Written questions by French.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the shadow football regulator and (b) supporters groups on fan engagement over kick-off time changes.

The Government fully appreciates the frustration and disappointment that fans might experience following kick off times being changed.Fan consultation is a key part of the licensing regime within the Football Governance Bill and the relevant matters have been deliberately designed to capture the wide array of club matters that may impact fans.Within such categories as “match-day and operational issues”, topics such as accessibility, ticket purchasing processes, and stewarding may all be relevant, depending on the club. The requirements mean that clubs and their supporters could choose to discuss kick off times in these meetings, if they choose to.However, kick-off times are not included on the face of the Football Governance Bill as, in the majority of cases, these are not within the control of the club. Ultimately, the scheduling of fixtures is a matter for the relevant league and the Football Association (the FA), in conjunction with broadcasters, local authorities, and the police.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote participation in American football.

The Government is committed to improving access to sports and physical activity for everybody, wherever they live. Sport and physical activity is central to achieving our health and opportunity manifesto missions, with the biggest gains coming from supporting those who are inactive to move more.Sport England provides investment to British American Football, the National Governing Body for American Football in Britain, which received up to £250,000 to invest in the growth and participation of American football.UK Sport recently awarded British American Football £500,000 in funding. The funding will specifically support the development of the elite Great Britain Flag Football Olympic programme over the next three and a half years – in the run up to the Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games in 2028.I have also met with the National Football League to discuss their plans for the sport in the UK.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for her policies of the England and Wales Cricket Board's decision to revoke no objection certificates for English county cricket players.

Policies on when to issue “no objection certificates” for English county cricket players, which permit them to play in overseas tournaments, are a matter for the England and Wales Cricket Board in their stewardship of the game.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the England and Wales Cricket Board and (b) County Cricket Clubs on the sustainability of the county cricket system.

This Government wants a thriving sport sector, with robust National Governing Bodies that can use their nationwide remit to deliver sport to people across the country.I meet with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on a range of topics, including the future of the sport, and have seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket. It is for the ECB to work with County Cricket Clubs on the sustainability of the county cricket system and other issues.

Media and Sport, whether she is taking steps to promote greyhound racing.

The Government acknowledges the importance of greyhound racing to the nation’s culture and economy, for example employing over 5,400 people across the country.The Department continues to engage with the Greyhound Board for Great Britain (GBGB) on developments in the industry.The GBGB receives funds through the British Greyhound Racing Fund (BGRF) in the form of voluntary contributions from bookmakers on betting turnover on licensed greyhound racing, which sit alongside commercial deals between the betting and racing industries. The Department is also engaging with bookmakers to underline the importance of the voluntary levy to support the growth and sustainability of the sport.Crucial to that sustainability is implementation of GBGB’s welfare strategy “ A Good Life for Every Greyhound”.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in rugby (a) union and (b) league amongst school children.

Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to increase participation in cricket amongst (a) women and girls and (b) young people in schools.

Every child should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport, including cricket, and ensuring all women and girls, no matter their background, have the opportunity to access sport and physical activity.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the National Governing Body for cricket and has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) receive £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote participation in Rugby Union amongst (a) girls and (b) young women.

Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and do regular physical activity. Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. The expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that no child misses out on a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport. This Government is also committed to supporting every aspect of women’s and girls’ sport, including rugby union and rugby league.Rugby Union and Rugby League are sports that are delivered through the Government-funded School Games programme, which provides children across the country with the opportunity to take part in local and accessible sport and physical activity.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and Exchequer money. The Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) receive £11.9 million and £13.8 million funding from Sport England respectively across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.The women’s Rugby World Cup in 2025 will provide an opportunity to use the tournament as a springboard for women’s rugby. The RFU’s Impact 25 programme has been developed to create more opportunities for women and girls in all aspects of women’s rugby.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of measures announced in the Autumn Budget on the horseracing industry.

In order to repair the public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the Government took difficult decisions at the Autumn Budget. Major tax measures were accompanied by Tax Information and Impact Notes in the usual way.The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its importance to the British rural economy. In addition to the above measures, we recognise the unique position of horseracing and that the Horserace Betting Levy is vital for financial sustainability of the sport. The Minister for Gambling recently met representatives from the horseracing and betting industries and has written to both encouraging a voluntary deal that fairly reflects the relationship between racing and betting.Within the budget, the Government also announced its intention to publish a consultation next year on proposals to bring remote gambling (meaning gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV, and radio) under a single tax, rather than taxing it through a three-tax structure. This consultation will consider the impacts of reforming gambling duties, and subsequently set out any expected impacts of any potential changes.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the change to the rate of employer National Insurance contributions on Charlton Athletic football club.

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 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.

Media and Sport, what discussions she as had with the Rugby Football Union on the the future of rugby union in England.

I met with the Rugby Football Union in early November to discuss the future of the sport and my department is in regular contact with the rugby union authorities. The department continues to work with the RFU and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing sustainability of elite level sport.