Written questions by Wilkinson.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of funding for a statue of Dame Vera Lynn.

There has been no assessment. Organisations – public and private – are able to freely propose, fund, develop and deliver memorials; marking a variety of incidents and historical figures in a way that they are best-placed to deem appropriate and sensitive to their local area.It is for those groups to work with the relevant local planning authority and other organisations to identify a suitable site and obtain the necessary planning permissions.

What discussions he has had with SMEs on the development of the Defence Industrial Strategy.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) hold a crucial place in UK defence. They are the backbone of the UK economy and are vital to delivering the innovation, expertise and agility that we need now and in the future. The Defence Industrial Strategy will set the conditions to unlock the full potential of SMEs. To expediate this, in March the Government unveiled substantial additional support for defence SMEs, including a support hub offering guidance on accessing the defence supply chain and the upcoming publication of a new SME spending target for defence. These measures are being developed in collaboration with industry including SMEs.

What assessment his Department made of the potential impact of the use of Chinese-made drones to survey critical national infrastructure sites on cybersecurity.

The Ministry of Defence takes the security of all its assets very seriously, but we do not comment on details as these could be useful to potential adversaries.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Chinese-made drones used by police forces on cyber security.

Decisions on operational equipment are made independently by police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public.The Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS). The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones.

What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of levels of access to medication by neurodivergent people who have been diagnosed (a) by the NHS and (b) privately.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition, related to how the brain develops, rather than an illness. Although some approaches are particularly helpful for autistic people, and medication may be prescribed for co-existing issues, autism is not treated directly, including through medication.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards in England to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to medication services for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.It is for the responsible clinician to decide on the most appropriate treatment plan to manage ADHD in discussion with their patient. This decision is based on the clinician’s expertise regarding treatment options, evidence, risk and benefits and the patient’s personal circumstances as part of a shared decision-making process. The NICE guidelines on ADHD set out the considerations that healthcare professionals should account for when considering treatment options.Shared care within the National Health Service refers to an arrangement whereby a specialist doctor formally transfers responsibility for all or some aspects of their patient’s care, such as prescription of medication, over to the patient’s general practitioner (GP). The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued guidance on prescribing and managing medicines, which helps GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities. The GMC has made it clear that GPs cannot be compelled to enter into a shared care agreement. GP practices may decline such requests on clinical or capacity grounds. If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.We have taken swift action to improve the supply of ADHD medications and, as a result, many issues have been resolved. However, some issues remain, and we are working with the relevant manufacturers to help resolve them, as soon as possible.

Media and Sport, what support is available from her Department to independent film production companies.

The Government has introduced the 53% Independent Film Tax Credit, which came into effect on 1 April, and is now seeing its first applications. This will incentivise British independent film production, and will create jobs, growth and investment across the country.We also fund the British Film Institute (BFI)’s UK Global Screen Fund, with £7 million for 2025-26, to distribute and promote independent British screen content internationally.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of joining Creative Europe.

The UK is not part of Creative Europe, and has not been since the UK left the European Union. This government has not proposed any plans to rejoin Creative Europe, though we are committed to finding constructive ways to work with the EU and deliver for the British people on shared priorities and global challenges. We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s diverse cultural landscape. We are working with our world-leading sectors to ensure that they can continue to promote growth and enrich lives, at home and abroad, including through initiatives such as the £7 million UK Global Screen Fund, and the £1.6 million Music Export Growth Scheme.

Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the UK's departure from Creative Europe on its creative industries.

The UK is not part of Creative Europe, and has not been since the UK left the European Union. This government has not proposed any plans to rejoin Creative Europe, though we are committed to finding constructive ways to work with the EU and deliver for the British people on shared priorities and global challenges. We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s diverse cultural landscape. We are working with our world-leading sectors to ensure that they can continue to promote growth and enrich lives, at home and abroad, including through initiatives such as the £7 million UK Global Screen Fund, and the £1.6 million Music Export Growth Scheme.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making legal aid available to people working in creative industries to enable them to pursue technology firms suspected of breaching copyright laws through artificial intelligence.

The Government has no plans to make such an assessment. We are working to ensure that copyright and intellectual property frameworks remain robust and fit for purpose in the age of AI. We have received over 11,500 responses to our consultation, principally from creators, and are analysing those responses to shape our approach. We have been clear that AI developers must be more transparent about the content they use to train their models and that rights holders should have effective control of their works. We encourage rights holders who believe their work has been used unlawfully to seek independent legal advice and we continue to assess how best we might support the creative sector to harness the opportunities this technology provides.

Media and Sport, what discussion she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) Royal Parks on allocating land for a Spitfire AA810 Project memorial.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has not had any discussions with Cabinet colleagues regarding the allocation of land for a Spitfire AA810 Project memorial.DCMS officials are in discussion with The Royal Parks regarding the proposed land for the memorial, which is managed by The Royal Parks.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with the creative industries on joining Creative Europe.

The UK is not part of Creative Europe, and has not been since the UK left the European Union. This government has not proposed any plans to rejoin Creative Europe, though we are committed to finding constructive ways to work with the EU and deliver for the British people on shared priorities and global challenges. We recognise the UK’s creative and cultural sectors provide a unique and valuable contribution to Europe’s diverse cultural landscape. We are working with our world-leading sectors to ensure that they can continue to promote growth and enrich lives, at home and abroad, including through initiatives such as the £7 million UK Global Screen Fund, and the £1.6 million Music Export Growth Scheme.

What discussions she has had with herFrench counterparts on reducing the time taken to check passports at Paris Gare Du Nord station.

Border Force work closely with partners to minimise passenger wait times and deploy officers flexibly and when required to meet demand and support passengers. We have introduced ePassport Gates to Paris Gare Du Nord station in two waves, the last being timed to ensure that we had maximum gate coverage within the allotted space provided to us by SNCF prior to the Paris Olympics. Since eGate deployment, we have lowered the age of people able to use eGates and increased the number of nationalities that are also able to use them. We have also installed new front desk technology that is quicker and more robust than its predecessor. We are also prioritising the deployment of new eGates to Paris and other parts of the rail network when they become available which will help streamline increased passenger fluidity during peak times. Border Force enjoys a strong operational relationship with Eurostar which has allowed us to successfully plan and deploy our resources at peak times – evidenced by the successful recent operational deliveries of both the Paris Olympics in the summer of 2024 and the Easter bank holiday period in 2025 that was equally as challenging from a passenger flow perspective.

What discussions she has had with her French counterpart on the impact of restricted passport checking facilities at Paris Gare Du Nord station on Eurostar passengers.

The Government recognises the importance of smooth passenger flows at Paris Gare du Nord, given this is a key terminal for cross-Channel passenger services. Eurostar and SNCF Gare Connexions, the station operator, are delivering a project to expand the number of border control points and eGates within the current terminal footprint, which will increase border capacity. There are also longer-term plans to significantly expand the cross-Channel terminal in the station to accommodate expected growth in passenger numbers. My officials regularly engage with key European and industry partners, including Eurostar and the French authorities, including holding recent discussions to understand long-term expansion plans for the station.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the discount offered by the disabled persons railcard.

The Disabled Persons Railcard provides a third off rail travel for the traveller plus an adult companion. This discount is in line with other railcards. The current criteria for the Disabled Persons Railcard has been in place for some time, however, in the years since these criteria were established, our understanding of disability has improved. The Department is considering how the Disabled Persons Railcard could better meet its objectives with any changes made requiring balancing against the potential impacts on passengers, taxpayers and the railway.

Media and Sport, if she will make it his policy to consult on any changes to (a) actors' and (b) performers' employment rights within the cultural sector.

We are committed to giving British creators increased security at work, and providing the creative industries with a regulatory and fiscal environment where imagination and innovation can flourish. To support this aim, DCMS is working closely with the sector to understand the implications of the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay on the Creative Industries. The Plan to Make Work Pay will represent the biggest upgrade in employment rights in a generation, bringing the UK back into line internationally. It tackles poor working conditions and job security, and by making work more flexible and more family-friendly, will support our wider programme across employment, health and skills policy to get Britain working. This includes a commitment to consult on a simpler, two-part framework for employment status. Some reforms in The Plan to Make Work Pay will take longer to undertake and implement, and we see this consultation as a longer-term goal.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential role of the cyber security industry in Cheltenham in growing the UK defence industry.

This Government is committed to bringing forward a Defence Industrial Strategy which ensures the imperatives of national security and a high-growth economy are aligned. Defence is not just a cornerstone of national security, it’s also a powerful engine to drive economic growth - this Government’s number one mission. The new Defence Industrial Strategy will unlock the potential of every region and nation across the UK. We are working collaboratively with colleagues across Government to maximise the linkages between the Ministry of Defence and other Departments. We will set out our plans for strengthening the UK defence sector in the Defence Industrial Strategy later this year.

How colleges can apply to the Technical Excellence College scheme.

At the Spring Statement 2025, this government committed £100 million to establish ten new Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction across every region in England and to further build capacity to boost the provision of skills in construction. Boosting skills in construction is a crucial part of delivering on this government’s plans to build 1.5 million homes in England this Parliament and progress vital infrastructure projects. The department will set out further details on Technical Excellence Colleges in due course.

When the application process will open for the Technical Excellence College scheme.

At the Spring Statement 2025, this government committed £100 million to establish ten new Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction across every region in England and to further build capacity to boost the provision of skills in construction. Boosting skills in construction is a crucial part of delivering on this government’s plans to build 1.5 million homes in England this Parliament and progress vital infrastructure projects. The department will set out further details on Technical Excellence Colleges in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of legally recognising humanist wedding ceremonies.

The Government is aware that humanists have long been campaigning to conduct legally binding weddings. We are grateful for the contributions that humanists make to our society.The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law. Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that as a new Government we take the time to carefully consider this report before we set out our position in the coming months.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that cyber tech businesses in Cheltenham are able to access funding through new defence innovation organisation.

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) will equip Britain’s Armed Forces with cutting-edge tech faster. It will support the growth of high-tech businesses across the UK – including in Cheltenham, capitalising on new ideas, supporting them rapidly through development and exploitation. To achieve these aims UKDI will be given a ringfenced budget of £400 million this year. The Spring Statement also confirmed that the Ministry of Defence will spend at least 10% of its equipment procurement budget on novel tech including dual-use technologies such as uncrewed and autonomous systems and AI-enabled capabilities. This will benefit the UKs cyber tech industry. UKDI will be closely linked to the DE&S and DASA teams which have recently been involved in rapid procurement activities and currently give businesses across the UK access to funding. UKDI will be operational by July 2025 and work is ongoing to confirm the detailed design of the organisation.