Commons
Westminster Hall
8 July 2026
2 contributions
National Youth Strategy
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 contributio…
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 tho…
Commons
Oral Questions
Culture, Media and Sport
18 June 2026
2 contributions
Topical Questions
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I congratulate England on their brilliant win last night, and he is right to mention the T20 world cup. I was delighted to be at the tournament launch; I held a women’s sport taskforce event in Southampton to coincide with the match on Tuesday. The Government are …
The Government are fully committed to working with the sports sector to support our vital grassroots clubs. We work closely with Sports England, an arm’s length body, to engage with grassroots sports across the country and ensure that all sports are seen, heard and supported. Rather than duplicating…
Commons
Oral Questions
Culture, Media and Sport
18 June 2026
5 contributions
Tourism and Leisure
Tourism drives growth and jobs across the country, including in Cheshire. VisitBritain’s “Starring GREAT Britain” campaign is showcasing a range of film and TV locations, such as Lyme Park, to global audiences, while our Great British summer savings scheme is encouraging family visits, supporting bu…
I am grateful to the hon. Lady; I know she is a great champion for her constituency, and I know that tourism is incredibly important to her constituency. I recognise the challenges, some of which she has outlined. I have done a number of meetings with the sector. Just this week, I was at the Tourism…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
3 contributions
Grassroots Sport
The Government believe in the power of grassroots sport. We have committed £400 million over the next four years, and £85 million in this coming year. Of course, Sport England invests £250 million annually through Exchequer and lottery funding.
I was pleased to meet representatives of parkrun alongside my hon. Friend a few months ago to mark its 21st anniversary, and I pay tribute to the huge impact it has. Indeed, last year, I joined my hon. Friend for the relaunch of parkwalk, which is a great example of how inclusive parkrun is—of cours…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
3 contributions
Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
The UK Government have consistently backed Glasgow 2026 as a positive outcome for the games movement and for the UK. The Government are engaging partners to explore trade and investment opportunities around the games in order to support the games and maximise the benefits for the whole UK.
My hon. Friend asks an excellent question. I have met regularly with the Scottish Government, the Scotland Office, the organising company and, of course, Commonwealth Sport, most recently in January this year. I also attended events in December and August last year. My Department is in regular conta…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
16 April 2026
2 contributions
Community Spaces
The Government recognise that community spaces are hugely important, whether it be for social networks, community participation or civic pride. We debated community centres and small charities in Westminster Hall last month.
I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to his local charity—indeed, I am a patron of a dementia charity in Barnsley. I recognise the challenges faced by charities, which is why I hosted a number of them at No. 10 with a Treasury Minister. I would be delighted to speak to the hon. Gentleman abou…
Commons
Westminster Hall
25 March 2026
Voluntary Groups and Community Centres
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. I thank everyone who contributed to this important debate. I begin by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Chelsea and Fulham (Ben Coleman) for securing the debate. He is a great representative for the voluntary sector, having held many …
Commons
Westminster Hall
12 March 2026
Carnivals
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I congratulate the hon. Member for Glastonbury and Somerton (Sarah Dyke) and my hon. Friend the Member for Weston-super-Mare (Dan Aldridge) on securing this important debate and for the powerful way in which they have spoken about their con…
Commons
Westminster Hall
3 March 2026
5 contributions
Small Charity Sector
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Roger. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) on securing this important debate. His commitment to small charitable organisations is evident not only in his speech, but through his work in that…
That is a very fair point, and one that I have seen in my own constituency of Barnsley. In the interest of time, I will not share the details of my example, but I will take that point away and write to the hon. Lady directly on it. We want to address that specific point through the covenant.
Moving…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
26 February 2026
4 contributions
Topical Questions
Spending on youth services in England saw a 73% reduction under the last Government. Too many areas like my hon. Friend’s then had no youth services. That is why our national youth strategy, backed by over £500 million, is reversing that trend, and I would be happy to discuss it further with him.
I know this is a concern to Members across the House—I have met and corresponded with a number of them. It is an issue that is incredibly important to both me and the Secretary of State, who met with players impacted by this to hear their stories. I will be hosting a roundtable discussion shortly wi…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
26 February 2026
3 contributions
Short-term Lets
The new national short-term lets registration scheme entered user testing at the end of October to ensure that it is robust and easy to use and meets the needs of the scheme ahead of its planned launch later in 2026. Secondary legislation will be required to enact the scheme and we intend to bring t…
The registration scheme will collect essential data to help authorities, but, as my hon. Friend knows and indeed secured a ten-minute rule Bill on the issue, the legislation does not address the issue around data sharing for the number of nights. I look forward to working with her to see whether we …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
26 February 2026
3 contributions
Active Lifestyles
The Government are committed to ensuring that people of all ages have the opportunity to maintain an active lifestyle. Sport England invests over £250 million of lottery and Exchequer funding annually into grassroots sport to support people of all ages. That includes multiple campaigns designed to e…
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Team GB at the winter Olympics. It was a real pleasure to be out in Italy cheering them on in their most successful winter games yet.
I pay tribute to the lady the hon. Gentleman mentioned. We want everyone, whatever their age, to be able to be …
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
26 February 2026
3 contributions
Youth Activities: Urban Communities
Our national youth strategy sets out our plan to ensure that every young person has somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. It is backed by over £500 million of Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding over the next three years.
Boxing clubs like Fight for Peace play a huge role in supporting young people’s physical and mental health. Through Sport England, funding for England Boxing between 2022 and 2029 will be over £9 million. I recently met with the all-party parliamentary group on boxing, and I would be delighted to me…
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
26 February 2026
2 contributions
Outcomes for Young People: Bracknell Forest
In December, we published “Youth Matters”, the first Government strategy in over a decade for young people up and down the country. It will, of course, run alongside other major Government investments, including the youth guarantee and the expansion of mental health support teams in schools.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, who is a strong champion for his constituency, and to Wayz for all its work over the last 60 years. The strategy is backed by £500 million of new funding, £350 million of which will be available till the end of March 2030, to refurbish or build youth facilities throu…
Commons
Westminster Hall
10 February 2026
Sherwood Forest: Tourism
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Murrison. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) on securing this debate and on the powerful way in which she spoke about her constituency, its history and its people.
The fact that this debate has been so wel…
Commons
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
3 contributions
Topical Questions
I recognise the vital role that football clubs like Wealdstone FC play in the community. While stadium negotiations are primarily a matter for clubs and local authorities, I understand the importance of securing a future at Grosvenor Vale, and I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss how w…
The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union, which is independent of Government, but the Government monitor the financial situation of rugby union closely. The DCMS continues to work with the RFU and I am happy to discuss that further with the hon. Gentleman.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
5 contributions
Youth Activities
Our national youth strategy was co-produced with young people and has committed to investing over £500 million to ensure young people have somewhere to go, something to do and someone who cares. Access to youth activities is a key part of that.
The Government recognise that grassroots facilities are at the heart of communities up and down the country, which is why we have committed £400 million to transform grassroots facilities across the UK. I would be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss how we will be rolling that out. We recognise …
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
15 January 2026
5 contributions
Access to Sports Facilities
The Government understand the importance of high-quality grassroots sports facilities in helping people to be active, which is why we are committing £400 million to improving facilities over the next four years. We are investing £98 million this year through the multi-sport grassroots facilities pro…
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Sport England invests over £250 million of Exchequer and lottery funding each year, and offers guidance and support to grassroots clubs looking to take control of their local sports pitches through its community asset transfer toolkit, which i…
+3 more contributions in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
6 January 2026
3 contributions
BBC Charter Renewal
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I am pleased to respond to this debate on behalf of the Media Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), who is in the main Chamber on other business. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Maldon (Sir Joh…
I was just about to sit down, but I will give way.
+1 more contribution in this session
Commons
Westminster Hall
17 December 2025
Membership-based Charity Organisations
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Twigg, and I am glad to respond to this debate. I begin by congratulating the hon. Member for Gosport (Dame Caroline Dinenage) on securing this important debate. The hon. Lady’s support for membership-based charities is evident from her speech an…
Commons
Westminster Hall
16 December 2025
2 contributions
Grassroots Cricket Clubs
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Turner. I am pleased to respond to this debate, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Andrew Lewin) on securing it. I applaud his work chairing the all-party parliamentary group for cricket. He is an incredibly importa…
The hon. Lady makes an incredibly important point—one that I am sure all Members agree with. Indeed, I have seen that in my own constituency of Barnsley South. I visited Darfield cricket club a few months ago, and since we last debated cricket in this Chamber, my town lost the late, great Dickie Bir…
Commons
Oral Questions
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Topical Questions
This Government know that football reaches people like nothing else, and in the summer of 2028 it will bring people together across the whole of the UK. I was pleased to chair a meeting of sport Ministers a few weeks ago to discuss the tournament and its legacy. Glasgow is of course due to host five…
My hon. Friend makes an important point. This Government are committed to ensuring that short-term lets actively benefit our local communities, and we will implement a short-term lets registration scheme in England in 2026. I know that this issue is of significant interest to Members from across the…
Commons
Oral Questions
27 November 2025
4 contributions
Women’s and Girls’ Sport: Greater Manchester
This Government believe in the power of grassroots sport, which is why we announced investment of more than £400 million in the future of grassroots facilities. Our ambition is for girls to have equal access to any facility that we fund, doubling access to priority slots for women and girls over thi…
We support all aspects of sport for women and girls, and we are working alongside the sport sector and local leaders to develop a place-based approach to funding. We launched our women’s sport taskforce to drive a decade of change in women’s sport. We will ensure that we deliver facilities that each…
+2 more contributions in this session
Commons
Oral Questions
27 November 2025
2 contributions
Youth Services: Buckingham and Bletchley
We regularly engage with colleagues across Government on issues that affect young people, especially through the development of our national youth strategy. This year alone we are investing over £145 million to deliver projects that reflect young people’s priorities across our country.
Our national youth strategy focuses on rebuilding youth services so that young people have access to people who care, something to do and places to go. A key aspect of our forthcoming youth strategy will be to ensure that funding goes to grassroots organisations such as Bletchley youth centre, and I…
Commons
Oral Questions
27 November 2025
3 contributions
Youth Services
The Government are taking a new approach to youth services, rebuilding the landscape and improving local co-ordination. We regularly engage with colleagues across Government to drive this shift through the development of our national youth strategy that is co-produced with young people.
Indeed, Mr Speaker; we have a brilliant one opening in Barnsley very shortly. My hon. Friend makes an incredibly powerful point. This Government are taking a new approach to youth services, which is why we will be launching our national youth services strategy shortly.
+1 more contribution in this session