Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Jonathan Davies (Labour) on Friday, 6 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 10 March 2026. It was answered by Ian Murray (Labour) on Monday, 16 March 2026 on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Cultural Protection Fund

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the contribution of the British Council’s delivery of the Cultural Protection Fund on the safeguarding and long-term preservation of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Answer

Since 2016, the Cultural Protection Fund (CPF) has worked to safeguard cultural heritage globally threatened by conflict or climate change. It supports projects significant to local communities through open calls, irrespective of UNESCO status.

The CPF has delivered projects in UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Bamiyan in Afghanistan, Lamu Old Town in Kenya and Aleppo in Syria. The safeguarding of heritage, both tangible and intangible, is core to all projects delivered by the CPF.

DCMS is positive about the impact the CPF has had on keeping international cultural heritage sites and culturally significant objects safe, as reported in the 2019 Tailored Review of the British Council. Three evaluations of the CPF have been published and the evaluation of the CPF 2022-2025 programme will be published in spring 2026.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
118616
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Conservation UNESCO Safety World Heritage sites British Council Cultural Protection Fund
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk