Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
Labour MP for Barnsley South
Of course. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Harpreet Uppal) on securing this important debate, and I am grateful to all those who contributed to what is an important conversation. We heard some brilliant contributions that highlighted just how important it is to support young people across the country. This...
I totally appreciate my hon. Friend’s point. Under the previous Government, my area of Barnsley saw some of the worst cuts in the country, but despite that, the then Labour council invested in the youth zone and free transport for under-18s. I know that the challenges in Stoke will be similar to those in Barnsley, and of course there will be pockets of deprivation in London and other areas....
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris, and I congratulate the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Lincoln Jopp) on securing this vital debate on the future of horseracing. There have been many valuable contributions and I will try to respond to all the points that were made to me. Of course, I am not the Gambling Minister—that is Baroness Twycross, who sits in the other...
I recognise the point made by the shadow Minister. I quoted him in recognising his consistency on this issue, and I noted that he put questions on this to the previous Government. Around 97% have been frictionless in the pilot. Obviously, it has not yet been rolled out, but it will be, and it will be kept under close consideration. The hon. Member also put another couple of questions to me. I...
I absolutely make that commitment. I touched on some of the points that the right hon. Lady made, but I will make sure that she receives that letter. British horseracing is a cherished part of our national heritage and an invaluable contributor to our economy. As I have reflected in this place before, I have a number of happy memories of going to the races myself, down the road from my...
I congratulate the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage) and members of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on securing this estimates debate. I thank them for their efforts in scrutinising the work of this Government and shining a light on the issues that matter. DCMS is the Department that brings joy to people’s lives while focusing on driving growth, fostering civic pride...
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I would be delighted to meet him. I was on a visit near his constituency recently. Leisure is a real challenge; I really want to do more on it. Of course, it is a responsibility of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but we are absolutely aware how important this issue is for physical activity. That is why we are investing...
One billion pounds is going in over the next three years. Of course, that is capital and revenue, and it covers all schools. I do appreciate that there are some concerns. I will come on to address them, and I would be happy to meet the hon. Lady and, indeed, other Members. I understand those concerns regarding the decision to replace the existing premium. However, despite sustained investment...
The Government wants to recognise the outstanding contribution of volunteers and encourage all to be involved in delivering positive change. The Points of Light programme closed in 2024. While individual volunteers are recognised through the Honours system, and groups can be recognised through the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, there is consideration to replace the Points of Light...
As set out in section 507B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient educational and recreational activities for young people. On the 10th December, the Government published ‘Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy’ alongside a State of the Nation report. It is backed by over £500 million of funding...
The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and girls as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, whose work includes providing more opportunities for children and young people from all backgrounds to be...
The Government recognises the role rugby community foundations play in promoting physical and mental well-being, raising aspirations, and building stronger, more cohesive communities. While professional rugby community foundations operate as independent charitable arms of their clubs, we monitor the financial health of rugby union closely and engage regularly with the Rugby Football Union...
Our arm’s length body, Sport England, is providing long-term investment of £16.9 million to the Rugby Football Union (RFU) between 2022 and 2029 to support grassroots rugby participation. The RFU, as the National Governing Body for rugby union, is responsible for decisions on how and where to target that investment into rugby union clubs. Grassroots participation issues were discussed...
The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of the Government. The Government monitors the financial situation of rugby union closely and continues to work with the RFU, representatives of Prem and Champ clubs as well as the Tier Two Board, and the wider sport sector to support the ongoing...
The Sport for Development Coalition received Sport England National Lottery funding between March 2022 and December 2025 totalling £773,334. Rather than delivering programmes itself, the Coalition acts as the collective voice for the sport-for-development sector. As a result, it is not possible to quantify direct programme participation or user numbers attributable to the Coalition itself.
The UK remains one of Ukraine's leading humanitarian donors, having committed up to £577 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the wider region since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Through trusted humanitarian partners, UK support helps protect vulnerable people affected by the conflict, promote respect for International Humanitarian Law, and provide lifesaving...
