CB — Hansard — Westminster Brief

Lords Oral Questions 11 September 2025 2 contributions

UK and EU Trade: Arts and Creative Industries

My Lords, the Government have reset relations positively with European partners, agreeing a substantial package at the first UK-EU summit in May. This included a commitment to support travel and cultural exchange, recognising the value of artistic exchange, including the activities of touring artist…

The noble Earl outlines the range of issues that the Government need to work through. There is action; it is a high priority for this Government, and it was a manifesto commitment to address these issues. The Prime Minister mentioned it as top of the list in relation to the EU reset to the Liaison C…

Lords Debate 4 September 2025 2 contributions

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

My Lords, I have added my name to Amendment 110, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Pickering, on the agent of change principle. As the noble Baroness says, just one example of the effect of this amendment is that it would be of significant help to grass-roots music venues, which are suc…

My Lords, I rise to speak to my Amendment 185H in this group, which is a probing amendment. I ask the Government to give some serious thought to it as it addresses a gap in our thinking about the arts and arts practice. I am grateful for the support of the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Pickering.…

Lords Oral Questions 1 September 2025

Children: Dangers of Screen Time

The noble Earl has tempted me very far out of my policy area, I have to say. My understanding is that cinemas have seen a growth in people going to see films there. Certainly, I know that young people in my life are very keen to carry on going to the cinema as well as watching a whole variety of med…

Lords Debate 23 July 2025 2 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I will speak to my Amendment 160, although I support all the amendments in this group. I declare an interest as a self-employed visual artist. Amendment 160 seeks to establish a freelance commissioner. It is closely tied to consequential Amendments 161 and 162, in the name of the noble Lor…

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response, for the meeting that we all attended a few weeks ago, which was very useful, and, perhaps, for future meetings, because we want to know much more about what this champion will do. The Minister says that the champion will be independent. That is very …

Lords Oral Questions 23 July 2025

Pensions: Low-income and Self-employed Workers

The noble Earl raises a very interesting point and I am genuinely not sure of the answer. If he will forgive me, I will write to him. With regard to the self-employed, the DWP is currently working with Nest Insight and other partners to test potential solutions to encourage contributions from the se…

Lords Debate 21 July 2025

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, I will be exceedingly brief. I put my name to this amendment in the spirit of support for our heritage, of which our heritage railways are a significant part. We need to do everything we can to allow young people who wish to do so to work as volunteers in this area. I hope that the Governm…

Lords Oral Questions 16 July 2025 2 contributions

Parthenon Sculptures: Return

The Government have no plans to introduce legislation to permit artefacts, including the Parthenon sculptures, to be returned. National museums are prevented by legislation from de-accessioning objects unless, broadly, they are duplicates or unfit for retention. There are two exceptions: human remai…

I can only repeat to the noble Earl that the Government have no plans to change the law or introduce legislation to permit objects, including the Parthenon sculptures, to be returned.

Lords Oral Questions 14 July 2025

Tourism Levy

I am grateful to the noble Earl for his question but, at the risk of repeating myself, we have been engaging with stakeholders to understand their proposals, and we will continue to do so, but we have no present plans to introduce visitor levy powers in England. The noble Earl will be aware that cou…

Lords Oral Questions 9 July 2025

European Union Entry/Exit System

I am absolutely sure that my department is taking a keen interest in it. Again, this is not immediately connected with the European Entry/Exit System, but I would be very happy to write to the noble Earl and say what progress there has been.

Lords Oral Questions 30 June 2025 2 contributions

Arts Sector

The Government strongly believe in the benefits of publicly funded arts. The arts are vital to the UK’s economy and our well-being and fundamental to our cohesion as a society and our national story, fostering pride and earning global recognition. A recent report for the Arts Council by the Centre f…

Everything we do at DCMS centres around this point, if you look at the work that Arts Council England does in terms of the huge spend on its programmes. I am happy to have a longer conversation with the noble Earl, but the Arts Council England review will look at the whole piece, and the conclusions…

Lords Oral Questions 24 June 2025

Music Education: State Schools

My Lords, as the Government’s important curriculum and assessment review continues, this is a timely debate. I am very grateful to my noble friend Lady Keeley for securing it and for the opportunity to contribute alongside so many noble colleagues. I particularly enjoyed listening to my noble friend…

Lords Oral Questions 24 June 2025

Music and Dance Scheme

The music and dance scheme has a particular function to play in enabling very talented young people who would not otherwise be able to access the really excellent education provided by the schools in this scheme. But it would therefore be right to say that, of course, there will always potentially b…

Lords Oral Questions 23 June 2025

Live Music Industry: Support

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that new developments should be able to be integrated effectively with existing businesses and community facilities such as music venues. Existing businesses and facilities should not have unreasonable restrictions placed on them as a result of develop…

Lords Debate 16 June 2025

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, my Amendment 287 in this group seeks to establish a freelance commissioner. I thank my noble friends Lord Freyberg and Lord Colville, and the noble Lord, Lord Clement-Jones, who have supported this amendment. I support all the other amendments in this group, including Amendment 286, which …

Lords Proceedings 12 June 2025

Spending Review 2025

My Lords, notwithstanding the welcome moneys for the repair of cultural venues, the cuts overall to the arts are hugely disappointing. This will affect most the individual freelancer, who really had high hopes that finally there would be reinvestment in their sector. Of course, small and large organ…

Lords Oral Questions 12 June 2025

Craft Industry: Support

My Lords, it is a great privilege to take part in this debate. I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Freyberg, for bringing it forward. I echo much of what was said by my right reverend friend the Bishop of Southwark and by the noble Lord, Lord Lingfield, with whom I worked at St Paul’s. I would li…

Lords Debate 5 June 2025 3 contributions

Employment Rights Bill

My Lords, briefly, I support the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner. I certainly do not have the expertise that he has in heritage railways, but steam railways are an important part of this country’s heritage and, as each year passes, that importance surely grows. We are getting closer to a …

My Lords, I am grateful for the support of my noble friend Lord Freyberg, and the noble Lords, Lord Hendy and Lord Cashman, who unfortunately cannot be here today, and for the discussions I have had with them and other colleagues in the House, including the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Hudnall, …

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Lords Proceedings 4 June 2025

School Teachers’ Review Body: Recommendations

My Lords, the Minister mentioned bursaries, but art and design and music lag a long way behind science subjects. Do the Government have any intention of increasing those? Science subjects get a considerably higher amount of bursaries than art and design and music do.

Lords Proceedings 21 May 2025

UK-EU Summit

My Lords, I congratulate the Government on pressing ahead with the youth experience scheme, and indeed with negotiating Erasmus+ —schemes which, in answer to the naysayers, will increase opportunities for less privileged young British people. However, it is disappointing that there are no concrete p…

Lords Debate 19 May 2025

Data (Use and Access) Bill [HL]

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Kidron, for her indefatigable efforts. She has argued persuasively, patiently and passionately—and there is nothing wrong with a bit of passion in this Chamber, is there chuck? It is not just the noble Baroness. We heard about Elton John over the weekend. …

Lords Oral Questions 15 May 2025

Artificial Intelligence: Creative Content

My Lords, I am not treating anybody like a fool, and nor are the Government. We want to get this right and to make AI work for everyone. We are 100% clear that creatives and the creative sector should be properly rewarded. We need to get it right. While I understand that noble Lords want to use the …

Lords Oral Questions 12 May 2025

Schools: Mobile Phones

Yes, and that is one of the reasons why there needs to be some flexibility. I think the noble Earl might be referring to children who, for particular reasons related to the distance they have to travel to school or perhaps to special needs that they have, might well need to have adjustments that can…

Lords Oral Questions 8 May 2025 2 contributions

EU-UK Summit: Visa Waiver Agreement

My Lords, the Government are committed to a closer and more co-operative relationship with the EU. The UK-EU summit will be an important milestone towards a new strategic partnership, and we will provide further details on the agenda in due course. We are engaging constructively with the EU and memb…

I thank the noble Earl for his continued interest and for putting us all under pressure on this important issue. I emphasise that supporting touring artists was a manifesto commitment for the Government a year ago. As such, it is a priority for the Government. We remain in constructive dialogue with…