In its final year of eligibility for Creative Europe, the UK received approximately £13.4m in funding (an annual average based on the estimated total funding received through the UK’s eligibility period).

This Government takes the potential of our Creative Industries seriously – the Creative Industries Sector Plan announced the Government's Music Growth Package of up to £30m over three years from 2026, which more than doubles current government funding from £4.1 million to up to £10 million annually.

Music festivals are crucial to the UK's music culture: they provide a platform for artists, and support local economies and creative jobs. The Music Growth Package recognises this – it will deliver concrete benefits for festivals, artists, and venues through support with touring, performance and mentoring. Independent festivals will be eligible to apply for this funding once the programme officially launches.

The Government regularly reviews international funding opportunities, prioritising participation where it delivers clear value for money and economic impact. We also understand the importance of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes, which is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus, and Erasmus+. The Government has no plans to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.

In its final year of eligibility for Creative Europe, the UK received approximately £13.4m in funding (an annual average based on the estimated total funding received through the UK’s eligibility period).

This Government takes the potential of our Creative Industries seriously – the Creative Industries Sector Plan announced the Government's Music Growth Package of up to £30m over three years from 2026, which more than doubles current government funding from £4.1 million to up to £10 million annually.

Music festivals are crucial to the UK's music culture: they provide a platform for artists, and support local economies and creative jobs. The Music Growth Package recognises this – it will deliver concrete benefits for festivals, artists, and venues through support with touring, performance and mentoring. Independent festivals will be eligible to apply for this funding once the programme officially launches.

The Government regularly reviews international funding opportunities, prioritising participation where it delivers clear value for money and economic impact. We also understand the importance of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes, which is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus, and Erasmus+. The Government has no plans to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.

In its final year of eligibility for Creative Europe, the UK received approximately £13.4m in funding (an annual average based on the estimated total funding received through the UK’s eligibility period).

This Government takes the potential of our Creative Industries seriously – the Creative Industries Sector Plan announced the Government's Music Growth Package of up to £30m over three years from 2026, which more than doubles current government funding from £4.1 million to up to £10 million annually.

Music festivals are crucial to the UK's music culture: they provide a platform for artists, and support local economies and creative jobs. The Music Growth Package recognises this – it will deliver concrete benefits for festivals, artists, and venues through support with touring, performance and mentoring. Independent festivals will be eligible to apply for this funding once the programme officially launches.

The Government regularly reviews international funding opportunities, prioritising participation where it delivers clear value for money and economic impact. We also understand the importance of UK–EU cooperation through EU programmes, which is why we have associated to Horizon Europe, Copernicus, and Erasmus+. The Government has no plans to rejoin Creative Europe at this time.

The Town and Country Planning (Brownfield Land Register) Regulations 2017 require local planning authorities to prepare, maintain, and publish a Brownfield Register. When including land on the register, local planning authorities must consider that land is suitable, available, and achievable for residential development. This will involve assessing a range of factors and constraints including any known land contamination and viability issues.

The National Planning Policy Framework states (attached) that planning policies and decisions should support appropriate opportunities to remediate derelict and contaminated land. It also states that where a site is affected by contamination, responsibility for securing a safe development rests with the developer and/or landowner. Planning Practice Guidance on viability (attached) recognises abnormal costs, including those associated with treatment for contaminated sites.

To unlock previously developed land for housing, the Government provides capital support to local authorities through the Brownfield Land Release Fund. The funding enables councils to undertake necessary remediation works, including decontamination.

I refer the noble Lady to the Written Ministerial Statement published and attached on 18 November 2025 (HCWS1062) – noting the statement contains several discrete measures.

It will be for planning decision-makers to determine whether land around train stations meets the definition of brownfield (previously developed land) as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework.

I refer the Noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement published and attached on 18 November 2025 (HCWS1062)– noting the statement contains several discrete measures.

The Department intends to publish a consultation in due course which provides further detail on the announcement on a new Consultation Direction.

Network Rail are required to consider the need for future railway expansion on existing railway land before allocating land for commercial or housing development, under condition 17 of their network license (LC17). LC17 is an industry process, and most railway partners have the opportunity to respond to any current, future and integrated transport proposals.

Establishing Platform4 has not changed this process. Platform4 will continue to work with Network Rail on the LC17 process as part of their support to the development for major stations and regional schemes.

The Government recognises the importance of managing land contamination to protect human health and the environment. Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land and, where necessary, require its remediation. A risk-based approach is used to define contaminated land, with regulators required to intervene in cases where land poses an unacceptable risk to human health, property or the environment.

The Contaminated Land Statutory Guidance sets out the legal framework for risk assessment and decision-making under Part 2A, and the Land Contamination Risk Management framework, recently updated by the Environment Agency, provides technical guidance on assessing, managing and remediating land contamination in line with current best practice.

Yes. The guidance states that Mayoral Strategic Authorities should work with relevant stakeholders when preparing and delivering their Local Growth Plan which will include constituent councils.

To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, with rateable values below £500,000, from 2026-27.

This tax cut must be sustainably funded, and so we intend to apply a higher rate from 2026-27 on the most valuable properties - those with a Rateable Value of £500,000 and above. These represent less than one per cent of all properties, but cover the majority of large distribution warehouses, including those used by online giants, so that they can help support the viability of high streets.

The Spring Statement confirmed the spending envelope for phase 2 of the spending review, which will deliver new mission-led, technology-enabled and reform-driven budgets for departments. We will consider the full range of priorities and pressures facing departments in the round, including any impact of the higher multiplier, when setting these budgets.

The rates for any new business rate multipliers will be set at Budget 2025 so that the Government can take into account the upcoming revaluation outcomes as well as the economic and fiscal context.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) developed and published PAS 9980 and Government has sponsored BSI to review it to make sure it captures best practices, meets market needs, and identifies any necessary revisions. BSI has commenced the review, which will include a six-week public consultation, and BSI anticipates publishing the updated guidance in early 2026. The consultation will provide the opportunity for industry and the public to participate in the review of PAS 9980.

Officials in my department engage regularly with the insurance industry and Minister Norris met representatives earlier in the year. PAS9980:2022 sets out steps that can be taken to identify and assess risk factors as well as mitigation steps that might improve the risk rating of a building via a holistic and fact-based assessment of a building’s construction.

Once buildings comply with Building Regulations or align with industry-accepted PAS 9980 standards, insurers should offer affordable premiums and should not be prescribing additional remedial works.

BSI has commenced the review, which will include a six-week public consultation, and BSI anticipates publishing the updated guidance in early 2026. The consultation will provide the opportunity for industry and the public to participate in the review of PAS 9980.

£7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across the 21 two-tier local government areas which the government has invited proposals from. This is the first time that capacity funding has been made available for reorganisation proposals, recognising the priority that this government attaches to this. Further information will be provided on how this will be allocated and we intend to make payments as soon as possible.

Future standards next year will set our new homes on a path that moves away from relying on volatile fossil fuels and towards more clean, secure energy. These homes will be future proofed with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency. No further energy efficiency retrofit work will be necessary to enable them to become zero-carbon over time as the electricity grid continues to decarbonise.

The Future Homes Standard consultation was published in December 2023 and closed in March 2024. It set out detailed technical proposals for what future standards could entail. All the options that were proposed would preclude the use of fossil-fuel heating in new homes. We are reviewing proposals and feedback from the consultation and will publish the Government response in due course.

Financial provisions relating to the income and expenditure of local authorities in connection with parking are stipulated in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Subsection 4 of section 55 specifies the purposes for the application of any surplus income from parking. This includes making good any deficit charged to the general fund in the preceding four financial years.

In line with the Local Authority Transparency Code, local authorities should each year publish their costs and profits relating to their parking management, allowing the public to hold councils to account. Parking is the responsibility of local authorities, and it is for them to determine what is best for their own area.

Off-street parking and all matters relating to it are the responsibility of the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The definition of deliverable sites is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework also sets out that authorities should use the standard method to calculate housing need.

The definition of deliverable sites is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework also sets out that authorities should use the standard method to calculate housing need.

Yes, this is the case.

Hull and East Yorkshire were announced in the Levelling Up White Paper as an early County Deal area. The Minister for Levelling Up visited Hull on 28 February where she took part in conversations with the Leaders of Hull and East Yorkshire about their plans for devolution in the region. Devolution discussions will continue following the May elections.