Estimates Day Debate Day 2

On the second Estimates Day on 30 June 2026 there were the following debates:

3. Culture, Media and Sport: DCMS outlines its approach to investing in major sporting events, supporting sport in schools and communities and investing in young people

Across the country, people have been supporting our national teams and athletes on the biggest stages, from the FIFA World Cup and the T20 World Cup to Wimbledon and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Major sporting events foster an undeniable sense of national pride and social cohesion, while driving economic growth and inspiring the next generation to get active.

The Government is investing over £500 million towards hosting Euro 2028, the Tour de France, and Tour de France Femmes over the next few years. These events alone are predicted to deliver £3.2 billion in socioeconomic benefits for the UK. I believe that the power of sport is not a luxury but an essential driver of national health, wellbeing and economic productivity.

The Government has committed to invest at least £400 million in community sports facilities across the country over the next four years. This financial year alone, Ministers are delivering £85 million via the multi-sport grassroots facilities programme. This programme will build and upgrade vital pitches, changing rooms and clubhouses, and 50% of the investment will be prioritised for the 30% most deprived areas of the UK.

Ministers are committed to promoting women’s sport in support of doubling access for women and girls. This includes establishing the Women’s Sport Taskforce and working alongside local leaders so that areas can have a greater say on the facilities that they need.
On school sport, there is an investment of more than £1 billion over the next three years. This funding includes £580 million for a new PE and school sport partnership network, to replace the PE and sport premium, alongside investment for improvements to school sport facilities and transitional support for primary schools.

The National Youth Strategy will also invest £500 million to support our young people, helping to address the challenges they face, including loneliness and isolation from their peers.

4. Department of Health and Social Care : Minister responds to concerns about the UK-US pharmaceutical deal

A debate on the NHS estimates was held on Tuesday 20 June 2026 focusing on the impact of the UK-US pharmaceutical deal. The Minister had concerns about the deal, including that the changes undermine the independence of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – the body responsible for providing recommendations on whether new medicines are an effective use of NHS resources. As the Minister explained, NICE will continue to make its recommendations based on evidence, clinical effectiveness and value for money, free from political interference. The change will allow Ministers to set the overall threshold within which NICE operates, not to determine individual decisions.

The Minister also responded to concerns that the UK’s commitments are larger than those of the US. She noted that the UK has made policy changes to improve access for patients, while the US has committed to tariff protection for UK exports – a significant move given the scale of that market. In addition, the Minister discussed the change made to the Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG). This change will support life sciences investment and patient access to medicines, while ensuring the scheme continues to work for both industry and the NHS, keeping the medicines budget sustainable.

The Minister reiterated that the estimated short-term impact of the deal is around £1 billion in England over the Spending Review period. She told MPs that costs will increase over time as NICE approves more medicines but that precise long-term costs cannot be modelled as a single figure, as they depend on future medicines, NICE approvals, uptake and wider commercial developments.

Regarding requests to share the impact assessment of the deal, the Minister explained that the analysis contains commercially sensitive assumptions and that it remains linked to live policy development. Minister said officials should be able to produce confidential advice for the Government to inform trade and other negotiations, and it is important to maintain such confidentiality in the national interest.

In my view, the deal is an important step forward for patient access to innovation and for the future of our life sciences sector. The arrangement ensures patients can benefit from life-changing medicines as they are developed, rather than the UK being left behind. And thanks to the deal, the UK will be the only country in the world to have secured a commitment to tariff-free access for pharmaceutical exports to the US.

5. Department for Work and Pensions: Government investing in the welfare state to tackle poverty, build skills and expand opportunity

The debate on the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) estimated spending took place on the same day. The DWP is the bedrock of our welfare state, which in itself is the cornerstone of any civilised society. However, the welfare state has to adapt to today’s challenges and circumstances. That is why I welcome the Government’s commitment to reforming the welfare system, with a stronger focus on work, skills and opportunity.

During the debate, Ministers explained recent changes to the DWP. Firstly, it has taken on the responsibility for adult skills from the Department for Education. This change, which aims to better connect skills training with employment support, helping more people move into good jobs while supporting economic growth.

Secondly, the DWP now hosts the child poverty unit, taken on from the Cabinet Office in March and reflects the DWP’s expertise in poverty policy. Cross-Government work will continue, which will oversee the delivery of the Government’s child poverty strategy. As part of this strategy, the removal of the two-child limit,  will lift more than half a million children out of poverty.

Thirdly, the DWP has seen the introduction of a new crisis and resilience fund, which is designed to help people get support earlier, before problems become crises. The DWP retains policy responsibility, but funding has been transferred to the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This will make the funding process simpler for local authorities, which are often best placed to provide this support to communities.

Currently, more than a million young people are not in work, education or training, and for every £1 that the DWP spent on employment support for young people last year, around £25 was spent on their benefits. By 2031, the Government will reduce that number to £10. It has also committed £2.5 billion to create up to half a million opportunities for young people.

On general employment support, £3.5 billion is being provided to support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. The law is also being changed so that claimants on sickness and disability benefits have the right to try work without the fear of automatically triggering a benefit reassessment. I am pleased to see progress being made, with 400,000 more people in employment than this time last year.

These estimates were voted through and none of the amendments were passed.