theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on the investigation into the recent Air India crash. \p Mike Kane: The Government is regularly engaging with counterparts in India while the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau leads the investigation. This has been supported by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the US National Transportation Safety Board. The Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau must be given the time and space to undertake a thorough investigation and make an official statement when ready to do so. I do want to reaffirm my deepest sympathies to those who lost their lives in the tragic incident of AI Flight 171, as well as to their loved ones.
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Mr Paul Kohler:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to publish an Outcome Delivery Plan for 2025 to 2026. \p Mike Kane: The Outcome Delivery Plans are co-ordinated through the Cabinet Office and we are awaiting confirmation on whether they will be published for this year and the process and timing of this.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025. \p Mike Kane: The Department and its agencies have spent £298,446.92 on translation and interpretation costs in 2025 (this covers the period from 1st January 2025 to 31st May 2025). The table below outlines the split of costs between the Department and each Agency. It should be noted that information is not held at the level requested.

Area

Translation and Interpretation costs

DfTc

£196,794.16

DVSA

£86,581

DVLA

£12,218.31

MCA

£2,853.45

VCA

£0

ATE

£0

Total

£298,446.92
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a delay repay compensation scheme for coach travel. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport has not undertaken an assessment of introducing a delay repay compensation scheme specifically for coach travel. Unlike the rail industry, where delay repay schemes are a standard requirement within franchise agreements, the wider coach sector operates primarily on a commercial basis with limited regulatory intervention.

The Department continues to monitor passenger experience across all transport modes and remains committed to ensuring passengers receive appropriate consumer protections. We regularly engage with industry stakeholders, consumer groups and the public to assess whether existing compensation arrangements are sufficient.

Any proposals for new regulatory requirements would need careful consideration of the potential impacts on both passengers and operators, including the administrative burden and potential costs that might be passed on to passengers.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to provide capital or transition funding to Local Transport Authorities to support fleet conversion. \p Simon Lightwood: The government is reducing the number of different funding streams paid to Local Trasport Authorities. Major city regions will benefit from the £15.6bn Transport for Cities fund while our smaller cities, towns and rural areas will receive £2.3bn from the Local Transport Grant and over £800m capital funding. Local leaders can use this funding to invest in local prioritises, such as investment in bus priority or investment in new zero emission buses.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to modernise port infrastructure. \p Mike Kane: The UK’s ports sector is largely privately owned and operated, with the government’s role primarily to ensure that the policy and regulatory environment supports efficient operation and investment, and to provide targeted support for connectivity and decarbonisation where there are clear public benefits. My Department is working at pace to update and streamline planning and regulatory processes for ports, including by updating the National Policy Statement for Ports. In addition, the Government is working with the National Wealth Fund, which has committed at least £5.8 billion of its capital to five sectors, including ports.
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Connor Naismith:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of available driving tests in Cheshire East. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain.

Further information on these actions and progress of DVSA’s plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which was announced in December 2024, can be found on GOV.UK.

Cheshire East is served by a cluster of test centres including, Macclesfield, Buxton, Newcastle Cobridge and Crewe. DVSA also has a remote site at Northwich, which is resourced with driving examiners (DE) from Chester.

From recent recruitment campaigns, for the Macclesfield and Buxton cluster of test centres, two potential DEs are undertaking training with a further two awaiting confirmation of availability for a training course.

For the Crewe and Cobridge cluster of test centres, two potential DEs are ready to start training, with one starting on 14 July. DVSA has also made offers to two more potential DEs who will start their training at the earliest opportunity.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of night flights on the health of people living underneath airport flight paths. \p Mike Kane: My Department seeks to minimise the impact of aviation on people’s health, in the context of other government priorities. My officials are in regular contact on this issue with other government departments and their agencies, including the Department of Health and Social Care sponsored UK Health Security Agency.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the New Economic Foundation's publication entitled Flying Fair: Modernising the air transport tax system, published in June 2025. \p Mike Kane: Aviation taxation is a matter for the Treasury. The Chancellor announced changes to Aviation Passenger Duty (APD) in the October 2024 Budget to ensure the aviation industry continues to contribute its fair share to public finances. The Treasury also recently consulted on their proposal to extend the scope of the higher rate of APD to all private jets.

The rates of APD are the highest in Europe for a tax of its kind, and the revenue raised funds government priorities, including tackling climate change. More widely, the aviation sector is important for the whole of the UK economy in terms of connectivity, direct economic activity, trade, investment and jobs.
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Sir Julian Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her policy is on the (a) tracking, (b) interception and (c) onboard inspection of vessels suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet when in transit through UK waters. \p Mike Kane: The UK Government consistently monitors UK waters to uphold the safety of mariners, the marine environment and the UK’s national security, which includes monitoring of tankers that are suspected of being associated with the movement of Russian oil.

As a signatory of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the UK Government adheres to international maritime law and protects the innocent passage of vessels transiting through UK waters.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking with the maritime sector to support the scale-up of green (a) fuels, (b) vessels and (c) shore power. \p Mike Kane: In March 2025, we published the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy (MDS), which sets out our pathway to net zero emissions in domestic maritime by 2050. This strategy includes key policies designed to encourage the uptake of green fuels, vessels, and shore power, directly supporting the UK's ambitious climate goals.

The MDS outlines five core policies: implementing fuel regulations internationally and domestically, introducing domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing through the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, taking action on emissions at berth, reducing emissions from smaller vessels, and improving energy efficiency. Alongside the MDS, we also launched two vital calls for evidence to inform policy development: one focusing on small vessels and another on net zero ports.

My department is also driving research and development of the fuels and technologies necessary to decarbonise the sector through the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). To date, UK SHORE has allocated over £200m of funding to over 150 projects, leveraging over £100 million in private investment. This benefits all 12 UK regions, supporting over 350 organisations, including more than 200 SMEs. A further £30m was allocated to the sixth round of Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition announced in January for FY 24/25. The winners of the competition will be announced soon.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve skills in the maritime sector. \p Mike Kane: The Department remains committed to supporting the development of the UK’s future maritime workforce. Maritime training transforms opportunities, contributing to UK economic growth, boosting individual earnings, employment prospects, and social mobility.

Seafarer training is being future-proofed through the DfT and MCA managed Cadet Training and Modernisation programme and Ratings Review. The Department’s £18m Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) fund supports 50% of the cost of cadet training and a range of apprenticeships are available for ratings and wider maritime roles at sea and ashore.

The Maritime Skills Commission, which reports to the Department and Maritime UK, assesses the current and future skills needs of the sector and is currently focusing on areas such as skills for emerging technologies.
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Sammy Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to improve maritime safety standards. \p Mike Kane: We are constantly striving to improve maritime safety whether this is through the UK’s leadership in international fora, such as the International Maritime Organization, or domestically. With some of the busiest waters in the world, and enhanced by the tireless work of its family organisations, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and our General Lighthouse Authorities, the UK continues to deliver world-class maritime safety.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of making number plate cloning a criminal offence. \p Lilian Greenwood: It is already a criminal offence, punishable by a fine of up to £1000, to supply a number plate without checking if the purchaser is entitled to use the registration number. It is also an offence to use a cloned number plate on a vehicle which on conviction, can lead to an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the transport infrastructure needs of South Northamptonshire in the context of (a) the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor and (b) the aims of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025. \p Simon Lightwood: The Oxford-Cambridge (OxCam) Growth Corridor has been identified as a key priority for this Government with South Northamptonshire included within this corridor. Lord Vallance, appointed as the OxCam Champion, is exploring options for how best to deliver economic growth across the whole corridor, which includes considering improved transport infrastructure for the area.

South Northamptonshire’s strengths in Advanced Manufacturing, particularly around the Silverstone Technology Cluster also means it stands to benefit from measures set out in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
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Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the length of time a driving theory test is valid for to tackle the backlog for practical tests. \p Lilian Greenwood: The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure a customer’s road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it. It is important road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date the powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One purposes expire. \p Lilian Greenwood: The powers to make compulsory purchases of land for HS2 Phase One expired on 23 February 2022.
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Dr Lauren Sullivan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the performance of the DVLA’s Drivers Medical Group in processing medical licence renewals; and what steps he is taking to improve service delivery for drivers with medical conditions. \p Lilian Greenwood: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) aims to process all applications as quickly as possible. However, driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) must be investigated can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued.

In 2024/25 the average time to make a licensing decision in medical cases was 44 working days, a significant reduction from 54 working days in the previous financial year.

Drivers with diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, visual impairments, sleep conditions or heart conditions can renew their driving licence online.

The DVLA continues to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly.

Most applicants renewing an existing licence will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing the driver can meet specific criteria. More information can be found online at: (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla)
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Harpreet Uppal:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she plans to take to support integrated public transport in Huddersfield. \p Simon Lightwood: We are committed to improving public transport and delivering a transport system that works better for people across the country, enables growth and provides access to opportunities.

To support this, we are providing significant investment to West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) including £2.1bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding. This is in addition to the £830m allocated to WYCA through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS), some of which is expected to support the development of transport improvements in Huddersfield town centre, including enhancements to active travel routes and upgrades to Huddersfield Bus Station.

At the recent Spending Review, we provided further commitment to the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) which will deliver improvements to rail journeys between Manchester and York, via Huddersfield and Leeds and will provide significant investment at Huddersfield station.

We have also brought forward the Bus Services (No.2) Bill, which will put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders and is intended to ensure bus services reflect the needs of the communities that rely on them, including in Huddersfield.

In addition, we will be publishing an Integrated National Transport Strategy later this year, which will put people and the journeys they make at the heart of how we plan, build and operate transport.
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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential impact of trends in the level of bus fares on school attendance. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport has made no such assessment. The government recognises the importance of affordable local bus services in facilitating access to education. We have acted to ensure bus services remain affordable by introducing the £3 cap on single bus fares in England outside London, and at the Spending Review announced this would be extended by over a year until March 2027.

In addition, the government has confirmed £955 million for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. This includes £243 million for bus operators and £712 million allocated to local authorities across the country, of which Worcestershire County Council has been allocated £9.4 million. Local authorities can use this funding to introduce initiatives to reduce the cost of travel for young people.

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to bus services in this Spending Review by confirming continued funding each year from 2026/27 to maintain and improve vital bus services, including taking forward bus franchising pilots in areas including York and North Yorkshire.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure (a) value for money and (b) public accountability where Local Transport Authorities choose to establish municipally owned bus operators under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill. \p Simon Lightwood: Repealing the ban on establishing new local authority bus companies (LABCos) will give local leaders the freedom and flexibility to establish a bus company that matches the needs of their passengers, their aims and ambitions for the network, and the available funding.

The decision to establish a LABCo should be underpinned by a thorough assessment of value for money, and a rigorous approach to financial and resourcing planning. The responsibility for monitoring investments, expenditure, accounting and auditing lies with the parent authority. There should be ongoing assessment of risks relating to the business, supported by processes to ensure that risks are managed as part of the authority’s overall risk management approach, with appropriate escalation and reporting.

Local authorities cannot take on any borrowing unless it is affordable. This is a statutory requirement, and any local authority owned company should be self-financing at a minimum.

LABCo operations and financial management are underpinned by statutory guidance from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Detailed guidance on local authority company management and auditing is provided in the Local Authority Company Review Guidance, published by Government, and the Local Authority Good Practice Guide published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support her Department plans to provide to Local Transport Authorities for the delivery of mandatory bus staff training on (a) disability assistance and (b) the management of anti-social behaviour. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department is clear that high-quality staff training is essential to providing bus services that are accessible, inclusive, and safe for all passengers. The new statutory training requirements being introduced through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will place duties on operators and, where relevant terminal managing bodies, so that relevant staff receive training on disability awareness and assistance and on how to recognise and respond appropriately to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), working with operators, will have an important role in making sure these requirements are adopted. At the same time, the Department recognises that training needs to meet a consistently high standard and demonstrably improve outcomes for disabled people, women, girls and other passengers.

The Department already provides some support through its own REAL (Respect, Empathise, Ask, Listen) disability equality training package, which aims to help make travel inclusive and accessible for everyone using public transport. The training is intended to support staff training within each transport mode, including buses, and remains available.

In response to the Transport Select Committee's recent report, Access Denied, the Department committed to reviewing training provision standards. The outcomes of this work will support LTAs and operators to help to establish clear expectations and standards for staff training, so that training translates into real improvements in passenger experience.

In relation to ASB, the government will issue statutory guidance setting out what training should cover, for example incidences of violence against women and girls. Such training will have to be undertaken at least every five years.

Improvements to staff training and awareness comes on the back of future investment in local services across the country, with confirmation of £712 million for 25/26 allocated to local authorities, including funding to help them implement their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their BSIPs makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive.
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Robin Swann:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he plans to publish the report from the independent review of the post-Brexit trading arrangements, conducted by Lord Paul Murphy. \p Hilary Benn: It remains for Lord Murphy to provide the final report of the Independent Review of the Windsor Framework. The Government will then proceed with arranging the publication of that report, laying it in Parliament and transmitting it to the Northern Ireland Assembly, in line with the Terms of Reference for the Review.
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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving childcare provision in Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: My colleague Minister Anderson regularly meets with the Northern Ireland Minister for Education on important issues, including childcare provision, and has recently facilitated discussions between the Minister and the UK Government Minister for Early Education, Stephen Morgan MP to discuss areas for greater co-operation.

I welcome the recent progress taken by the Northern Ireland Executive to provide increased childcare support. Whilst childcare in Northern Ireland is devolved, the UK Government is keen to see this work progressed so that parents are better able to balance childcare alongside their work.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will meet with the Federation of Small Businesses Northern Ireland to discuss its report entitled, Windsor Framework Realities: Barriers to Trade in the UK Internal Market, published on 24 June 2025. \p Hilary Benn: I discussed the findings of the report at the recent East West Council which was attended by members of Intertrade UK. There is a wide range of support available for businesses using the schemes under the Windsor Framework. The Government remains committed to realising its benefits alongside protecting the UK internal market. As we do so, we will continue to work closely with Northern Ireland businesses and representative organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many reports of threats have been made to the internal Journalist Safety Group in Northern Ireland. \p Hilary Benn: I commend the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on the progress they have made to address journalist safety in Northern Ireland. They have created an internal Journalist Safety Group and appointed two Journalist Safety Officers. Since 2022, the PSNI Journalist Safety Group has recorded 46 occasions where a journalist has brought a concern to PSNI.

A free, independent media is a cornerstone of our democracy. It is vital that journalists are able to continue their work without the fear of attack or threat. The National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists sets out the approach to increase the safety of journalists.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he plans to provide support to former Northern Ireland (a) prison officers and (b) police to maintain security at their homes. \p Hilary Benn: The Northern Ireland Office Home Protection Scheme is in place to provide protective security measures to those in certain occupations who are assessed to be under significant threat from Northern Ireland-related terrorism. Serving and former prison and police officers fall within that range of occupations.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to provide funding for London Sport’s campaign entitled More Ball Games. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our arm’s length body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport at grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all as set out in its “Uniting the Movement” strategy.

For 2022-27, London Sport received £14,644,735 from Sport England as System Partner investment to contribute to delivering Uniting the Movement. Sport England have not given money directly to fund the “More Ball Games” campaign, but London Sport have a degree of autonomy on how they allocate their System Partner funding to contribute to Uniting the Movement.

Sport England will continue to work with its System Partners such as London Sport to increase opportunities for everyone to play grassroots sport and take part in physical activity.
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Mr Jonathan Brash:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether (a) tennis and (b) padel will have access to Government funding for (i) new and (ii) upgraded grassroots sport facilities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the nation following the Spending Review.

We will now work closely with sporting bodies - including the Lawn Tennis Association - and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.

The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. Sport England provides long term investment to the LTA, which receives up to £10.2 million for 5 years from 2022 to invest in tennis and padel initiatives that will benefit as many people as possible.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she is providing additional funding for local authorities to help (a) maintain and (b) develop leisure facilities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring public access to leisure facilities which are vital spaces for people of all ages to stay fit and healthy, and which play an important role within communities.

The ongoing responsibility of providing access to public leisure facilities lies at local authority level with funding levels set by MHCLG as part of the Local Government Finance Settlement. The Government encourages local authorities to make investments which offer the right opportunities and facilities for the communities they serve, investing in sport and physical activity with a place-based approach, to meet the needs of individual communities.

The majority of Government funding for grassroots sport clubs is through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year.

On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following the Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will now work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
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Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that children have access to (a) safe and (b) welcoming spaces for (i) play and (ii) sport within their communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: Playgrounds are a vital part of our social infrastructure. They contribute to the health and development of children and young people across the nation and build on the Government’s mission of opportunities for all by ensuring everyone has the best start in life.

The National Design Guide demonstrates how new development can promote inclusive design by creating buildings and spaces that are safe, social and inclusive. This should include spaces for comfort, relaxation and stimulation, including play.

In addition, everyone should be able to take part in sport safely. National Governing Bodies (NGBs) are responsible for the regulation of their sports and for ensuring that appropriate measures are in place to protect participants from harm. Whilst NGBs are independent of Government, we are clear that health and safety of participants, including children, must be their top priority.

The Government is investing £100 million through the Multi Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to build and upgrade high-quality grassroots sports pitches and facilities in the communities across the UK that need it most, including children and young people.

On 20 June 2025, the Culture Secretary announced that following Spending Review, at least £400 million is going to be invested into new and upgraded grassroots sport facilities in communities right across the UK, supporting the Government's Plan for Change. We will work closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what each community needs and then set out further plans.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_419

Patrick Hurley:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will support the establishment of an independent governing body for futsal that complies with (a) FIFA and (b) UEFA regulations but operates outside of the control of the Football Association. \p Stephanie Peacock: Internationally, FIFA and UEFA recognise the Football Association as the recognised National Governing Body (NGB) for football, including futsal, in England.

Domestic recognition of an NGB in England is a matter for Sport England in coordination as appropriate with the other UK Sports Councils (Sport Northern Ireland, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales and UK Sport).

The Sport and NGB Recognition Process is currently closed to all new applications while the UK Sports Councils undertake a review of the recognition policy and process, which is expected to re-open by Spring 2026.

Both processes operate independently of the Government.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_420
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_420

Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made funding available for the repair of public amenities damaged during Storm Arwen. \p Chris Bryant: We have not made specific funding available for public amenities damaged during Storm Arwen, but responsibilities for public amenities fall to many departments, each of which has different arrangements for repairs. DCMS, for instance, funds Arts Council England to deliver the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which is open to accredited museums across England and has distributed over £87m since 2021, with a further £25m due to be allocated in 25/26.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_421
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_421

Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of closures of (a) libraries and (b) other cultural spaces on the availability of early years services. \p Chris Bryant: Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service.

Public libraries significantly contribute to early childhood development by offering a variety of events like storytimes, rhymetimes, and craft sessions. These activities, along with access to a diverse collection of reading materials for all ages, are crucial for enhancing speech, development, and social skills in young children.

Where local authorities are proposing changes to their statutory library service, including closures, DCMS expects the local authority to be able to demonstrate that proposals are supported by an assessment of local needs, together with a rigorous analysis and assessment of the potential impact of their proposals and a demonstration of the steps to be taken to mitigate the impact.

The Secretary of State has a statutory power to intervene by way of local inquiry if she considers that a local authority is not providing a comprehensive and efficient library service. She takes this role very seriously and should a complaint be received, Ministers will challenge the local council and carefully consider evidence before deciding if a local inquiry is needed.

Arts and culture should reach all children and young people and connect with them in a unique way - and this government is committed to ensuring that the Arts can continue to provide opportunities for children up and down the country. Seventy-nine percent of Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations, which includes theatres, museums and galleries, work with children and young people.

The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme provides access to joined up early years support and family services, with over 500 hubs now open across the country. Local authorities should consider existing infrastructure and local need when deciding where to locate services. Libraries and community spaces can, and often do, form part of family hub networks.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_422
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_422

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much their Department has spent on (a) translation and (b) interpretation for languages other than (i) British Sign Language and (ii) languages native to the UK for people contacting (A) their Department and (B) its agencies in 2025. \p Stephanie Peacock: DCMS does not hold information to the level of detail requested within its finance system or procurement system.

Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_423

Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing levels of participation in cricket in state secondary schools in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) England. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport regularly engages with the Secretary of State for Education on a range of issues, including school sport.

The Government is committed to protecting time for physical education in schools. The ongoing independent expert-led review of the curriculum will ensure that all children can engage with a broad range of subjects, including PE and sport.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the National Governing Body for cricket, has committed to making the sport as inclusive as possible for children and young people through their new strategy and state school action plan. I have also seen the work of their charitable arm, Chance to Shine, to encourage more children to take up cricket, at the Mill Academy in Worsbrough last year.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. The ECB receives £10.2 million funding from Sport England across up to five years to help deliver strategic objectives, including tackling inequalities and improving access to sport.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_424
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_424

Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Centre for Media Monitoring's review of the BBC's reporting on the conflict in Gaza, published on 16 June 2025. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government has not carried out a formal assessment of the potential implications of this report for its policy.

The Government’s position is that editorial decisions are ultimately for the BBC, and that its editorial independence from Government is vital. This principle protects the BBC from political interference so that it can report impartially, hold all politicians to account and be a trusted source of information for everyone.

The BBC’s duty to provide accurate and impartial information is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive issues such as the conflict in Gaza. As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_425
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_425

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which of the actions set out in the Online Advertising Taskforce action plan, published on 30 November 2023, are (a) completed, (b) being taken forward and (c) not being taken forward. \p Chris Bryant: The Online Advertising Taskforce last met on May 6th 2025, and is expected to meet again in Autumn. Its six industry-led working groups are delivering a programme of work to help tackle illegal advertising, and minimise children being served advertising for products and services illegal to be sold to them. A progress report was published in November 2024, updating on progress to date and planned next steps. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-advertising-taskforce-progress-report-2023-24

Since the publication of this report, working groups have continued to set further targets to improve advertising trust, transparency and accountability, and a new AI-focused working group has been established.

The Action Plan also referred to the passage of legislation at the time and to other government initiatives to support a reduction in advertising harms, including fraudulent advertising. This includes the Online Safety Act 2023 and Part 4, Chapter 1 of the Digital Marketing, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, which restates the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and applies from 6 April 2025. The Government committed to introducing an expanded Fraud Strategy in our manifesto, covering the continued and modern-day threats our society faces. Development of the strategy has begun, and we are considering all harms, including fraudulent online advertising.

The Online Advertising Programme was an initiative of the previous government and a second consultation was not published, but we continue to monitor the regulatory framework closely.
wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_426
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-30)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-30 conversation_426

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take legislative steps to regulate programmatic advertising. \p Chris Bryant: The Government will continue to monitor the regulatory framework around online advertising to assess if further legislation is needed. The Online Advertising Taskforce continues to take forward non-legislative action on addressing illegal advertising and minimising children being served advertising for products and services illegal to be sold to them.