Tag: Department for Culture and Media

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 August 2025.

The Secretary of State has appointed Professor Aoife Hunt MBE as Board Member to The Sports Ground Safety Authority for 3 years from 12 May 2025 to 11 May 2028.

Professor Aoife Hunt MBE

Aoife is a Professor of Crowd Safety and Security Science at the University of Greenwich and a leading specialist in crowd dynamics, simulation modelling and emergency evacuation strategies. She has over 17 years’ experience leading projects and research studies to advance the safety and security of crowded places, supporting the design and operation of sports grounds, arenas, major events, the public realm, hospitals, and transport systems. Aoife has extensive experience in designing video studies of human behaviour and led the world’s largest study into virus transmission risk behaviours in crowded places during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aoife regularly contributes to national and international guidance documents and is currently co-authoring the chapter on evacuation modelling in the SFPE Fire Engineering handbook. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland, and Co-Chair of the Security Institute’s Protective Security Special Interest Group. Aoife is passionate about inspiring children to continue studying mathematics and regularly works with national educational programmes to deliver outreach talks for schools and colleges. She holds memberships and committee roles across the industry and in 2023 was awarded an MBE for her services to the COVID-19 response.

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 14 August 2025.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will join Second World War veterans at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

• Iconic buildings from The Shard to Cardiff Castle will light up on Friday evening in tribute
• National two-minute silence will be held at midday on Friday 15 August

Their Majesties The King and Queen will lead the nation in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire today (Friday 15 August).

The National Service of Remembrance will honour and remember those who continued to fight and those who lost their lives during the final three months of the Second World War in the Far East.

This includes hundreds of thousands of soldiers who served alongside British Armed Forces from countries including pre-partition India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nepal and various African nations. Victory over Japan (VJ Day) was declared on 15 August 1945, following Imperial Japan’s surrender to Allied Forces.

The service, run in partnership with the Royal British Legion, will be attended by Burma Star recipients, a veteran of the British Indian Army and those involved in the Battles of Kohima and Imphal, as well as Prisoners of War held across the region and veterans stationed in the UK or Commonwealth countries, who contributed to the war effort.

It will also be attended by the Prime Minister, Cabinet ministers, Parliamentarians, the Japanese Ambassador and other High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth.

A special tribute will be hosted by 400 members of the Armed Forces, including a guard of honour from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, with music provided by military bands. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will lead a flypast featuring the historic Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft.

The event will be broadcast live on BBC One, and members of the public are encouraged to participate in the national two-minute silence at midday.

From 9pm on Friday evening, hundreds of buildings across the country will be lit up to mark VJ 80, including Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, the Tower of London, Tower42, The Shard, Blackpool Tower, Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Durham Cathedral, Cardiff Castle, the Cenotaph, the Kranji War Memorial in Singapore and the White Cliffs of Dover.

At a special reception hosted in Downing Street for veterans, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Eighty years since our victory in the Second World War, we pay our respects to the many who fought, were captured, and made the ultimate sacrifice in the Far East.

Our country owes a great debt to those who fought for a better future, so we could have the freedoms and the life we enjoy today.

We must honour that sacrifice with every new generation.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

Eighty years ago today the Second World War finally came to a close after years of sacrifice from the greatest generation this country has ever seen.

We must never forget this vital part of our national story. By coming together to hear the stories of our brave VJ Day veterans first-hand, we can ensure that the legacy of our British Armed Forces and those from across the Commonwealth is passed on to future generations.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:

As the nation unites today to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we honour those who served and remember those who gave their lives.

Thirty thousand British personnel, alongside many more from Commonwealth and Allied forces, lost their lives in the Far East campaign. Their bravery and resilience forged a brighter future and after years of conflict, a lasting peace.

Today, their courage, dedication, and sacrifice continues to inspire every member of our Armed Forces.

Commemorations have been taking place throughout this week, including a reception for veterans hosted by the Prime Minister and Lady Starmer in Downing Street on Thursday and a sunset wreath-laying ceremony at the Memorial Gates in London last night to pay tribute to Commonwealth personnel.

At dawn, military bagpipers will perform the lament ‘Battle’s O’er’ at The Cenotaph, in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, and at Edinburgh Castle. A piper will also perform at a Japanese peace garden to reflect the reconciliation which has taken place between the UK and Japan in the decades since the Second World War.

The Imperial War Museums new contemporary film ‘August 1945: It Was Over Then’ will be shown in screenings around the country, alongside a free augmented reality trail August 1945: A World Changed taking place at IWM North to tell the story of VJ Day.

Throughout the week, an immersive ‘Letters to Loved Ones’ display at Outernet’s Now Trending space in London has brought to life the stories of six individuals who served in the Far East, narrated by their families. The installation is free and open until Saturday 16 August. The film will also be shown on London’s Piccadilly Lights at 12:30pm today.

A reception will be held in the autumn at Windsor Castle to honour VJ veterans and the Commonwealth’s contributions.

The VJ Day 80 events are part of the Government’s commemorations throughout 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This year’s commemorations have paid tribute to the millions across the UK and Commonwealth who served, telling the stories of those who fought, the children who were evacuated, and those who stepped into the essential roles on the Home Front.

VJ Day 80 marks the culmination of this year’s commemorations, following four days of events in May to mark VE Day.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Access to the service at the base of the Arboretum’s Armed Forces Memorial will be strictly by event ticket only.
• Members of the public can participate in the commemorations by attending a live screening at the nearby Naval Review and observe the two-minute national silence; pre-booking of car parking via the National Memorial Arboretum website is strongly recommended to guarantee entry.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 11 August 2025.

A temporary export bar has been placed on a Historic British Maritime Chart Collection, which is at risk of leaving the UK.

• Export bar is to allow time for a UK museum or institution to acquire the collection
• Records of Britain’s most significant commercial chart makers from the late 18th and 19th centuries has been valued at £6 million

An export bar has been placed on an extraordinary collection documenting Britain’s rise as the world’s leading maritime power to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire it.

The historic archive of Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson – comprising the records of Britain’s most significant commercial chart makers from the late 18th and 19th centuries – has been valued at £6 million and represents an important source of knowledge relating to British commercial chartmaking at its prime.

The collection spans over 200 working charts, rare maritime atlases in their original ‘blueback’ bindings, and unique artefacts including a copper plate for an original chart by explorer James Cook and a chair believed to have been used by Lord Nelson.

It is the largest surviving archive documenting the work of commercial chart-making firms from this era. These firms were essential to Britain’s expanding maritime power during the period when the nation rose from being one of several competing European powers to become the dominant global force of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Arts Minister, Sir Chris Bryant said:

This extraordinary collection helps us better understand Britain’s transformation into a global maritime power.

I hope that a museum or institution can come forward to help secure this collection for future generations so that researchers and the public can learn about this crucial chapter in British history.

Caroline Shenton, Committee member:

Britain’s position as a global superpower in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was in large part due to its dominance at sea. For this, the Royal Navy and merchant shipping relied on accurate maritime charts of the world’s oceans and far-flung coastlines. This incredible archive, the surviving records of the premier chart-making firm and its predecessors of Imray, Laurie, Norie, and Wilson, sheds light on one of the principal means by which Britannia ruled the waves for several centuries. It is my fervent hope that a suitable home in the UK will be found for this outstanding, beautiful and fascinating collection.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA).

The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the collection met the first, second, and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding connection with our history and national life, its outstanding aesthetic importance, and its outstanding significance to the study of British commercial chart making, the British Empire and naval history. It was also of outstanding significance to the study of the businesses involved in the commercial publication of maritime charts in the UK from the late 18th century to the early 1900s, shipping routes, and climate change.

The decision on the export licence application for the collection will be deferred for a period ending on 10 November 2025 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the collection at the recommended price of £6,000,000 (plus VAT which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for six months.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the panel should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.
2. Details of the item are as follows: The manuscript and printed archive of the maritime publisher Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson. Charting the firm’s birth, rise, and heyday, from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century.
3. Provenance: Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd
4. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an  independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for  Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 7 August 2025.

Heritage buildings are set to benefit from £15 million of funding as part of the government’s ongoing commitment to ensure our heritage is fit for the future.

• 37 local heritage sites will receive grants to help with repairs, in many cases helping turn historic buildings into the vibrant community spaces people need today
• Fund will deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by increasing opportunities and ensuring communities can enjoy heritage in the places they call home

Unseen Arts in Grimsby, MusicAbility Centre in Penzance and St Michael’s Mount Artist’s Studio in Newcastle are among 37 projects set to receive a share of more than £15 million through the government’s Heritage at Risk Fund.

The funding will support repair works and conservation of heritage buildings at risk, restoring local heritage to ensure it can be enjoyed for many generations to come.

These projects will provide much needed funding to ensure heritage buildings are fit for the future so they can continue to tell our national story at a local level in communities across the country. The fund has prioritised projects that will restore heritage sites serving disadvantaged communities and which demonstrate strong local benefits, from job creation to cultural events.

The Heritage at Risk Fund is part of the £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund, which was announced by the Culture Secretary earlier this year. The fund will deliver on the government’s Plan for Change by breaking down barriers to opportunity by transforming historic buildings, creating jobs and spaces that are fit for communities to enjoy in the places they call home.

Heritage Minister, Baroness Twycross said:

Our extraordinary heritage weaves together the stories that define who we are as communities and as a nation, connecting us to the generations who came before us and shining a light on the pathways that brought us to where we stand today.

We are delivering on our Plan for Change, through the Heritage at Risk Fund, by breathing new life into treasured places, buildings and monuments across the country, helping to increase opportunities and ensuring that future generations have access to our rich heritage.

Some of the recipients of the fund include:

• Unseen Arts, in Grimsby, which will receive a share of over £430,000 to create a new creative community centre on Grimsby’s historic docks. The funding will repair and convert two unlisted historic buildings in the Kasbah conservation area, celebrating the historic docks, breathing new life into what was once the world’s largest fishing port, at the heart of Grimsby’s local identity. The creative community centre will provide a programme of movement classes, visual arts workshops, exhibitions and performances, outreach and open days, and a café, creating jobs for local people and driving economic growth.
• MusicAbility Centre in Penzance, which will receive more than £400,000 to restore the music centre and deliver music to the community. The project involves a full restoration of the elegant building, built in 1828, bringing it back into public use as the MusicAbility Centre. The building will welcome visitors 250 days annually, offering music lessons and groups, music therapy and regular concerts. The MusicAbility Centre will add to Penzance’s rich cultural legacy by sharing the beauty of music, ensuring young people have access to learn and experience music and the arts, with a performance space to host inclusive programmes.
• Two Grade II listed Hobby Rooms on Newcastle’s Byker Wall Estate, which will receive more than £98,000 of funding. Karbon Homes will convert Spires Lane hobby room into a new community hub, whilst St Michael’s Mount will become an artist’s studio for creative production and community engagement. These unique buildings were originally designed as part of architect Ralph Erskine’s bold 1960s social housing vision to encourage community interaction. After years of neglect, the funding will restore their original purpose whilst addressing contemporary needs.  The project is part of Karbon Homes’ Fair Foundations approach to place-making, delivering projects and initiatives in its communities that help make lasting change and support social growth.

Lou Brennan, Director of Regions at Historic England said:

Thanks to the extra funding from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, we are able to breathe new life into neglected historic buildings that we haven’t been able to help through our existing grant schemes. This initiative will not only boost economic growth but also create amazing opportunities for people in some of the nation’s most disadvantaged areas.

We’re thrilled to support projects that harness the power of heritage to make a real difference where it’s needed most.

Notes to editors:

Full list of recipients receiving a share of the fund:

North East

• Woodhorn Colliery Shaft Heads, Ashington, Northumberland – £997,265
• Byker Estate Hobby Rooms, Newcastle upon Tyne – £98,735
• Tyre Shop, Sunderland, 177 High St West, Sunderland – £858,208
• St Michael’s Mount Artist’s Studio, Newcastle – £42,047

Yorkshire:

• St Catherine of Siena, Sheffield – £497,615
• St John’s Church, Goole, East Yorkshire – £100,000

North West

• Salford Lads Club, Greater Manchester – £437,961
• Gawthorpe Great Barn, Burnley. Lancashire – £337,975
• Morecambe Winter Gardens, Lancashire – £767,222
• Tullie House, Carlisle, Cumbria – £200,000
• National Waterways Museum, Ellesmere Port
• Gosforth Public Hall, Seascale, Cumbria – £424,785

East of England

• Lowestoft Town Hall, Suffolk – £707,000
• St George’s Guildhall and Creative Hub, King’s Lynn, Norfolk – £721,330
• The Iron Duke Public House, Great Yarmouth – £136,500
• Laurel Court, Peterborough – £136,653
• Chapelfield Gardens Bandstand, Norwich – £315,249
• Greenland Fishery House, King’s Lynn – £99,442

Midlands

• Golden Lion, Birmingham – £344,265
• Worksop Priory Gatehouse, Nottinghamshire – £178,147
• Burslem Indoor Market, Stoke on Trent – £1,000,000
• Bethesda Methodist Chapel, Stoke on Trent – £521,737
• St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent – £151,163
• Corporation Bridge, Grimsby – £495,000
• Bromwich Manor House, Sandwell – £200,000
• Spilsby Sessions House, Lincolnshire – £1,006,000
• Unseen Arts, Grimsby – £437,741

London & South East

• Treadgolds, Portsea, Portsmouth – £485,200
• Church of St Mary the Virgin, Somers Town, London – £639,064
• The Greenhouse Centre, London – £663,100

South West

• Market House (Grade I), Penzance Regeneration Company – £672,707
• Newlyn’s Old Harbour (Grade II*), Newlyn Harbour – £199,301
• Gaumont Cinema, Nudge Community Builders – £253,494
• Toll House at Birnbeck Pier (Grade II), North Somerset Council – £111,496
• Turkish Baths Health Hydro, Swindon – £550,218
• The Folk Pin Factory (Grade II), Gloucester Civic Trust – £142,871
• MusicAbility Centre (Grade II), MusicAbility Foundation – £402,000

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 5 August 2025.

Prime Minister announces major expansion of youth services and real-world opportunities to re-connect young people with the world around them.

• £88 million investment to support youth clubs and schools to offer more after-school activities, while enabling organisations like the Scouts and Guides to deliver more places in local communities
• Action delivers on Plan for Change and manifesto promise to back young people growing up in a digital-first world, with opportunities to build essential skills for life and work

Young people across the country will benefit from a major new expansion of youth services and activities outside of school, as the government takes action to re-connect young people with their communities.

Far from the default being outdoor activities, young people today are spending more and more of their time detached from the real world, either stuck in their bedrooms or behind a screen, throwing up huge challenges for them and their loved ones to overcome. Today the government takes bold action to give young people a better alternative, so they are supported rather than left behind.

Announcing a new £88 million package of support to transform opportunities for young people across the country, the Prime Minister will make clear that this government is picking this challenge up and seeing it for what it is – a worrying trend – and delivering real-life solutions for the long-term, investing in opportunities for young people.

Applying a grown-up approach to tackling a problem faced by parents and young people up and down the country, this government is investing in children’s futures. From new climbing walls and outdoor adventures to music lessons and volunteering, this package means that youth clubs and schools will now be able to offer more opportunities for young people to get active and connect with others, while building their confidence and broadening their horizons.

For far too long, young people have been locked out of their future, with youth services in England seeing a decade-long decline in investment of over 70%.

This government is turning the page. Backed by nearly £88 million, the package also delivers on the Prime Minister’s promise to support parents and keep children safe – offering more opportunities in structured environments that help encourage young people off the streets.

It builds on wider action through the Plan for Change to back young people’s futures, including by extending voting rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, announcing the £500 million Better Futures Fund for young people’s support services, and launching new guidance to protect young people from online harms.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Growing up today is hard for young people. As they navigate their way through the online world, too often they find themselves isolated at home and disconnected from their communities.

As a government, we have a duty to act on this worrying trend. Today’s investment is about offering a better alternative: transformative, real-world opportunities that will have an impact in communities across the country, so young people can discover something new, find their spark and develop the confidence and life skills that no algorithm can teach.

Through our Plan for Change, we’re backing parents by not only protecting our young people online, but giving them the support and opportunities they deserve so no child falls through the cracks.

The Building Creative Futures package announced today includes:

• £22.5 million over three years to create a tailored enrichment offer in up to 400 schools. This will give pupils access to extra-curricular activities such as sport, art and music, outdoor activities, debating or volunteering that support wellbeing and essential skills around the school day.
• The launch of the Better Youth Spaces programme, a £30.5 million fund to improve youth club infrastructure in areas with the highest levels of child poverty. This will go towards smaller capital projects such as new gym equipment and climbing walls.
• The rollout of the Local Youth Transformation pilot, an £8 million programme to support local authorities to deliver a high-quality out-of-school offer. It will provide the tools, guidance and funding, to assess, improve, and invest in impactful local youth offers.
• The third phase of the Million Hours Fund, a £19 million joint investment with The National Lottery Community Fund to deliver over a million additional hours of youth work in areas with high rates of anti-social behaviour.
• £7.5 million for the Uniformed Youth Fund, creating thousands of new places in youth organisations like The Scouts, Guides and Volunteer Police Cadets in areas of unmet demand.

Today’s investment is the latest step towards the government’s National Youth Strategy. Due to be published this autumn, the Strategy will be shaped by insights from over 20,000 young people engaged through the ‘Deliver You’ programme and will set out a long-term vision for youth policy across government.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

We know that strong local youth services are the bedrock of thriving communities that give our young people safe spaces to learn, grow and reach their potential.

Today’s announcement is just the beginning. As we develop our National Youth Strategy ahead of its launch this autumn, we are already delivering on our Plan for Change by putting young people at the heart of our mission-led government ensuring they have the support and opportunities they deserve so that no one is left behind.

The investment today complements and builds on the work already underway to ensure every pupil has equal access to high quality extracurricular activity as well as PE and sport. This includes a new national network to build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies to identify and break down barriers to sport and dance for children who are less active. New guidance to support schools to offer equal access to high-quality extra-curricular activities will also be published later this year.

Expanding youth provision will also have an impact in tackling child poverty and helping families access great local services. Children affected by poverty can face significant barriers to accessing after school and youth clubs. Today’s announcement will help ensure that every child, no matter who they are, what their circumstances are or where they live, has the opportunity to participate in sports, arts, and other activities.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 24 July 2025.

The Secretary of State has appointed Simon Lewis as the new Chair of UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) for a term of 4 years.

Simon Lewis

Simon has been appointed as Chair of UK Anti-Doping and his term will commence on 4 August 2025.

His background is primarily in the Legal Sector where he has practised as a barrister, in various relevant areas of law, and where he now sits as a fee-paid judge. Simon has served in a number of non-executive board-level roles: within workplace relations (at Acas); professional regulation (at Social Work England and at the Bar Standards Board); healthcare (at a mental health and community NHS trust); higher education (at England’s leading university for improving social mobility); sport governance; and charity. He has also acted in a range of independent regulatory roles across various sectors: within healthcare, sport, and finance/business.

Simon grew up in Wales and then Yorkshire, playing representative sports, before graduating from the University of Cambridge.

On his appointment, Simon Lewis said:

“It is an honour to be appointed as Chair of UKAD. Having worked extensively across regulatory and sporting landscapes, I’m excited to be able to govern and support an organisation so inextricably involved in both.

“I want to ensure UKAD continues to bolster the UK’s strong reputation for clean and healthy sport across the four nations. I’m arriving at an important and busy time, with a host of major sporting events approaching, including the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I look forward to working with the team, engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, and supporting UKAD’s goal to protect clean sport.”

Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport said:

“I’m delighted to welcome Simon Lewis as the new Chair of UKAD. Simon has extensive experience in sport and law, which will ensure UKAD continues to deliver with professionalism and integrity.

“Sport is part of our national story and as part of our Plan for Change we want to remove barriers to participation at grassroots and support athletes in elite settings. Upholding the values of clean sport and fair competition are absolutely vital in achieving this and as we welcome Simon, I’d like to thank departing Chair Trevor Pearce for all of his work during his tenure.”

Jane Rumble, Chief Executive of UKAD said:

“We are very pleased to welcome Simon to UKAD. Simon brings his deep and relevant legal and sport governance experience to us at a pivotal time. In addition to a busy sporting calendar of major events UKAD will also soon shape and deliver a new multi-year Strategic Plan. UKAD is also preparing for the launch of the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code.

“On behalf of us all at UKAD we are looking forward to giving Simon a warm welcome as he takes up stewardship of our committed and brilliant team.

“I would also like to thank our outgoing chair Trevor Pearce, who has been with us for nearly nine years, for his excellent stewardship at the helm of our organisation.”

Remuneration and Governance Code

The Chair of UK Anti-Doping is remunerated at a rate of £20,640 per annum. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Simon has not declared any significant political activity.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 22 July 2025.

Major boost for UK music creators as government drives industry to produce new measures to support legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians.

• Changes estimated by labels to deliver tens of millions of pounds in new investment to support musicians by 2030, rewarding artists for their work and driving growth through Plan for Change
• Agreement backed by UK arms of major labels Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group

UK music creators are set to benefit from a boost to their earnings thanks to the Government driving forward a new label-led agreement on streaming pay agreed today (Tuesday 22nd July).

The Creator Remuneration Working Group (CRWG), chaired by Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant, has been meeting regularly since 2024 to explore industry-led action – driving growth in the creative industries as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

This process has delivered a set of measures designed to boost the earnings of legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians and marks a further step towards ensuring the music streaming market works for everyone, on top of existing industry programmes.

The principles include a new framework for the renegotiation of contracts by artists who signed record deals before streaming became commonplace, in addition to support for the digitisation of their back catalogues so that it can be made available online. This aims to help legacy artists to increase their streaming earnings for their existing body of work.

Support for songwriters and composers includes a commitment to the payment of per diems and expenses for recording sessions, to ensure they are not left out of pocket.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Musicians’ Union also agreed to an uplift in session musician fees of up to 40% for pop sessions and 15% for classical to ensure they are more fairly paid for their work.

The agreed principles have been adopted by the BPI and Association of Independent Music (AIM) and recommended to their UK members. The UK divisions of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, the world’s three largest labels, have also committed to delivering them.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

Streaming has totally revolutionised how audiences discover and enjoy music, and how artists connect with their fans across the globe.

But we have heard loud and clear from creators that more needs to be done to ensure they are fairly compensated when their work is used on streaming platforms.

That is why I am delighted that the industry has agreed these new measures, which will go a long way to making sure our talented artists and creators are properly rewarded for their hard work, while driving growth through our Plan for Change.

Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:

Everyone loves music and it’s about time we really valued the people who create it. Millions of us use music streaming platforms who provide a fantastic service to their customers, connecting users with a wealth of music from around the world.

But many musicians and songwriters are really struggling and artists simply don’t  think they receive their fair share of the profit generated by their work on these platforms. These new measures, which apply specifically in the UK, are an important step in ensuring creators are fairly paid for their work.

I would like to thank the sector for coming together to drive this positive progress, which will benefit the music industry as a whole.

Roberto Neri, CEO of Ivors Academy, said:

We welcome and wish to thank Minister Bryant for the introduction of per diems for songwriters and his support in securing this agreement. There is no music industry without songwriters and these payments will ensure that songwriters are not out of pocket when turning up to work. We look forward to working together over the next 12 months to assess how this package benefits music makers and ensuring that all creators share in the success of streaming remuneration.

The Government will support industry to deliver these measures in full, in order to improve conditions for UK music makers. The impact of the measures will be monitored and reviewed in a year’s time, working closely with members of the group to understand the extent to which they are improving creator earnings as intended.

The Government will then assess the need for further intervention, to ensure this package delivers on its objective to bring about real change for creators.

Labels estimate these changes will deliver tens of millions of pounds in new investment to support creators by 2030, which will help drive growth in the creative industries as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

The Government has also committed to continuing to look at the issue of streaming pay for session musicians and has convened a meeting in September with key organisations from the music industry to take this forward.

Further quotes

The Council Of Music Makers said:

We greatly appreciate the efforts of the Government in seeking to improve the streaming economy for music-makers. Minister Chris Bryant has dedicated a great deal of time and resources trying to agree creator-friendly terms with the BPI and major labels, in an attempt to address unfair remuneration. Over the next year, we will work in good faith to support music-makers to test these initiatives and whether they can deliver meaningful change.

We will work closely with the Government during the one year monitoring of these measures. In 2021 Parliament’s Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee raised several fundamental issues regarding the streaming business model, calling for ‘a complete reset’. The Council Of Music Makers remains committed to achieving this objective and reaching a fairer settlement for all music-makers and we will now collectively pursue additional legislative measures to achieve positive change for those that create the work our industry is built on.

Sophie Jones, Chief Strategy Officer at the BPI, said:

After five years of detailed scrutiny and analysis, we are pleased to put in place these creator remuneration principles for UK labels in response to specific concerns identified in the UK’s streaming debate. Many more artists are succeeding in the era of streaming than before – and we are confident that these targeted measures will lead to positive and sustainable outcomes and support for legacy artists, songwriters and session musicians, ensuring that our members’ significant ongoing investment into the development of British talent and the growth of our world leading UK music industry will be to the benefit of all. This has been a collaborative process and we are grateful to our members and fellow trade organisations for their expertise and to Minister Chris Bryant and the DCMS officials for their stewardship of this process.

Baron Brennan of Canton, former member of the DCMS Select Committee which launched the inquiry into the Economics of Music Streaming, said:

Protecting the dignity of British songwriters by putting money in their pockets for writing sessions is a real first, and greater transparency over artist renegotiation is most welcome. I commend Minister Bryant for all his efforts. Further progress is needed on streaming but I’m encouraged by the Minister’s commitment to pursue progress through further talks this autumn on session musician income from streaming.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 21 July 2025.

Historic Football Governance Act receives Royal Assent, establishing new Independent Football Regulator to safeguard the future of the national sport.

• Plan for Change in action, as government delivers on promise made to fans in the manifesto, addressing existential threats to clubs and putting supporters back at the heart of the game
• World-first Regulator will work to stop rogue owners, ensure clubs are financially sustainable, with powers to ensure money flows through the pyramid.

Football fans will now have a greater say in how their beloved clubs are run, as the Football Governance Act has today received Royal Assent and passed into law, in a landmark moment for the game.

As promised in this Government’s manifesto, the Act will create the Independent Football Regulator (IFR), which will mark the biggest reform to football governance in a generation – helping to protect clubs across the country.

The Act follows a long journey to law, which began following the attempted breakaway European Super League, and a series of high-profile cases of clubs facing financial ruin.

Over recent years fans from the likes of Bury, Macclesfield Town, Derby County, Reading and many others have been left to suffer the consequences of reckless mismanagement, excessive risk-taking and financial catastrophe at their club.

The new regime is designed to raise standards across the game, supporting the government’s Plan for Change by ensuring English football can continue to deliver huge economic benefits across the country.

It will improve financial sustainability, introducing a set of rules that improves the resilience across the top five men’s leagues, empowers fans and keeps clubs at the centre of their communities.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

This is a proud and defining moment for English football.

As someone who has loved the game all my life, I know just how deeply it runs through our communities. It’s where memories are made, and generations come together.

Our landmark Football Governance Act delivers on the promise we made to fans. It will protect the clubs they cherish, and the vital role they play in our economy.

Through our Plan for Change, we are ushering in a stronger, fairer future for the game we all love.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said:

Football clubs have been built and sustained by fans for generations, but too often they have had nowhere to turn when their clubs have faced crisis. Today that changes as this Act will give hope and assurance to people, with the Regulator working to protect clubs in towns and cities all over the country, where football clubs mean so much, to so many.

From Southend to Blackpool, Portsmouth to Wigan, these reforms have been driven by fans, for fans. I will be forever proud that this Government has delivered on its manifesto pledge to support them by reforming football’s governance, and I pay tribute to all those that have helped us deliver this historic moment for the nation’s game.

The Regulator’s new powers will include:

• Tough new financial regulation to improve resilience across the football pyramid to ensure clubs are sustainable for the long term
• Stronger, statutory Owners’ and Directors’ Tests to make sure club custodians are suitable and aren’t using illicit finances with powers to force rogue owners to sell up
• New standards for fan engagement in club decision-making
• Bars on clubs joining closed-shop competitions and breakaway leagues
• Backstop powers to ensure a fair financial distribution between leagues
• New statutory protections for key club heritage aspects like home shirt colours and club badges and stadium moves

The IFR will be launched later this year and will consult industry on its proposed rules, guidance and approach to licensing clubs before implementing the new regime. A transition team, the Shadow Football Regulator, was established in 2024 to lead this process and is already engaging widely with industry and fan groups. The process of appointing a senior leadership team is ongoing with the announcement of an Interim CEO and Board expected shortly.

Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) chief executive Kevin Miles said:

This is an historic moment for football in this country and we are very proud that the FSA was at the heart of change, helping to bring in laws which can help protect the clubs we love from the worst excesses of owners throughout the professional game.

We look forward to working with the regulator, as well as the FA and leagues it covers, to ensure that the supporter voice continues to be at the forefront of debate as fans are the beating heart of the game. Club owners can no longer mark their own homework.

Sarah Turner, Chair of Supporters Trust at Reading (STAR) said:

As Reading fans, we’ve seen the damage caused by rogue owners and welcome the independent regulator. When football clubs fail due to rogue ownership, it doesn’t just mean a team slides down the table. Jobs are lost, community projects are cut and businesses suffer – be that via unpaid suppliers or under-occupied pubs.

We know that football is a business, but it is a business unlike any other. There are fans, not customers, players are heroes, not assets, and in these fractured times we should be working doubly hard to protect industries that create unity, community and – very occasionally – unparalleled joy.

Kieran Maguire, Associate Professor in Football Finance at University of Liverpool said:

This legislation represents a vital step forward in protecting clubs from exploitation, ensuring they are run more responsibly, and giving supporters a greater voice in how their clubs are managed.

Introducing an independent football regulator is a necessary safeguard to ensure that clubs are not treated solely as assets, but as cultural cornerstones with deep local and national significance.

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 19 July 2025.

A successful bid would see the biggest global athletics event return to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

• Government also supports bid for the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships to be staged in the UK
• Championships would boost economy and strengthen UK standing as world-class sporting hosts

The Government has today confirmed its support for bids to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships and the 2029 World Para Athletics Championships; setting out our ambition to see the sport’s pinnacle events return to the UK for the first time since the summer of 2017.

A bid would aim to boost the UK economy, further strengthen the country’s outstanding reputation for hosting the biggest and best events, and encourage more people to get involved in track and field.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Bringing the World Athletics Championships to the UK would be moment of great national pride, building on our global reputation for hosting memorable sporting events that showcase the very best talent.

Hosting these championships would not only unlock opportunities for UK athletes but it would inspire the next generation to get involved and pursue their ambitions.

The event would provide a boost for UK businesses and support jobs as well as bring our communities together. I’m delighted to support the bid.

The London Stadium, etched into the public’s memory for hosting the iconic 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as the hugely successful 2017 World Championships, is the proposed venue for the 2029 World Athletics Championships.

Meanwhile, the Government is committed to taking the World Paras beyond the capital, with a host city to be confirmed in due course.

Subject to funding from partners being confirmed, the Government has agreed to provide significant funding for both bids, reflecting the UK’s ambition to once again bring the world’s greatest athletes to UK shores.

This major commitment comes with London today set to host a sold-out Diamond League event, the world’s biggest one-day athletics meet.

The UK Government will work hand-in-hand with the bidder Athletic Ventures, UK Sport, and host cities – including the Greater London Authority for the World Athletics Championship – to unlock a wide range of social, economic and sporting benefits, from boosting tourism and local economies to fostering healthier, more active communities through elite sport.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, said:

Major sporting events deliver unforgettable moments and have the power to bring our country together like little else.

That’s why we’re excited to be backing a bid to bring the World Athletics and World Para Athletics Championships back to the UK in 2029. As part of our Plan for Change, we want to build on our world class reputation as hosts, delivering not just economic benefits for the country but engaging communities, inspiring the next generation and showcasing the best of Britain to the world.

Simon Morton, Director of Events at UK Sport, said:

Live sport matters. It brings people together in ways few other things can, creating happiness, pride and lasting memories. Hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletics Championships gives us the chance to once again unite the nation around these genuinely global events.

We welcome the Government’s commitment to extend our pipeline of hosted events, as we move forward with this bold and collaborative bid.

Jack Buckner, CEO of UK Athletics, said:

We’d like to thank the Government for supporting these bids. Staging these events in the UK will not only inspire today’s elite athletes, but those of tomorrow, and will engage millions in our sport.

After superb medal hauls over the last few years on the World, Olympic and Paralympic stage, athletics in the UK is on an upward trajectory, with new partners, record participation and sold-out stadia. This support will drive the sport on to new heights.

Sanjay Bhandari, Chair at Athletic Ventures, said:

We are absolutely delighted that the Government has recognised the enormous value that the World Athletics Championships and World Para Athletics Championships can deliver for Britain — from jobs and investment to inspiring young people to get active.

Central government support is a catalytic first step enabling us to build further dialogue with potential host cities and build compelling bids for both championships. We will seek to create spectacular events that leave a lasting legacy for our communities. We’re excited to work with partners across sport, government and our potential host cities to make that vision a reality.

Josh Kerr, 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist, said:

London 2017 was my first senior World Championships, and it lit a fire in me. Being part of a home team in that kind of atmosphere was incredible — it made me hungrier than ever to become a world champion and chase Olympic medals.

Having the government support to bid for 2029 and potentially bring that experience back to London would be massive. It would inspire so many young athletes and give the sport the platform it deserves. I’m proud to support the bid and hope we get the chance to show the world what we can do on home soil.

If successful, the Championships would mark another milestone in the UK’s exceptional record of hosting world-class events and its enduring commitment to investing in sport as a force for good.

The pipeline of major events already secured includes this Summer’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026, the European Athletics Championships 2026, the ICC T20 Cricket women’s and men’s World Cups (in 2026 and 2030 respectively), the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham, the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Departs 2027, and EURO 2028.

Additional Quotes:

Katarina Johnson Thompson, two-time heptathlon world champion, said:

I’m so pleased to see the Government backing this bid — hosting a home World Championships would be incredible for our sport and for the country.

I still remember the buzz of competing in front of a home crowd in London in 2012 and 2017 — nothing compares to that feeling. It gave me a huge lift, and I’d love the next generation of athletes to experience that same atmosphere on the world stage.

Bringing the Championships back to London would inspire so many people and show what British athletics is all about.

Zak Skinner, two-time European T13 Gold medallist, said:

It’s great that the Government is backing the bid to bring the World Para Athletics Championships back to the UK. Competing at London 2017 was one of the most unforgettable moments of my life. That home crowd, that energy — it was electric, and it showed just how powerful para athletics can be when it’s centre stage.

I’ve grown so much as an athlete since then, but that experience gave me belief and drive at a crucial time. Hosting the World Para Athletics Championships here again would be a huge statement — not just for our athletes, but for the next generation watching in the stands or at home. I’d love to see it come back to the UK.

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 16 July 2025.

The Secretary of State has reappointed Aurora Antrim and Jane Hurst as Trustees of The Royal Parks and has extended Bronwyn Hill’s second term as Trustee.

Aurora Antrim

Reappointed for a 4 year term commencing 14 August 2025 to 13 August 2029.

Aurora Antrim is an award-winning arts documentary filmmaker who, as Aurora Gunn, spent many years working on The South Bank Show for ITV and Sky making films on subjects ranging from Shakespeare to Tracey Emin to Herbie Hancock.

Aurora has over 20 years’ experience managing an historic landscape, with a focus on income diversification and sustainability, while overseeing the running of the Glenarm Castle estate in Northern Ireland. Her horticultural experience includes the complete restoration and replanting of an historic walled garden which won, by public vote, the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award in 2023.

This is Aurora’s second term on the Board of The Royal Parks where she serves on the HR Committee. She also sits on The Regent’s Park Store Yard Programme Board, responsible for the creation of a brand new garden in The Regent’s Park due to open in 2026.

Jane Hurst

Reappointed for a 4 year term commencing 14 August 2025 to 13 August 2029.

Jane is a Chartered Accountant and currently CFO of a health tech business. Prior to this she was a partner in KPMG UK with 20 years’ experience of complex restructuring, performance improvement and turnaround. She has worked in a wide range of businesses- from the very large and global to the very small. She has also supported multiple public sector entities undergoing change.

Jane has been a trustee at the Royal Parks for four years, she chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and is a member of the Investment Committee.

Bronwyn Hill CBE

Second term extended for 9 months from 15 June 2025 to 14 March 2026.

As Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2011 to 2015, Bronwyn led a complex organisation through transformational change and a series of crises, including the 2012-13 flooding. A CBE for transport services was in recognition of her contribution to national transport strategy, major projects and transport in London.

Her interest in the environment and the importance of green spaces for people led to her joining The Royal Parks Board. Bronwyn contributed to its transformation into a successful charity, and on projects like Greenwich Park Revealed which has restored the historic landscape, created a new education space and welcomes more people to events and activities in the park.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of The Royal Parks are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Aurora Antrim, Bronwyn Hill and Jane Hurst have not declared any significant political activity.