Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 27 November 2025 · 9 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 6 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Charters (York Outer) (Lab) asked about extending an away ticket cap in football, with the Secretary of State supporting affordability for fans across the country.
  • Nigel Huddleston (Droitwich and Evesham) (Con) inquired about a tourism tax, with the Minister responding that the Government are considering calls from mayors for action on this issue.
  • Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield) (Lab) paid tribute to the Huddersfield contemporary music festival, which features over 30 world and UK premieres, with the Minister expressing support for music festivals nationwide.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Charters Lab York Outer
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP raised concerns about the affordability of away football tickets for fans.

Question

Away tickets cost £45 at championship Coventry and £30 at league one Mansfield Town. Even some national league games are getting close to £30 for York City fans, when premiership clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and United all have a £30 cap. Does the Secretary of State support extending an away ticket cap across all leagues as a ceiling, not a target?

Answer from Lisa Nandy (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport)

Football is nothing without the fans, and my hon. Friend is right to say that it must be affordable for people across the country. The Premier League has shown enormous leadership through the £30 away cap—that is an excellent example of that principle. This is precisely why this Government wasted no time in passing the Football Governance Act 2025 with the permission of both Houses, which implements minimum engagement standards, including requiring clubs to consult fans on ticket prices.

Answered
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Q2 Nigel Huddleston Con Droitwich and Evesham
Culture, Media & Sport Business & Trade
Context

The MP questioned the government's decision to introduce a tourism tax.

Question

At Department for Culture, Media and Sport oral questions in September, the former tourism Minister, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant), said that the Government have “no plans” to bring in a tourism tax and admitted that the tourism sector is already “taxed enough”, yet this week the Government announced that they are bringing in a tourism tax. When did they start planning for this tax? Was any form of impact assessment carried out before they decided that whacking up taxes on a sector that has already lost 90,000 jobs because of increases in last year’s Budget is such a great idea?

Answer from Lisa Nandy (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport)

I think the hon. Gentleman united us all, wishing a happy Lancashire Day, but perhaps that was the beginning and end of the cross-party unity. I am enormously proud that this Government have finally acted on the calls from mayors across the political spectrum—including one Boris Johnson in 2013 when he was the Mayor of London—to implement a visitor levy on short-term overnight accommodation. We have not just done that: we have handed the power to regions themselves to implement it.

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Q3 Harpreet Uppal Lab Huddersfield
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP paid tribute to the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and asked about government support for cultural investment.

Question

Huddersfield contemporary music festival is the UK’s largest international festival dedicated to new music, and the programme this year has more than 30 world and UK premieres. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to this festival, which brings national and international musicians to Huddersfield every November, and will he set out what the Government are doing to ensure we invest in culture in towns like mine?

Answer from Ian Murray (Minister for Creative Industries, Media and Arts)

I highly commend the festival in Huddersfield. As an Edinburgh MP who is always championing festivals, the more music festivals and other arts festivals we have across the country, the better. I encourage everyone to go.

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Q4 John Whittingdale Con Maldon
Culture, Media & Sport Science & Technology
Context

The MP discussed roundtable meetings with UK-based AI firms regarding licensing agreements.

Question

Yesterday I had a roundtable meeting with a number of UK-based AI firms that have reached licensing agreements with owners of rights in the creative industries and publishing industries. Rather than just talking to big tech, will she and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology meet those UK-based companies that are trying to do the right thing?

Answer from Lisa Nandy (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport)

Yes, of course, and in fact we already are. The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and I have convened a series of roundtables, and we are not just talking to big tech companies, but a full range of tech companies, hearing a range of views.

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Q5 Martin Rhodes Lab Glasgow North
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP inquired about the assessment of hosting UEFA Euro 2028 and its benefits.

Question

What assessment has the Secretary of State made of how hosting UEFA Euro 2028 will benefit communities across the UK, particularly through its social impact programme?

Answer from Stephanie Peacock (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport)

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.

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Q6 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Environment
Context

The MP raised concerns about the impact of solar panel installations on the local tourism industry.

Question

Much of Buckinghamshire’s tourist economy is under- pinned by walkers coming to enjoy our countryside and the beautiful Chilterns, but on top of the tourism tax, the industry is threatened by the Secretary of State’s Government threatening to plaster Buckinghamshire with solar panels, which will drive the walkers away. What representations is she making to her colleague the Energy Secretary to protect tourism in Buckinghamshire?

Answer from Lisa Nandy (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport)

I would be happy to discuss this matter further with my colleagues in government. The Government are committed to balancing the need for renewable energy and protecting our natural beauty spots that are important for tourism. I will certainly take your concerns back to the Energy Secretary.

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Q7 Joe Powell Lab Kensington and Bayswater
Housing
Context

The member has heard horror stories about the misuse of short-term lets in his constituency, including illegal sub-letting and breaching London’s 90-day cap. This issue affects local residents negatively.

Question

At every resident meeting I host, I hear horror stories about the misuse of short-term lets, including illegal sub-letting, breaching London’s 78-day cap, late-night parties, and conditions that violate building insurance and fire safety. When will the hugely welcome mandatory register for short-term lets come online, and what difference will it make to ensuring that homes are not hotels?

Answer from Stephanie Peacock

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 House, and I would be delighted to meet him to discuss it further.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify how the register will make a difference or address the concerns about misuse.

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Q8 Joe Robertson Con Isle of Wight East
Culture, Media & Sport Children & Families
Context

The Isle of Wight Youth Trust is set to lose £200,000-worth of funding by the end of the financial year. Up to half of the 24 surveyed said that they may close services.

Question

The Isle of Wight Youth Trust is set to lose £200,000-worth of funding by the end of the financial year. Early support hubs will lose funding across the country, and up to half of those surveyed say that they may have to close services. Will the Secretary of State speak to cross-departmental colleagues to ensure that bridge funding is put in place so no young person loses out?

Answer from Lisa Nandy

Our forthcoming national youth strategy will meet our pledge to ensure that there is no reduction in youth funding and that every pound is spent better, with a particular focus on rebuilding those places and spaces that have been allowed to fall into disrepair or have been lost. On the particular issue that the hon. Gentleman raises, I appreciate that it is urgent. I am happy to take it away with the Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley South (Stephanie Peacock), and to ensure that we get the hon. Gentleman a proper reply.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify when or how bridge funding will be arranged.

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Q9 Dave Robertson Lab Lichfield
Justice & Courts Employment Standards & Ethics
Context

Mohamed Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, sexually abused hundreds of female employees over decades. Reporters tried to reveal his crimes but could not due to fear of SLAPPs.

Question

Mohamed Fayed, the former owner of Harrods, sexually abused hundreds of female employees over decades. Reporters tried to reveal his crimes but it was only after his death that the true extent of the scandal began to emerge because of media fears about strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). What steps will the Department take to ensure that rich and powerful men like Fayed cannot use SLAPPs to silence their critics in the media?

Answer from Lisa Nandy

I can hear from those on the other side of the House that a lot of hon. Members feel very strongly about this issue, and they have made representations on it over a long period of time. My hon. Friend will know that new measures are coming into force in June to address SLAPPs in relation to cases of economic crime. That was started under the previous Government and has continued under this one. It is my belief that we should take sexual harassment and abuse every bit as seriously as economic crime, and this is an area where action is long overdue. I am happy to work with the media Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray), to achieve that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide specific steps or measures against SLAPPs in relation to sexual harassment and abuse.

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