Every parliamentary written question tabled by Matt Vickers this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 44 · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Media and Sport, what proportion of Local Democracy Reporting Service expenditure is allocated to (a) reporter salaries, (b) publisher overheads and (c) administration.
The BBC has an important role to play in supporting the plurality of local news services in the UK. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining and allocating its budgets and external payments of the Local Democr...
Media and Sport, what estimate has been made of the annual value of Local Democracy Reporting Service funding received by Reach plc and its subsidiaries.
The BBC has an important role to play in supporting the plurality of local news services in the UK. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining and allocating its budgets and external payments of the Local Democr...
Media and Sport, what payments have been made through the Local Democracy Reporting Service to each participating publisher in each year since the scheme's inception.
The BBC has an important role to play in supporting the plurality of local news services in the UK. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining and allocating its budgets and external payments of the Local Democr...
Media and Sport, what the average annual cost to the BBC is of each Local Democracy Reporting Service funded reporter post.
The BBC has an important role to play in supporting the plurality of local news services in the UK. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining and allocating its budgets and external payments of the Local Democr...
Media and Sport, what the annual financial value of Local Democracy Reporting Service contracts awarded to each participating publisher is for the current contract period.
The BBC has an important role to play in supporting the plurality of local news services in the UK. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining and allocating its budgets and external payments of the Local Democr...
Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the BBC on support for pensioners marginally above the Pension Credit threshold and not eligible for free TV licences.
The BBC Charter Review Green Paper sought views on ways to make the BBC’s funding fairer, including possible new concessions. As set out in the Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions.This includes the concession for over 75s on pen...
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of extending free TV licences to pensioners at risk of (a) poverty and (b) social isolation.
The BBC Charter Review Green Paper sought views on ways to make the BBC’s funding fairer, including possible new concessions. As set out in the Green Paper, we do not plan to remove any existing concessions.This includes the concession for over 75s on pen...
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguards to ensure that BBC-funded Local Democracy Reporters produce balanced and impartial coverage when their reports are supplied t
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that t...
Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the value for money of the Local Democracy Reporting Service; and whether future funding for the Local Democracy Reporting Service will be conditional o
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that t...
Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with the BBC on how the Local Democracy Reporting Service ensures political impartiality in reporting on local councils, combined authorities and other local d
The Secretary of State meets regularly with the BBC to discuss a wide range of issues.The BBC is operationally and editorially independent of the government. The BBC’s Principles of Operation for the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) set out that t...
Media and Sport, what proportion of Local Democracy Reporting Service funded reporter posts are currently hosted by Reach plc publications.
The Local Democracy Reporting Scheme currently provides 165 journalists in local news rooms across the country.The BBC publishes a full list of the allocated LDRS contracts and reporters which is available at https://www.bbc.co.uk/lnp/documents/reporter_c...
Media and Sport, with reference the Government's December 2025 BBC Charter Review Green Paper proposing the expansion of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that i
The content produced by Local Democracy Reporting Service journalists is made freely available to the BBC and partners to the BBC’s Local News Partnerships scheme. The BBC is operationally independent of the government and the process for determining Part...
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect media plurality and ensure that a wide range of political viewpoints are represented in UK broadcasting.
The Government is strongly committed to supporting a free, sustainable, and plural media landscape. Newspapers, news magazines and broadcasters play a unique role in providing accurate news and information, and are a key part of our democracy. Through the...
Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with Ofcom on maintaining operational independence when considering complaints against licensed broadcasters.
The Government is strongly committed to supporting a free, sustainable, and plural media landscape. Newspapers, news magazines and broadcasters play a unique role in providing accurate news and information, and are a key part of our democracy. Through the...
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to (a) protect media plurality and (b) ensure a wide range of political viewpoints in broadcasting.
The Government is strongly committed to supporting a free, sustainable, and plural media landscape. Newspapers, news magazines and broadcasters play a unique role in providing accurate news and information, and are a key part of our democracy. Through the...
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support partnerships between schools and grassroots cycling clubs to increase participation in physical activity among pupils.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number of designated areas where children can safely improve their cycling skills.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.
Media and Sport, what steps is her Department taking to help reduce the barriers preventing young people from engaging with grassroots cycling organisations.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, including children and young people, have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.The Government provides the majority of support for community sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery Funding. This includes long term investment to British Cycling, which receives up to £33.5 million for the funding period 2022-2029 to invest in grassroots cycling initiatives.Sport England has also provided funding of £5.35 million to projects with cycling as the main beneficiary in 2024/2025. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in grassroots sport, including cycling, providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be active.
Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help protect cultural heritage sites at risk from conflict or natural disaster.
The UK’s principal mechanism for safeguarding cultural heritage at risk from conflict and natural disaster internationally is delivered by DCMS’s International Cultural Heritage Protection Programme (ICHP). This operates in 25 ODA-eligible countries predominantly across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia and in Ukraine. The primary initiative is the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) delivered by the British Council. In addition, DCMS has funded the project ‘Climate Change & UNESCO Heritage’. Delivered by the UK National Commission for UNESCO, this has developed open-source tools to support UNESCO heritage sites to address climate challenges.
Media and Sport, what progress has been made in increasing the accessibility of major cultural institutions for people with disabilities.
The Equality Act 2010 sets out the core legal obligations for cultural venues in the UK regarding disability access. Under this Act, venues must implement "reasonable adjustments" to ensure disabled individuals are not disadvantaged. These adjustments cover both physical modifications, such as installing ramps and accessible toilets, and changes to services and policies. The latter includes provisions like permitting assistance dogs, offering information in formats that are accessible, and providing aids like sign language interpretation or audio description. DCMS-funded Capital funds, including the Museum Estate and Development Fund, the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund, and the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund all fund renovations across major cultural institutions designed to repair and modernise buildings, including improvements to access and interpretation for visitors with disabilities. The Creative Foundations Fund is a major government investment supporting arts and cultural organisations across England to resolve urgent issues with their estates. The Creative Foundations Fund has a specific aim relating to access, supporting capital projects that address equality and accessibility issues to provide independent access for disabled people and welcome users with diverse needs such as but not limited to: improvements to surfaces such as paths, landscaping, such as level or ramped access or level drop-off points near entrances, installing Changing Places facilities or increasing provision of accessible, ambulant disabled, or gender-neutral toilets and installing signage that meets best practice guidelines. The government primarily supports the arts and cultural projects through Arts Council England (ACE). DCMS is supporting ACE and the other arts councils in the UK and the Republic of Ireland to develop All In - an access scheme dedicated to removing barriers and improving the experience of deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent people when attending creative and cultural events. All In aims to increase overall attendance by making it easier for people with access requirements to find and book tickets, while also developing standards for creativity and culture that promote quality and consistency across the UK and Ireland; all supported by training and skills development.