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Category: Culture

  • Julia Lopez – 2023 Statement on BBC and the Government Role in Impartiality

    Julia Lopez – 2023 Statement on BBC and the Government Role in Impartiality

    The statement made by Julia Lopez, the Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 14 March 2023.

    The BBC is a world-class broadcaster, a creative engine and a cultural institution producing some of the best television and radio in the world. The impartiality of the BBC, as a publicly funded broadcaster, goes to the heart of the contract between the corporation and all the licence fee payers whom it serves. That is why the royal charter, which is the constitutional basis of the BBC—along with the underpinning framework agreement—enshrines the need for the BBC to be impartial in both its mission and its public purposes.

    The BBC’s mission and public purposes, as set out in the charter, require it to act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain, helping people to understand and engage with the world around them. The BBC’s first public purpose is to provide duly accurate and impartial news and information to help people to understand and engage with the world around them. It must also represent and serve the diverse communities of all the United Kingdom’s nations and regions. Both the charter and the framework agreement also explicitly guarantee the independence of the BBC. As such, the Government have no say in the BBC’s operational or editorial day-to-day decisions or staffing matters, including as they relate to the application of the requirement for impartiality.

    The Government stand fully behind the requirements of the royal charter. We are clear that the BBC must truly reflect the nation and guard its impartiality in all of its output. The BBC’s director-general has repeatedly said that the corporation’s impartiality is a priority for him and must be protected. We welcome that the BBC accepted the findings and recommendations of the Serota review and is committed to reform through its 10-point impartiality and editorial standards action plan. It is Ofcom, established by the Government as the independent regulator of the BBC in 2017, that is responsible for holding broadcasters including the BBC to account on the impartiality of their news and current affairs coverage, against the broadcasting code under the Communications Act 2003.

    In November last year, Ofcom published its annual review of the BBC. It found the BBC’s impartiality to be a key area of concern among audiences and one where they consistently rate BBC news less favourably for trust and accuracy. Ofcom stated that addressing audience perceptions on this matter is challenging, and the regulator recognises that this is a complex area. It will continue to monitor the performance of the BBC and has urged the BBC not to lose momentum in its efforts to address this issue. It remains a priority for the Government to ensure that Ofcom delivers an effective and proportionate regulatory framework that holds the BBC to account while maintaining its creative freedom and operational independence.

    In May 2022, the Government launched the mid-term review. This is a new mechanism established by the current charter, focusing on the governance and regulatory arrangements for the BBC, given the reforms that were introduced when the charter was granted. One area of focus in the MTR is impartiality, and it will assess the efficacy of the governance mechanisms and Ofcom’s regulation in ensuring that the BBC meets the high standards that licence fee payers expect of it. It is also an important milestone in our road map for BBC reform, and work is well under way. The charter specifies that the review must take place between 2022 and 2024, and we will publish our findings and conclusions in due course.

    The BBC is respected globally. It reaches hundreds of millions of people across the world every week. No other country in the world has anything quite like it. We have been clear that the BBC must place a firm emphasis on accuracy, impartiality and diversity of opinion. It can never be the BBC’s role to judge, or appear to judge, the diverse values of the people from across the country it serves. In the era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important, and the BBC has been and should be a beacon that sets standards to which others can aspire.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Gambling with Lives Annual Parliamentary Forum

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Gambling with Lives Annual Parliamentary Forum

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on 1 March 2023.

    Culture Secretary speaks ahead of the publication of the gambling white paper.

    Good afternoon everyone,

    And I wanted to start by thanking Liz and Charles for inviting me to speak at this event and thank you very much for your very powerful speech.

    You have both been, as many of you have been in this room, tireless and devoted champions in this area, and I know Gambling with Lives does incredibly valuable work to support families in this room but also who are across the country.

    Shortly after I was appointed I read your response to the call for evidence and I was struck by the harrowing stories of people like Robert and Fred, whose lives were ruined by gambling, and as a mother I can’t begin to imagine the grief and sense of loss of all your families.

    And though I’ve only been Culture Secretary for three weeks, meeting all of you and hearing your experiences was one of the first things I wanted to do in this role.

    Because it’s so important to hear directly from families who have been touched by these issues, and I really value your input when looking at gambling reform.

    So thank you, Liz, thank you Charles, thank you everybody – and I’m really pleased that your hard work was honoured in the New Year Honours List.

    I have also read the House of Lords report on Gambling Harm Time for Action and I recently met with the lived experience advisory panel. I heard some really moving stories and I am struck by how diverse their experiences were.

    One person had lost over £1 million. Another never bet more than £1 on a spin.

    One young man had started gambling at the age of eleven. Many tried to self exclude but found the enticements drawing them back in just too difficult.

    I also wanted to say that I know it must be very frustrating to have yet another ministerial team leading the government’s work on gambling, and I know that you might be worried about further delays to the white paper.

    So let me reassure you that White Paper is an absolute priority for me, and for the Prime minister, and we are committed to publishing it soon.

    But I do want to give these issues justice and take some time to make sure that I do meet with you and others to really understand the issues. I am particularly conscious of the vulnerability of young people.

    And of course you know very well, gambling doesn’t just destroy the lives of the gamblers themselves, it has a devastating impact on their loved ones.

    The Review of the Gambling Act is an opportunity to make the changes we need, and to make sure we have the right protections in place for the digital age.

    Nearly every area of gambling policy is in scope, and I want to make sure your views are heard and reflected.

    I am also conscious there are a variety of views on the way forward.

    Of course, the White Paper when it is published will not be the last word on reform. I’m really keen to keep talking to you all, and to make sure we understand the drivers of gambling harm and how we can protect the public.

    So thank you so much for everything you’ve done so far.

    And for everything I’m sure you’ll continue to do in the months and years to come.

  • Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Creative Coalition Festival

    Lucy Frazer – 2023 Speech at the Creative Coalition Festival

    The speech made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on 28 February 2023.

    I’m absolutely delighted to be here – and I want to thank Caroline and Creative UK for inviting me to speak at today’s event.

    As you might have realised, it’s been a whirlwind few weeks in government and during that time we’ve seen departments being broken up, and new ones created.

    But I think those changes have left my department, DCMS, in really a strong position.

    We can now dedicate all of our energy on the sectors at the heart of our portfolio – particularly the creative industries.

    They are a key priority for the Prime Minister.

    They are a priority for the Chancellor, who has highlighted the creative industries as one of his key growth sectors for the UK economy.

    And they are a priority for me as Culture Secretary.

    In my first few weeks in the role, I’ve been lucky enough to go on a whistlestop tour of Britain’s creative landscape.

    I’ve been up to the Corrie set, and to the Brits.

    I’ve sat on the front row at London Fashion Week, and cheered on UK filmmaking at the BAFTAs.

    And during those last few weeks I’ve seen with my own eyes just how much talent we have in this country:

    the writers, the musicians,

    the lighting and sound technicians, the designers and the producers.

    But those people aren’t just making nice things.

    They are the workforce powering our country – pumping £116 billion into the national purse every year.

    The creative industries enrich our lives in every sense of the word.

    When they thrive, the country thrives.

    And while I’m new to DCMS, as a minister in other departments, I’ve seen just how much the arts can affect lives.

    As prisons minister I saw firsthand how pivotal drama and art can be to rehabilitation,

    in helping people find purpose, meaning and hope, and improve their skills for life outside their four walls.

    As the housing minister, we constantly talked about the importance of “place”…

    …how the quality of the buildings we inhabit and the beauty of the architecture around us affects the way we feel about our home towns and cities.

    And at the Treasury I saw how we can support companies to grow, expand and recruit.

    I am going to bring that experience to bear in this role, to push the creative industries to a new level of growth in the coming years.

    Now, it’s worth noting the huge level of support that the government is already giving to the creative industries.

    We are currently spending:

    Over £21 million through the UK Global Screen Fund, to promote the independent screen sector.

    Over £8 million to support new video games businesses to develop new products and talent through the UK Games Fund.

    £17 million to boost creative investment in six regions across England.

    Over £100 million in funding from UK Research and Innovation, to help us become world leaders in virtual production, and support smaller businesses to experiment and innovate.

    And today I can announce that we are spending another £2.5 million to support R&D in the creative industries in different places across the UK.

    Those are the things we are already doing to get the sector firing on all cylinders.

    But to push things to the next level, I’m going to focus on at least two things:

    People.

    Places.

    On people, I know that a key challenge for the sector is skills.

    Our film and TV industries, for instance, are booming.

    They’re creating thousands of jobs. Now we need people to fill them.

    Yet a recent survey of young people by the BFI and careers app ERIC found only 6 per cent believed a career in the screen industries, for example, was achievable.

    So we need to work together to give people the right skills and awareness from a young age, so that they can join these booming industries and enjoy fulfilling, well-paid jobs.

    On places, I want to use the creative industries to drive growth in every corner of the UK.

    Right now, more than half of creative jobs are in London and the South East.

    And we can do so much more.

    This is one of our strongest industries, and we need the entire country to feel its benefits.

    And there’s a clear route to doing that.

    Right now, there are certain hotspots outside London and the South East where creativity is absolutely booming.

    Where certain creative industries form natural “clusters”.

    So Leamington Spa, for instance, has become one of the video game capitals of the UK,

    While Belfast is a hub for film and TV production.

    I’m very interested in how we can boost those clusters,

    And a need to work across government so that we build homes and train stations in areas where our creative industries are thriving.

    I’m interested in how we can give businesses in those areas even more opportunities to innovate, to access investment, and to export the best of British creativity abroad.

    And finally, I want to understand how the tax system can best support the creative economy, and how it can encourage people all over the country to start and expand their own creative businesses.

    And I will set out how I intend to deliver them through the upcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision.

    DCMS has worked very closely with industry on the Sector Vision, and last week I met with some of the leading voices of the sector to discuss that project,

    during the first face-to-face meeting of the Creative Industries Council since before the pandemic.

    And when the Sector Vision is published, it will kickstart a whole new round of engagement together.

    It will outline how we will continue to work together, both government and industry, on a range of issues affecting creative businesses.

    It will give us the framework to partner up with the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on research and development…

    …and to work with the Department for Education on building a highly skilled and innovative workforce.

    And it will lay out how we intend to capitalise on this really exciting era for the creative industries…

    …An era where film and TV alone are now worth more than the entire car industry in the UK.

    This is where the jobs are, this is where growth is.

    So I want to capitalise on that moment, and use it to drive the sector to new heights, for the benefit of the entire country.

    So look out for its publication.

    And in the meantime, I want to thank everyone in this room for all the dedication and passion you bring to your work every single day.

    I know creative work can be a real labour of love.

    And it’s one of the reasons why I’m looking forward to working with all of you in the coming months.

  • Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee – 2023 Report into the Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC

    Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee – 2023 Report into the Appointment of Richard Sharp as Chair of the BBC

    The report published by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 12 February 2023.

    Text of report (in .pdf format)

  • Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at Westminster Insight Conference on the Future of Women’s Sport

    Stuart Andrew – 2023 Speech at Westminster Insight Conference on the Future of Women’s Sport

    The speech made by Stuart Andrew, the Sports Minister, at The Institution of Structural Engineers in London on 30 January 2023.

    Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today and giving me the opportunity to outline my priorities for women’s sport.

    It is great to see so many of you here which reflects the genuine interest and enthusiasm surrounding this important area.

    I am delighted to have taken on the role of Minister for Sport at such an exciting time and I look forward to making real progress on issues that I personally feel very passionately about, such as equality and diversity.

    The Lionesses win at the Women’s Euros last Summer firmly shone the spotlight on women’s sport.

    The success of England’s Red Roses reaching the final at the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the success of many female athletes at the Commonwealth Games, including Eilish McColgan’s outstanding performance in the 10,000m to name just one example, have also built on that momentum.

    I feel privileged to have witnessed first hand some amazing achievements in women’s sport since I have been in post, such as Great Britain reaching the semi finals of the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time in 41 years and most recently seeing Beth Mead, the Lionesses and Sarina Wiegman being honoured at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

    There is no doubt that the media profile of women’s sport is continuing to rise too with events such as the US Open, the Women’s Euros, the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Women’s World Cup being made available to a wider audience on free to air television.

    The Rugby League World Cup, which was hosted across England last year, put the Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair tournaments on an equal platform – hosting all three tournaments at the same time and all players receiving equal participation fees.

    I want to build on this momentum ensuring that women’s sport continues to get the media attention it deserves and in turn inspire the next generation.

    Audiences for women’s sport are also growing, for example, a record 23.3m UK viewers tuned in to watch the Women’s Euros final on BBC platforms and in November the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final was watched in the UK by 1.7m at 6.30am.

    Figures published by Women’s Sport Trust in December showed that 43 million people watched three minutes or more of women’s sport in 2022, and a total of 325 million hours viewed.

    This is in stark contrast to 2012, when London hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games, where there were 20.1 million people watching women’s sport and 19.1 million hours viewed.

    This is fantastic and shows that there is a real appetite for women’s sport, something we should continue to capitalise on.

    Landmark sponsorship deals, such as Barclays’ investment of over £30 million in the Women’s Super League, have injected money into the system and allowed certain sports to professionalise.

    Record breaking and innovative sponsorship deals are also being struck such as Amazon Prime Video re-investing a seven figure sum from sharing the broadcast of the US Open into boosting girls’ participation in tennis.

    This is all good news but we recognise that a number of challenges remain.

    In terms of participation, men are still more likely to be active compared with women and the latest Active Lives Children data released in December shows that boys are more likely to be active than girls.

    It is clear that more work needs to be done to continue to break down those barriers that prevent women and girls from being active such as fear of judgement, safety concerns and lack of time.

    We want to ensure that everybody in this country has the opportunity to play and enjoy sport and that includes ensuring more women and girls have the opportunity to get active in a way which suits them.

    We also want to continue to raise the profile of women’s sport and encourage more commercial investment into women’s sport.

    It’s fantastic to see elite women’s sport getting better coverage but there is more to do to drive up audience figures tuning in to watch women’s sport and to build the case for further investment in women’s sport.

    On the subject of governance, I am pleased that the strengthened Code for Sports Governance requires all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in receipt of public funding to agree a diversity and inclusion action plan with Sport England and UK Sport.

    This is a welcome step forward but we need to keep pushing – to make sure women are fairly represented on the boards of our sporting organisations.

    We also want to make the most of opportunities that come our way.

    Building on the success of the Women’s Euros we will continue to invest in grassroots sport to bring on the next generation of Lionesses and work with the Department for Education to ensure girls have equal access to sports.

    We are also working with the Football Foundation and FA to name sites after the Lionesses – in towns and cities which shaped their careers.

    The Women’s World Cup in the summer will again shine a light on women’s football and we want to be ready to embrace the renewed interest that this will inevitably generate.

    The UK is also hosting the International Working Group on Women and Sport until 2026. This is a great opportunity not only to share the fantastic work we are doing but to learn from other countries too.

    In addition, we are refreshing our overarching sport strategy at DCMS and it’s clear that women’s sport needs to be a central part of this.

    We are also working with UK Sport to identify future events we could support including the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup which I am pleased to say will both be held in England.

    And following the work by Tracey Crouch and her fan led review of football governance, we are carrying out an in-depth review of domestic women’s football led by Karen Carney to examine issues affecting the game at elite and grassroots level.

    We need to maintain an emphasis on improving participation, employment opportunities, commercial investment and visibility in the media. The Review of Women’s Football will support the continued growth and development of the women’s game, to ensure it has a strong and sustainable future.

    This is a defining period for women’s football, and this thorough review will be at the heart of that.

    I am also keen to engage further on transgender participation in sport and the Secretary of State and I will host a further meeting with sports shortly to understand what work national governing bodies are doing in this area.

    We want to ensure that everybody in this country has the opportunity to play and enjoy sport, but when it comes to competitive women’s sport, the Government believes that fairness has to be the primary consideration.

    So in conclusion, we want to continue to build on recent successes such as the Women’s Euros and the good work already being done.

    As I said at the beginning, this is an area that I care about passionately, and inclusion in sport is a priority for me. We also need to look ahead and be prepared to take advantage of opportunities and find ways to overcome challenges.

    I look forward to working with you to ensure that all aspects of women’s sport continue to flourish, and to hearing your ideas for how we can make Britain a great place for women’s sport.

    Thank you.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Fan Led Review of Football Governance

    Dan Jarvis – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Fan Led Review of Football Governance

    The parliamentary question asked by Dan Jarvis, the Labour MP for Barnsley Central, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central) (Lab)

    Whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance.

    The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Michelle Donelan)

    When we published our response to the recommendations made by the independent Fan-Led Review of Football Governance, we were clear that football needs reform to ensure the game’s long-term sustainability and to safeguard clubs, and I have met the authorities to push for action now. We will publish a White Paper setting out our detailed position within the next couple of weeks. That will set out the direction of travel for significant reform within football.

    Dan Jarvis

    I do not know whether I need to declare an interest as a supporter of Barnsley football club, but I put that on the record anyway. Further to the point made just a moment ago, we are still waiting for progress between the Premier League and the English Football League on increased funding to the pyramid, which could, hopefully, avoid another Bury football club or Derby County scenario. The Minister and the Secretary of State have mentioned the White Paper, but given that it may be 18 months before any new regulator is operational, can the Secretary of State say what she will do in the interim to break the deadlock and ensure that football clubs are financially sustainable for the longer term?

    Michelle Donelan

    While we will publish the White Paper in two weeks’ time, it is clear that football does not need to wait for the Government to act. Both the Minister for Sport and I have had several meetings trying to push that along. I urge football to act now because it is in its interests, too, to safeguard clubs and to protect the interests of fans.

    Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)

    I welcome the news that the Government’s White Paper will be published shortly. Does the Secretary of State agree that most football clubs that get into financial difficulties are already trading outside of the rules of the competitions they play in? If those rules were properly enforced, these problems would not occur, and that is why we need the regulator to ensure that transparency exists.

    Michelle Donelan

    As always, my hon. Friend talks a great deal of sense, and I completely agree with him. That is why this Government will be acting and standing up in the interests of clubs and fans to ensure that the regulator is in place to do just that, but of course the rules of the game could be enforced now.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the shadow Secretary of State.

    Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op)

    Everton football club is reportedly up for sale, with its stadium half-built. With others up for sale, this looks set to be a record year for premier league clubs changing hands. Many others face financial problems and ownership uncertainties, all since the Fan-Led Review was published. Yet fans will have no say and new owners are not subject to robust independent checks. We still do not have the deal on financial distribution in the pyramid. Will the Secretary of State take responsibility for the clubs that go under or get themselves into trouble before the independent statutory regulator is finally implemented?

    Michelle Donelan

    This Government have proven time and again that we are on the side of the fans. We committed to the review in our manifesto. We stepped in during covid to protect clubs with a £600-million sport survival package. We stepped in again to prevent the super league —a competition that no fans wanted. Whenever fans have needed us, we have been in their corner. This will be a huge shake-up of football, and I will not apologise for taking the time to get it right. We will come forward with the White Paper in the next two weeks.

  • Mark Pawsey – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Rugby Football Bicentenary Celebration

    Mark Pawsey – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Rugby Football Bicentenary Celebration

    The parliamentary question asked by Mark Pawsey, the Conservative MP for Rugby, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Mark Pawsey (Rugby) (Con)

    What steps her Department is taking to support the celebration of the bicentenary of rugby football in 2023.

    The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Michelle Donelan)

    The Government are delighted that rugby union is celebrating 200 years in 2023. We are looking forward to working with my hon. Friend to mark that occasion, and I am delighted that the Minister for Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Pudsey (Stuart Andrew), plans to join some of those celebrations at Rugby School. Rugby continues to be one of our biggest participation sports, and the very best of the game will be showcased in the men’s world cup later this year. We also look forward to supporting the growth of the game, with England hosting the women’s world cup in 2025.

    Mark Pawsey

    Mr Speaker, you will know that my constituency is known around the world as the birthplace of the game, where it is played in both codes—both union and league. The game all started in 1823, when a Rugby schoolboy, William Webb Ellis, picked up and ran with the ball at a time when everybody else just kicked it. The bicentenary this year gives both the town and Rugby School the opportunity to celebrate with events and matches on The Close, including one with the parliamentary team from the Commons and the Lords. We are welcoming the Minister for Sport, and we look forward to seeing him at the celebrations with the first pass of the ball, which will be transported to rugby- playing countries around the world.

    Michelle Donelan

    The Minister is very much looking forward to joining the start of the global pass, which will see 200 passes take a rugby ball through the hands of fans across the globe. The programme of events will give plenty of opportunities for the people of Rugby and beyond to celebrate their role in the history of the sport.

    Mr Speaker

    Do not forget that the Minister for Sport is a rugby league man. At least now he can do both codes.

  • Sam Tarry – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Grassroots Club Rugby

    Sam Tarry – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Grassroots Club Rugby

    The parliamentary question asked by Sam Tarry, the Labour MP for Ilford South, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Sam Tarry (Ilford South) (Lab)

    What recent steps her Department has taken with the Rugby Football Union to help support the recovery of grassroots club rugby following the covid-19 outbreak.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stuart Andrew)

    Supporting grassroots sports is a key Government priority. It brings communities together and makes people happier and healthier. Through the sport survival package, rugby union received £160 million to ensure the survival of clubs at all levels during the pandemic. That was specifically designed to help those grassroots clubs. In addition, Sport England offered £23 million to support rugby union during the pandemic.

    Sam Tarry

    Local rugby clubs play a vital role in encouraging a healthy lifestyle, bring communities together and provide young people with an opportunity to develop friendships and skills for life. As the Minister knows, the pandemic has proved ruinous for many clubs, with clubs local to me in Ilford, Dagenham, Barking, Romford, Chingford and Wanstead all facing either closure or significant difficulties. The president of my local club, Ilford Wanderers, told me:

    “We aren’t just losing players; we losing wholesale teams.”

    That has been compounded this week by the controversial changes to the amateur games rules for rugby union regarding safe tackle height, announced without consultation. I seek the Minister’s assurance that funding will be ongoing and he will work with the Rugby Football Union on financial support to save those community clubs and ensure that this fantastic game, in all its forms, continues for many generations to come.

    Stuart Andrew

    The hon. Gentleman is right to highlight the significant contribution that rugby union makes in many of our communities. I pay tribute to the many thousands of volunteers who give up their time to ensure that these clubs survive. We work constantly with the RFU and Sport England to ensure that the best assessment is made of support that is needed for the sector. I will continue to do that and raise the points that he highlighted.

    Andrew Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) (Ind)

    I welcome the news that more than 200 grassroots rugby, football and boxing organisations across England and Wales are to be awarded £5 million to put on local schemes. Does the Minister agree that, apart from the obvious health and wellbeing benefits, these schemes help to keep vulnerable young people out of antisocial behaviour and crime?

    Stuart Andrew

    My hon. Friend is right. The power of sport is significant and far-reaching: it helps with health and wellbeing and, as he rightly points out, can be a great avenue for helping people not to be tempted into areas of crime. That is why grassroots sports will be a key focus of our sports strategy.

    Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)

    We all love the game of rugby football union. In Wales this week, the Welsh Rugby Union was accused of sexism and misogyny. It is shocking and, unfortunately, reaches throughout the culture of Welsh rugby. Will the Minister and the Secretary of State reach out to the Welsh Government to provide their support and give the right guidance on setting up an independent regulator?

    Stuart Andrew

    Sexism, misogyny or any prejudice has no place whatever in any of our sports. As the hon. Member knows, sport is devolved, but I will reach out to colleagues in the Welsh Government and have a discussion about that. I am absolutely clear that our sports strategy will have inclusion at its heart.

    Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con)

    First, may I congratulate you, Mr Speaker, on last month becoming the new president of the Rugby Football League? I suspect that your form of the game will see a big influx of new players as the English Rugby Football Union seeks to rewrite the rules of the union game.

    Does the Minister agree that, given 75,000 players, coaches and supporters of the union game have already signed a petition rejecting the new rules, the RFU should think again, work more collaboratively with the grassroots across all the home nations and ensure that all steps taken to improve player safety are consistent and workable and do not lead to a player exodus?

    Stuart Andrew

    My right hon. Friend raises an important point that a number of colleagues have already raised with me. As he will be aware, national governing bodies such as the Rugby Football Union are responsible for the regulation of their sport and ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm and serious injuries. I can assure him that we continue to work with sports bodies, including the RFU, to ensure that player safety is prioritised, and I will certainly raise the points he has raised in my next meeting with it.

  • Ian Levy – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Accessibility of Cultural Attractions

    Ian Levy – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Accessibility of Cultural Attractions

    The parliamentary question asked by Ian Levy, the Conservative MP for Blyth Valley, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con)

    What steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of cultural attractions.

    Angela Richardson (Guildford) (Con)

    What steps her Department is taking to increase the accessibility of cultural attractions.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Stuart Andrew)

    My Department is committed to broadening the accessibility of our cultural heritage sites across the country. Arts Council England recently announced the 2023-26 national portfolio, which will significantly improve access to arts and culture. DCMS also works closely with David Stanley, the disability and access ambassador for arts and culture, to improve accessibility to the sector for those with disabilities.

    Ian Levy

    In recent months, projects in Blyth Valley have received upwards of £700,000 of funding from my right hon. Friend’s Department, including the refurbishment of the grade I listed Seaton Delaval Hall, Headway Arts in Blyth, and the replica of the Williams II sailing ship that discovered Antarctica in 1820—there is so much to see. On that point, I offer my right hon. Friend the opportunity to experience those projects at first hand, meet the people involved, and sample the excellent fish and chips on the north-east coastline.

    Stuart Andrew

    Heritage and culture play a vital role in many of our communities, including in the Blyth valley, showing that they are great places to live, work and visit. I am delighted that the Department and our outside bodies are funding projects there, including the £96,000 for Headway Arts. That is just what we want to see. Of course, I would be more than happy to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency. As I represent the home of the original Harry Ramsden’s, I would be interested to compare them with good old Yorkshire fish and chips.

    Mr Speaker

    Aren’t they closed Minister?

    Angela Richardson

    I am incredibly proud of the Yvonne Arnaud theatre in Guildford and the outreach work that it does in the wards of Stoke and Westborough, which have some of the highest rates of deprivation and the lowest health outcomes in Surrey. It does all that work outside the national portfolio organisation framework, with little support from the local authority. To truly level up accessibility to the arts for my constituents, what can the Department do to encourage local authorities to recognise and support arts organisations that sit outside the NPO framework?

    Stuart Andrew

    My hon. Friend is absolutely right to be proud of her theatre and all the work that it does despite being outside the portfolio. Our Department is absolutely committed to ensuring that all people have access to arts and culture regardless of where they live. Many local authorities invest in those sectors and respond in innovative ways, and have created many new models. I hope that her local authority will look at the huge benefits that others have enjoyed by accessing many of the partnerships that have brought about best practice in our country.

    Nick Smith (Blaenau Gwent) (Lab)

    Unboxed was a £120 million investment to celebrate the best of Britain. The Department reported in November that the figure for audience engagement was just over 18 million. That sounds a reasonable reach, but it turns out that a one- hour “Countryfile” TV special was doing the heavy lifting with 5 million viewers—nearly a third of the total. I understand that a wider evaluation is in hand, but does the Minister think that the festival made the impact that his Department intended it to, and can he ensure that this point is considered in the wider evaluation?

    Stuart Andrew

    The hon. Gentleman is right to question in the way that he has. Unboxed has had many successes, and it has brought about cultural and art experiences to places that would perhaps never usually enjoy them—I am thinking about the work that went on in Caernarfon in north Wales, for example. He is right that we are evaluating it, and this will be a part of the assessment that we make.

    Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Ind)

    What steps will Ministers take to ensure that cultural attractions in tourist spots offer full disability awareness training for staff, covering not just physical disabilities but hidden disabilities, so that they can better accommodate their visitors?

    Stuart Andrew

    The hon. Lady is absolutely right: when we talk about access for all, we absolutely mean it. The disability unit in the Government has launched an enhanced and expanded programme of disability and access ambassadors to help us drive progress in increasing access. I am pleased that many of our establishments are working on that at speed.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the shadow Minister.

    Barbara Keeley (Worsley and Eccles South) (Lab)

    The accessibility of cultural organisations will be affected greatly by the Government’s tapering of orchestra tax relief and theatre tax relief from April. The Association of British Orchestras tells me that the 50% rate has enabled orchestras to survive at a time when box office and other earned income is falling. It has enabled concerts in non- traditional venues, reaching new audiences in underserved communities. However, the tapered rate will cost some national organisations as much as £3 million. Jobs will be lost, there will be cuts to productions, and outreach work, such as that we have heard about, will not be possible. Some orchestras and theatres will just not survive. Will the Minister ask the Chancellor to review urgently the reduction in orchestra and theatre tax reliefs?

    Stuart Andrew

    The hon. Lady is right to raise those important points. I assure her that both I and my ministerial colleagues in the Department have regular discussions with colleagues in the Treasury. We will continue to do so and raise the points she has highlighted.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Government Support for Grassroots Music Venues

    Kerry McCarthy – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Government Support for Grassroots Music Venues

    The parliamentary question asked by Kerry McCarthy, the Labour MP for Bristol East, in the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

    Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)

    What support the Government are providing to grassroots music venues.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Paul Scully)

    The Government are committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, the lifeblood of our world-leading music sector. Arts Council England has extended its Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund until 31 March 2023. During the pandemic, venues benefited from the cultural recovery fund; we are also supporting venues through the energy bills support scheme and will continue to do so through the energy bills discount scheme until spring 2024.

    Kerry McCarthy

    I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. With Independent Venue Week coming up next week, I pay particular tribute to Big Jeff, the best ambassador for grassroots music venues anyone could ever want, who is finally getting back out on the gig circuit after his terrible accident last year—thank you for indulging me on that, Mr Speaker. The sector is on a knife edge, sustained by a 0.2% profit margin. As I understand it —although the Minister may want to correct me, considering the answer he has just given—it is not included in the support for energy bills from 1 April. Will the Minister, if he does not have good news for me today, take that up with the Treasury as a matter of urgency, because it could be energy bills that finally push many independent music venues over the edge?

    Paul Scully

    I thank the hon. Lady and congratulate Big Jeff on all the work that he is obviously doing in the sector. We will certainly reflect on that. I think that the new energy scheme strikes the balance between supporting businesses over the next 12 months and limiting taxpayers’ exposure to volatile energy markets, and there is a cap based on estimated volumes. It is really important that we support music venues, hospitality and wider community venues to the benefit of our community and the amazing creative sector.