As of 24th September:

People may lawfully use smart glasses and other wearable recording technologies in public spaces, in line with rights to freedom of expression as set out in Human Rights law. However, we recognise the potential privacy and safeguarding implications of the increasing availability of wearable recording devices. If wearers of the technology use it in harmful ways, such as to cause alarm or distress or for the purpose of sexual gratification, they may be guilty of criminal offences such as harassment, stalking or voyeurism.

If recorded images are uploaded to the internet, online services that process them will be subject to the UK's data protection legislation. For example, organisations may need to respond to requests from members of the public to have their images removed.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection, has recently published guidance on consumer Internet of Things products and services: Guidance for consumer Internet of Things products and services | ICO. It makes it clear that manufacturers, developers and providers of connected devices have responsibilities to make sure that there is sufficient transparency around how the technology is used. This includes making any recording obvious to users and bystanders through visible indicators or alerts, and warning users of risks of recording children or vulnerable people.

We will continue to monitor this issue.

People may lawfully use smart glasses and other wearable recording technologies in public spaces, in line with rights to freedom of expression as set out in Human Rights law. However, we recognise the potential privacy and safeguarding implications of the increasing availability of wearable recording devices. If wearers of the technology use it in harmful ways, such as to cause alarm or distress or for the purpose of sexual gratification, they may be guilty of criminal offences such as harassment, stalking or voyeurism.

If recorded images are uploaded to the internet, online services that process them will be subject to the UK's data protection legislation. For example, organisations may need to respond to requests from members of the public to have their images removed.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection, has recently published guidance on consumer Internet of Things products and services: Guidance for consumer Internet of Things products and services | ICO. It makes it clear that manufacturers, developers and providers of connected devices have responsibilities to make sure that there is sufficient transparency around how the technology is used. This includes making any recording obvious to users and bystanders through visible indicators or alerts, and warning users of risks of recording children or vulnerable people.

We will continue to monitor this issue.

Fulfilling the manifesto commitment to increase loans from national collections is a key priority for the Secretary of State. DCMS is actively considering delivery models, in consultation with the sector and Arts Council England.

There is no single process for loans from DCMS-sponsored national museums to regional museums, as national museums’ loan policies and procedures are a matter for the individual museum. The conditions associated with each loan will vary according to the item being borrowed. In 2024/25, national museums made loans to 1,078 venues across the UK.

DCMS is also working with ACE on improvements to the Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS) - a key enabler for museum loans - in line with the government response to the recent ACE Review recommendation that it should adopt a more pragmatic approach to risk appetite in relation to the Scheme. Work is also underway to make the GIS guidelines clearer for museums, and to create a digital system which will speed up the current application process. As organisations in receipt of government funding, national museums are not in scope for cover under the GIS but may find improvements to the scheme beneficial when considering their own loans to regional museums.

The National Gallery is operationally independent of the government and decisions about public engagement, including those relating to the NG Citizens programme, are taken by its trustees.

Participants are paid for their time at a rate of £15 per hour and are reimbursed for relevant expenses.

The National Gallery is operationally independent of the government and decisions about public engagement, including those relating to the NG Citizens programme, are taken by its trustees.

Participants are paid for their time at a rate of £15 per hour and are reimbursed for relevant expenses.

Fulfilling the manifesto commitment to increase loans from national collections is a key priority for the Secretary of State. DCMS is actively considering delivery models, in consultation with the sector and Arts Council England.

There is no single process for loans from DCMS-sponsored national museums to regional museums, as national museums’ loan policies and procedures are a matter for the individual museum. The conditions associated with each loan will vary according to the item being borrowed. In 2024/25, national museums made loans to 1,078 venues across the UK.

DCMS is also working with ACE on improvements to the Government Indemnity Scheme (GIS) - a key enabler for museum loans - in line with the government response to the recent ACE Review recommendation that it should adopt a more pragmatic approach to risk appetite in relation to the Scheme. Work is also underway to make the GIS guidelines clearer for museums, and to create a digital system which will speed up the current application process. As organisations in receipt of government funding, national museums are not in scope for cover under the GIS but may find improvements to the scheme beneficial when considering their own loans to regional museums.

This Government is committed to addressing the challenges young men face online and the development of radicalised misogynistic networks. The Online Safety Act requires platforms to take responsibility for the safety of their users by tackling illegal content and protect children from harmful content including misogynistic content. The Government has built on the OSA and gone further in announcing its intention to restrict social media companies from providing services to under-16s.

The Government has also launched its "You Won't Know Until You Ask" campaign to help parents and carers support children in developing critical thinking skills online and resilience to misleading, polarising or harmful content.

The Government engages with Ofcom on a number of issues regarding the broadcasting sector.

The Creative Industries Sector Plan, which was published in June 2025, included a commitment for the Government to ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Ofcom to consider how changes in the TV sector might impact their future assessments of the television and advertising markets. I subsequently wrote to the Chief Executives of the CMA and Ofcom in December 2025. Those letters, and the responses, are available on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/correspondence-how-the-cma-and-ofcom-could-take-into-account-changes-in-the-tv-sector-as-part-of-any-future-assessment-of-the-television-or-advertisi

We are fully committed to putting fans first by ending the scourge of industrial-scale ticket touting and protecting consumers on the secondary ticketing market. We announced legislative plans in the King’s Speech briefing to prohibit the resale of a live events ticket for more than the original cost. This will mean that ticket touting will no longer be a profitable business in the UK, whilst still allowing genuine fans to safely resell tickets for events they can no longer attend.

We will publish the draft bill in this session of parliament for pre-legislative scrutiny by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, with the support of the Business and Trade Committee, to ensure that the legislation is effective, enforceable and future-proof.

The UK and EU share information and data where it supports our mutual safety, security, and prosperity, as part of our broader cooperation on trade, the economy, and defence and security.

DCMS acts in accordance with the reporting and information-sharing provisions relevant to the Department. These provisions are set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the Withdrawal Agreement, including the Windsor Framework. These documents are publicly available.

Tackling violence against women and girls remains a top priority for this government.

The banning of social media companies from offering their services to under-16s will help provide additional protections for children. Alongside this, the former Secretary of State wrote to the Ofcom Chair, asking them to make robust enforcement a priority, including working with government to implement all remaining duties from the Online Safety Act and moving to swift and rigorous enforcement where it is appropriate. Under the Act, services are required to prevent children in the UK from encountering harmful content including adjusting algorithms and provide age-appropriate experiences.

The Treaties section of the UK Parliament’s website lists international agreements which are subject to parliamentary scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. An official record of the UK's treaty obligations under international law is also available via the UK Treaties Online resource.

Arts Council England has 350 staff assigned to The Hive, 51 Lever Street. In the most recent week for which working figures are available, 7 September 2026, attendance was reported at 59% of Manchester based staff, over the course of the week.

ACE offers hybrid working and does not mandate a fixed number of office days each week but does encourage in office days for training, team and away days. Due to the nature of their work, staff are also regularly meeting with artists and arts organisations.

The Government recognises that participation in culture and the arts, including dance, generates substantial social and economic value. Dance is a vital part of the cultural ecology, contributing to improved physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection, which collectively help to alleviate pressures on health and social care services.

Government commissioned research by Frontier Economics, published in November 2024 estimates that regular adult cultural participation provides benefits of £992 per person and £18.6 billion annually in societal benefits. One of the models relating to extra-curricular activities for children (which includes dance) estimates society-wide benefits totalling £230m per year. Participatory arts support prevention, reduce health service demand, and improve productivity and quality of life.

Additionally, ‘The Social Value of Movement and Dance’ report estimates that dance and movement participation generates £3.5 billion in annual social value in the UK. By improving physical health, mental wellbeing and social connectedness, this saves health services approximately £430 million annually by reducing service demand. The report highlights wider economic benefits, including increased productivity, reduced loneliness and stronger community cohesion.

The Government's ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030, this includes both urban and rural areas. We continue to work closely with the network operators to achieve this.

The regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for reporting on mobile network coverage, and do not publish any international comparisons. However other third-party data sources such as Speedtest’s Global Index rank some of the world’s largest cities, on a range of mobile network performance variables. Such data forms part of a range of sources of information that support policy development including as part of the Government’s ongoing Mobile Market Review.

DCMS is working with law enforcement and the Home Office to tackle drivers of sexual exploitation.

Any platform that provides services to UK users must abide by UK law, and will face enforcement action if they do not. Ofcom has DCMS’s full backing to use all powers available to them where platforms are in breach of the law.

The Government recognises the importance of free-to-air terrestrial television and is considering its longer-term future as viewing increasingly moves online. In particular, Parliament has legislated to secure the future of digital terrestrial television (DTT) until at least 2034. The Media Green Paper, Watch this space, sought views on 2034 and 2044 as possible dates for a managed transition to IPTV, and on how such a transition can be managed in a way that protects audiences and supports a sustainable broadcasting sector. The Government is currently considering the responses it received and will set out its preferred approach in due course. Affordability and national security are key considerations, and the Government is seeking views on how the TV, digital and telecommunications sectors can address these challenges. Commercial broadcasters will also have an important role in determining the future availability of their own free-to-air services on DTT, within the relevant regulatory and policy framework.

Creative industries clusters across the UK, including in Norwich, play a crucial role in delivering the growth agenda.

Our Creative Industries Sector Plan published last year includes a strong universal offer to drive growth in the creative industries in every place in the UK, including Norwich and the wider East of England region. It outlines measures to break down barriers such as access to finance, supply of skills, and new support to kickstart innovation and support high-growth potential businesses.

In addition, Arts Council England (ACE) focuses funding on the areas of the cultural sector most at risk, using both dedicated funds and wider investment. Its £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund is focused on supporting organisations, particularly in underserved areas, to protect vulnerable cultural infrastructure and local venues, ensuring access nationwide. This includes a flagship Norwich investment in ‘Creative Arts East'.

Government has made no assessment of automatic compensation for mobile network customers. Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has statutory duties to protect the interests of telecoms consumers and has powers to set rules that communications providers must follow. The Government continues to engage with Ofcom and industry on service quality and consumer protections. Ofcom has introduced a range of measures to protect mobile customers, including rules on switching, contract transparency and protections against mobile messaging scams, while keeping consumer safeguards under review.