (NGBs) that can use their nationwide remit to deliver sport to people across the country. Sustainable investment is important for achieving this. The Hundred will see additional investment into grassroots cricket from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which is welcomed.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport, including cricket, at grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.Sport England provides long term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives. This is a separate consideration to the Hundred sale.

Media and Sport, if she will publish all correspondence she has received from the Union of European Football Association since 5 July 2024.

As was the case under the previous government, the Department does not share private correspondence provided to us, including by international organisations.

Media and Sport, when the Board of Women's Sport (a) last met and (b) next plans to meet; and whether she plans to update the terms of reference of that board.

This Government fully endorses the recommendations of Karen Carney OBE’s Independent Review of Women’s Football, including the recommendation to form a Board of Women’s Sport.The Minister for Sport held a meeting with all stakeholders responsible for implementing the Carney Review in November, and will shortly reconvene groups to focus on specific elements of the review in order to drive tangible progress.The Board of Women’s Sport will be reconvened in spring 2025 to ensure adoption of best practice in key areas and to make sure the learnings of the review, alongside emerging issues, can be explored across the sector.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Football Association's decision to scrap FA cup replays on the financial sustainability of (a) EFL teams and (b) non-league football teams.

The Government recognises the emotive and financial significance of the FA Cup, especially for smaller clubs.The matter of FA Cup scheduling, including replays, is ultimately a matter for the football authorities. We expect the FA and Premier League to consult with the EFL and other leagues further down the pyramid on moves such as this and reach agreements collectively.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the impact of the proposed two-tier test system on (a) grass-roots and (b) county level cricket in England and Wales.

Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game, and provides vital funds that filter down to the grassroots game. County level and international cricket competition formatting, and consideration of its impact, is the responsibility of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the Football Association, (b) the Women's Super League and (c) football clubs on the adequacy of the provision of mental health services for female professional football players.

The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including player welfare.In 2023, Karen Carney OBE published a major Independent Review of Women’s Football. The Review placed a significant emphasis on the importance of player welfare and recommended uplifting the medical support requirements within licensing criteria, as well as extending players’ access to medical provision for a period of six months following retirement. The Review also highlighted the importance of performance psychologists within high-performance sports. It recommended that this role become mandatory, to provide players with a clearly identifiable route, should they wish to raise any concerns regarding their wellbeing.This Government fully endorses those recommendations and looks forward to ensuring tangible progress is made. The Minister for Sport met with women’s football stakeholders - including the FA and the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL) - in November 2024 to advise them of her intent to track progress against the Review recommendations. At this meeting, the Minister emphasised the importance of the welfare and duty of care to players, and advised stakeholders that she is keen to drive progress in this area. The Minister will shortly reconvene the group to understand progress against the recommendations of the Review, including around mental health provision for players.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with people recovering from gambling addiction on reform of the gambling industry.

Ministers and officials have undertaken significant engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience of gambling-related harm, to inform the government’s work to reduce gambling harm in line with its manifesto commitment.As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, it is a priority that in this crucial transition period, the valuable experience and services in the current system, particularly treatment and support services which help people in need across Great Britain, are protected. We are clear that operators must continue to provide financial contributions at their current levels until the levy is in force, and have received reassurances from the industry that this will be delivered. The Government is also clear that the third sector, which has delivered important work to tackle gambling harm, will continue to play a key role in the future system and contribute to the research, prevention and treatment supported by levy funding.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the gambling research, education and treatment sector; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the new statutory levy on that sector.

Ministers and officials have undertaken significant engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience of gambling-related harm, to inform the government’s work to reduce gambling harm in line with its manifesto commitment.As set out in the Government’s response to the consultation on the statutory levy, it is a priority that in this crucial transition period, the valuable experience and services in the current system, particularly treatment and support services which help people in need across Great Britain, are protected. We are clear that operators must continue to provide financial contributions at their current levels until the levy is in force, and have received reassurances from the industry that this will be delivered. The Government is also clear that the third sector, which has delivered important work to tackle gambling harm, will continue to play a key role in the future system and contribute to the research, prevention and treatment supported by levy funding.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure the financial sustainability of rugby union in England.

Rugby Union has a vital role to play in our national identity. I recently met with the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby to discuss the future of the sport. The RFU is independent of the Government and is responsible for the regulation of rugby union, and for protecting and promoting the financial sustainability of the sport.DCMS continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Premiership clubs and Championship clubs, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite and community level rugby union.

Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of recategorising sporting events designated as listed events under the Ofcom Code on Sport and Other listed and Designated Events.

The listed events regime aims to ensure many of the nation's biggest sporting events are free-to-air wherever possible while protecting competition organisers' ability to raise income from the sale of broadcast rights to invest in their sports. The government has no plans to amend the regime at this time.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on (a) sport in and (b) other aspects of the school curriculum review.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with the Secretary of State for Education on a range of issues, including school sport. Minister Peacock recently attended a roundtable discussion with PE and school sport sector leaders, hosted by the Minister for Schools.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will work closely with the Department for Education on the curriculum review.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the suitability of the NHS Health Survey in assessing problem gambling rates in the United Kingdom.

The Government is committed to reviewing all official statistics assessing gambling harm in the United Kingdom to help to build our picture of gambling harm. This includes the NHS Health Survey, and we will continue to engage with relevant officials in the Department for Health and Social Care about the NHS Health Survey and the evidence it provides on gambling harm.We are aware that the harms that can ensue from harmful gambling are many and diverse and we will use all available evidence to better understand the impact that harmful gambling can have on people. Considering the NHS Health Survey alongside the Gambling Commission’s Gambling Survey for Great Britain provides us with a wider understanding of the potential consequences that can arise from gambling and ensures that we have more frequent statistics on gambling harm rates. Policy and regulatory change is not based on single statistics or evidence sources, and we will continue to use evidence from a range of sources to assess harmful gambling in the United Kingdom.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent children participating in gambling via online video games.

Protecting children and young people from being harmed or exploited by gambling is a core priority for the Government and a Gambling Commission objective. Under the Gambling Act 2005, gambling is defined as playing a game of chance for a prize of money or money's worth. Gambling-like features in video games, such as loot boxes, do not meet this legal definition of gambling.We are aware that there are instances where third party websites allow players to gamble using prizes that can be transferred in and out of some video games. Where these instances of illegal gambling are identified, the Gambling Commission takes swift action to disrupt these websites and protect players. The Government and the Gambling Commission continue to pay close attention to novel and emergent forms of gambling and gambling-like products, including within video games, to ensure that appropriate regulation is in place.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps with the shadow Football Regulator to prevent English football clubs from joining breakaway leagues.

The Football Governance Bill will create a Regulator that will be able to prevent English clubs from joining a future breakaway competition, taking into account factors like sustainability, heritage, fairness and meritocracy.The Regulator will be obliged to gather the views of fans and consult the FA before it prohibits a competition.This approach is the most effective way of stopping unwanted competitions that do not adhere to the principles of how sport operates in this country, are not supported by fans, and that risk undermining the English football pyramid.The Shadow Football Regulator is a transition team that is working in parallel with the passage of the Football Governance Bill to set up the Independent Football Regulator. It does not have powers to regulate or take forward the provisions in the Football Governance Bill until after Royal Assent.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with UK Sport on future funding for Olympic and Paralympic sport.

The Government will continue to support the successes of Team GB and ParalympicsGB. The Chancellor has confirmed that a multi-year investment will mean a total of £344 million is invested in Olympic and Paralympic success over the next cycle. This will support them through to the 2028 Olympic Games and provide excellent foundations for the 2032 Games and beyond.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on motor sport.

The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to Employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no National Insurance Contributions (NICs) at all next year, more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package, and all eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs.The Government published a Tax Information and Impact Note on 13 November which sets out the impact of the employer NICs changes.