Written questions by Cordova.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the role of year-round, all-weather sports facilities in the development of future elite athletes.

The Government recognises that year-round, all-weather training environments play a vital role in the development of future elite athletes, ensuring consistent access to high-quality facilities regardless of external conditions.Through Government and National Lottery funding, UK Sport invests in a network of Elite Training Centres across the UK. These centres provide daily training environments where athletes can access world-class facilities, coaching and integrated performance support, forming a key part of the UK’s approach to developing future Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the amount of funding needed to meet the level of demand for covered and indoor sports tennis courts.

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, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, and people with disabilities. At least £15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, with additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways. We are also investing £85 million across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27, funding projects such as new artificial grass pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, and floodlights which provide communities with access to the facilities they need. A key objective of the programme is to increase access and participation levels for women and girls, disabled players and communities most in need across the UK. We will ensure these communities are prioritised using deprivation and inactivity data. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment. We are now working closely with the sports sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. Although a decision has yet to be made regarding future funding year allocations, we understand the value of multi-year commitments to our delivery partners and will aim to confirm allocations as soon as possible.

Media and Sport, whether she has considered providing multi-year capital funding settlements for community sports facilities, in order to enable national governing bodies and local partners to plan, deliver matched funding and achieve value for money at scale.

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, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, and people with disabilities. At least £15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, with additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways. We are also investing £85 million across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27, funding projects such as new artificial grass pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, and floodlights which provide communities with access to the facilities they need. A key objective of the programme is to increase access and participation levels for women and girls, disabled players and communities most in need across the UK. We will ensure these communities are prioritised using deprivation and inactivity data. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment. We are now working closely with the sports sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. Although a decision has yet to be made regarding future funding year allocations, we understand the value of multi-year commitments to our delivery partners and will aim to confirm allocations as soon as possible.

Media and Sport, how her Department plans to ensure that public funding for 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, while removing the barriers to physical activity for under-represented groups, such as women and girls, and people with disabilities. At least £15 million is being invested into new delivery models across England in 2026/27, to allow more people to participate in sports they wish to. At least £2.5 million will be invested through the LTA for covered courts in England for tennis, padel and other activities, with additional funding will also enable a wider range of sporting bodies to trial innovative funding pathways. We are also investing £85 million across the UK via the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme in 2026/27, funding projects such as new artificial grass pitches, changing rooms and pavilions, and floodlights which provide communities with access to the facilities they need. A key objective of the programme is to increase access and participation levels for women and girls, disabled players and communities most in need across the UK. We will ensure these communities are prioritised using deprivation and inactivity data. Projects are also required to generate partner funding, ensuring we achieve value for money on Government investment. We are now working closely with the sports sector and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. Although a decision has yet to be made regarding future funding year allocations, we understand the value of multi-year commitments to our delivery partners and will aim to confirm allocations as soon as possible.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the role of accessible, covered and indoor sports facilities in the participation of disabled people in sport.

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Media and Sport, when her Department plans to publish further details of the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Comprehensive guidance on eligibility and how to apply to the Places of Worship Renewal Fund will be made available in the coming weeks.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that the Charity Commission requires that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Government and the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the Commission) expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.The Commission provides guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in their charity’s best interests.The Commission’s role as independent registrar and regulator of charities is to ensure that trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Commission cannot become involved in a charity’s internal decision making. Any concerns about charities engaging in inappropriate activity should be referred to the Commission.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help tackle the impact of artificial intelligence on the (a) sustainability and (b) accuracy of news media.

Journalism plays an invaluable role in the fabric of our society and we are committed to supporting a free, sustainable and plural news media landscape. In this context, we recognise concerns from the press sector that recent developments in generative AI pose risks, as well as opportunities, to journalism.We are engaging with the press sector on these concerns. Both I and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology have each held roundtables earlier this year with publishers and broadcasters to discuss AI and journalism. DCMS has also provided funding to the Bridging Responsible AI Divides research programme at The University of Edinburgh, which produced the report ‘Generative AI and Journalism: Mapping the Risk Landscape’.We recognise that particular concerns have been raised with regard to the use of copyrighted news content in the training of AI models and how this interacts with UK copyright law. We want to support rightsholders in licensing their work in the digital age while allowing AI developers to benefit from access to creative material in the UK, including that from independent media. The government is analysing responses to the consultation and looking at all options. We will set out a detailed economic impact assessment on all options and a report on the use of copyright material for AI training, transparency and technical standards. This analysis will inform our position, alongside a series of expert working groups launching this week, bringing together people from both the AI and creative sectors.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help increase the number of black girls participating in sport.

The Government believes that opportunities to play sport and get physically active should be available to everyone.We recognise that there are barriers which prevent some people from getting active with women and girls and those from ethnically diverse communities less likely to be active than other groups.We are committed to breaking down the barriers that contribute to these persisting inequalities in participation and want to ensure that everyone can experience the physical, mental and social benefits that come with being active.As part of this, our Arm's Length Body for grassroots sport, Sport England, prioritises tackling inequalities by targeting investment towards the most inactive groups.Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has inspired millions of women and girls to get active. The next phase of This Girl Can, Tackling Inequalities, primarily targets women who are most likely to be inactive in society, including those from black backgrounds.Sport England anticipates that 1.6 million women who are less active will be active as a result of the campaign by 2028. This is in addition to already active women who may report being motivated by the campaign.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme and (b) potential impact of that scheme on local cultural heritage in areas of low economic activity.

The Department continues to monitor the Listed Places of Worship grant scheme through the regular reporting of the grant administrator, EMB. Since 2010, the Government has returned over £350 million to listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples through the grant scheme continuing their work as centres of worship and community assets, in places all over the country, including areas of low economic activity.