Written questions by French.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of restricting ticket resales via peer-to-peer messaging applications on user privacy and encryption.

The government has recently announced plans to introduce a price cap on the resale of live events tickets, which will make it illegal for tickets to be resold for more than their original cost.Our intention is that all businesses that facilitate the resale of live events tickets to UK consumers will be obliged to ensure compliance with the price cap.Detailed work to prepare the new legislation is ongoing, involving further consideration of how platform obligations should be configured.The government will legislate when Parliamentary time allows.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the the EHRC Code of Practice on single-sex spaces on (a) businesses, (b) community spaces and (c) public spaces.

The EHRC has submitted a draft Code of Practice to Ministers, and we are reviewing it with the care it deserves, engaging with the EHRC to ensure that it provides clarity for service providers.We have always been clear that the proper process needs to be followed, which includes understanding the potential impact on businesses, public functions and services. The Code will have implications for service providers up and down the country so it is important that we get this right.

Media and Sport, which Minister within her Department has responsibility for (a) measuring the impact of the National Youth Strategy on the provision of enrichment activity for young people and (b) leading on implementation of enrichment programmes in that Strategy.

I am responding as the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth with responsibility for DCMS youth enrichment policy.On 10th December 2025, we published ‘Youth Matters’, the first cross-government Strategy for young people in England in 15 years. Backed by £500m of DCMS funding over the next 3 years, the Strategy will ensure every young person has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. We are working closely with Other Government Departments to ensure the successful delivery and accountability of the National Youth Strategy, including the implementation of enriching activities for young people. This involves establishing a cross-government reporting and governance process to ensure successful delivery.

Media and Sport, if she will set out the timeline for the youth portion of Every Child Can Dormant Assets funding to support the delivery of grassroots enrichment and youth provision.

‘Every Child Can’ is a £132.5 million programme to support the provision of services, facilities or opportunities between 2024 and 2028 to meet the needs of young people. This funding will increase disadvantaged young people’s access to enrichment opportunities in the culture, sport, and wider youth sectors. Development is in active progress and further details will be announced in due course, including expected timelines.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the plans set out in the National Youth Strategy for the implementation of enriching activities for young people.

I am responding as the Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth with responsibility for DCMS youth enrichment policy.On 10th December 2025, we published ‘Youth Matters’, the first cross-government Strategy for young people in England in 15 years. Backed by £500m of DCMS funding over the next 3 years, the Strategy will ensure every young person has somewhere to go, someone who cares for them and a community they feel part of. We are working closely with Other Government Departments to ensure the successful delivery and accountability of the National Youth Strategy, including the implementation of enriching activities for young people. This involves establishing a cross-government reporting and governance process to ensure successful delivery.

Whether his Department provided funding to boxing programmes to help prevent crime amongst young people.

In the financial year 2022/2023, the Ministry of Justice invested £5 million in sports-related projects across England and Wales, to use sport to enhance positive outcomes for vulnerable young people at-risk of criminality (the ‘Youth Justice Sport Fund’). Around 50% of the 220 organisations funded through this programme provided boxing support to young people. Youth justice funding now takes a more flexible approach. Local authorities receive funding to deliver youth justice services, including through the Turnaround early intervention programme. Local authorities can use this funding to commission activities that were previously supported by Youth Justice Sports Fund such as boxing. An independent evaluation of the Turnaround programme published earlier this month highlighted that boys taking part in boxing reported improved physical and mental health.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the regulatory framework for white-collar boxing.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Media and Sport, what data her department holds on the number of deaths at (a) white collar and (b) regulated boxing events in the last five years.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Media and Sport, what her Department's planned timeline is for publishing its response to the consultation on safety at white-collar boxing events.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the National Governing Bodies for Boxing and (b) white collar boxing event promoters on improving safety at white collar boxing events.

Following participant fatalities in white collar boxing, the Government is exploring improvements to participant safety, and recently undertook a targeted consultation on this topic to support the development of those options. The findings are being used to inform next steps, which will be set out in due course.As part of this work, DCMS officials have met and engaged with National Governing Bodies for boxing and white collar boxing event promoters. These stakeholders were also invited to respond to the written consultation, which ran from 6th October to 21st November, 2025. DCMS will publish its response to the consultation by Summer 2026.The DCMS does not centrally collect data on deaths occurring at such sporting events or resulting from participation in specific sports. Primary responsibility for investigating the cause and circumstances of such deaths rests with the relevant Coroner. However, DCMS and its ALBs will respond to any relevant recommendations made by coroners when deaths have occurred as a result of sport to ensure the maintenance of safety in all sports.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of Local Authorities commissioning gambling harms prevention; and of their capacity to do so.

In April 2025, the statutory gambling levy came into effect to fund the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harm across Great Britain. In its first year, the levy has raised nearly £120 million, with 30% allocated to gambling harms prevention activity. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the gambling levy, remains confident that levy commissioners are best placed to make decisions on the future of their work programmes regarding the research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms. As prevention commissioners, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in England and the Scottish and Welsh administrations continue to work collaboratively on the development of their respective work programmes, drawing on expertise from across the system. OHID will employ a ‘test and learn’ approach as they transition to the new levy system, to better-understand what interventions are most effective in preventing gambling harms at a local, regional, and national level. Local authorities are well placed to play a central role in preventing gambling‑related harms across local communities. An OHID-led stocktake of local authority activity in this space indicated that whilst some activity is already underway, there is appetite within local authorities to do more. OHID are developing a fund for all upper-tier local authorities across England, which will aim to strengthen local capacity to tackle gambling‑related harm by facilitating improved understanding of local need and supporting the development of effective local and regional networks. This will be delivered alongside the Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise grant fund which launched in January to fund voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations to deliver prevention activity across England until March 2028. Further information on the Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise grant fund is avaiable at the following link: https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/gambling-harms-prevention-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-grant-fund-1

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of Local Authorities commissioning gambling harms prevention; and of their capacity to do so.

In April 2025, the statutory gambling levy came into effect to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm across Great Britain. In its first year, the levy has raised nearly £120 million, with 30% allocated to gambling harms prevention activity.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, responsible for the implementation and oversight of the gambling levy, remains confident that levy commissioners are best placed to make decisions on the future of their work programmes regarding the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms.As prevention commissioners, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in England and Scottish and Welsh Governments continue to work collaboratively on the development of their respective work programmes, drawing on expertise from across the system. OHID will employ a ‘test and learn’ approach as they transition to the new levy system, to better-understand what interventions are most effective in preventing gambling harms at a local, regional and national level.Local authorities are well placed to play a central role in preventing gambling‑related harms across local communities. An OHID-led stocktake of local authority activity in this space indicated that whilst some activity is already underway, there is appetite within local authorities to do more.OHID is developing a fund for all upper-tier local authorities across England, which will aim to strengthen local capacity to tackle gambling‑related harm by facilitating improved understanding of local need and supporting the development of effective local and regional networks. This will be delivered alongside the Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) grant fund which launched in January to fund VCSE organisations to deliver prevention activity across England until March 2028. More information on the grant is available at the following link:https://find-government-grants.service.gov.uk/grants/gambling-harms-prevention-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-grant-fund-1

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of Local Authorities commissioning gambling harms prevention; and of their capacity to do so.

In April 2025, the statutory gambling levy came into effect to fund the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harm across Great Britain. In its first year, the levy has raised nearly £120 million, with 30% allocated to gambling harms prevention activity. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, responsible for the implementation and oversight of the gambling levy, remains confident that levy commissioners are best placed to make decisions on the future of their work programmes regarding the research, prevention and treatment of gambling-related harms. As prevention commissioners, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in England and Scottish and Welsh Governments continue to work collaboratively on the development of their respective work programmes, drawing on expertise from across the system. OHID will employ a ‘test and learn’ approach as they transition to the new levy system, to better-understand what interventions are most effective in preventing gambling harms at a local, regional and national level. Local authorities are well placed to play a central role in preventing gambling‑related harms across local communities. An OHID-led stocktake of local authority activity in this space indicated that whilst some activity is already underway, there is appetite within local authorities to do more. OHID is developing a fund for all upper-tier local authorities across England, which will aim to strengthen local capacity to tackle gambling‑related harm by facilitating improved understanding of local need and supporting the development of effective local and regional networks. This will be delivered alongside the Gambling Harms Prevention: Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) grant fund which will fund VCSE organisations to deliver prevention activity across England from April 2026 to March 2028.

What discussions she has had with organisations impacted by the delay in the publication of the EHRC Code of Practice on single-sex spaces.

The Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations provides guidance on all protected characteristics, not solely sex and gender reassignment. This is a legally complex document which will have an impact on service providers up and down the country. We are working at pace to review it with the care it deserves. We have set out our expectation for service providers to follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers ruling and seek specialist legal advice where necessary.

What progress has been made in appointing a delivery partner for the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network; and whether her Department plans to provide funding for the School Games Organisers Network after the 2025-26 academic year.

The department has carried out market engagement with the sector, and we are using feedback from this to inform our invitation to tender. We will launch procurement for a national delivery partner to run the Partnerships Network shortly.The government has confirmed funding for the School Games organisers until the end of the 2025/26 academic year.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December to Question 96967 on Sports: Facilities, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) distribution and (b) availability of sports pitches by local authorities.

The government has no plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) distribution and (b) availability of sports pitches by local authorities. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that it is for local planning authorities to make assessments of the need for open space, sport and recreation facilities in their areas (including quantitative or qualitative deficits or surpluses), and opportunities for new provision. Information gained from the assessments should be used to determine what open space, sport and recreational provision is needed, which plans should then seek to accommodate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November to Question 92039 on Embassies: Tolls, if she will publish the data on all outstanding debts; and what steps she is taking to recover outstanding congestion charge debts by embassies.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has published the relevant data on outstanding debts in the same level of detail as it was published under the previous government. In terms of the steps being taken to recover those debts, I refer the Hon Member to the opening paragraph of the written ministerial statement (UIN HCWS1076) laid in the House on 19 November.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the statutory consultee role of Sport England in the planning system on the level of provision of (a) pitches, (b) courts and (c) other sports facilities.

The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to Sport England’s statutory consultee role in the planning regime and I encourage anyone interested to feed into that process. The aim of this consultation is not to reduce access to sports facilities. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the proposed reforms.

Media and Sport, whether the £400 million announced for grassroots sports facilities on 19 June 2025 will include Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Government’s announcement of £400m of investment into grassroots sports over the next four years will ensure that we continue to deliver high-quality multi-sport facilities in communities that need them across the UK, including Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, in order to increase participation and allow people to be active.According to Sport England’s Active Places database, as of December 2025 there are 56,855 non-pitch-based sport facilities in England, which can be broken down by local authority. More details can be found here.We are working on our plans for future grassroots sports funding and we will continue to engage the Devolved Governments and our local partners across the UK on this matter. We will provide an update early in 2026.

Pursuant to the Answer of 10 December to Question 96308 on State Retirement Pensions, if he will publish a timeline for the Pensions Commission's work.

The Pensions Commission is expected to publish its final report in the first half of 2027.