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Key figures › Departments › Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Lisa Nandy has been Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since 20 July 2026, according to the UK Parliament Members API. HM Treasury's PESA 2026 records total departmental expenditure limits of £2.2 billion in 2025-26, with plans of £2.3 billion for 2026-27. In 2025-26 prices, the department's total DEL was £2.7 billion in 2021-22 and £2.2 billion in 2025-26. The Cabinet Office's Civil Service Statistics 2026 count 1,155 civil servants (1,060 a year earlier) at 31 March 2026, by headcount. The median salary of its civil servants was £54,580, and 60.6% of those whose sex is recorded were women. The National Audit Office's most recent report listed for the department is "Department for Culture, Media and Sport Accounts 2025-26" (24 July 2026).

Secretary of State, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Lisa Nandy
since 20 July 2026
Total DEL 2025-26
£2.2 billion
PESA 2026, outturn
Civil servants
1,155
headcount, 31 March 2026 · 1,125 full-time equivalent

HM Treasury's PESA 2026 (16 July 2026) and Civil Service Statistics 2026 (at 31 March 2026) report the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (which GOV.UK lists as closed on 20 July 2026 and replaced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) rather than the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, so the figures below are theirs, shown separately.

Spending

Financial yearTotal DELResource DELCapital DELAdministration budgetTotal managed expenditureTotal DEL, 2025-26 prices
2021-22 outturn£2.2 billion£1.7 billion£488 million£130 million£7.8 billion£2.7 billion
2022-23 outturn£2.3 billion£1.8 billion£454 million£185 million£9.1 billion£2.6 billion
2023-24 outturn£2.0 billion£1.5 billion£530 million£178 million£7.9 billion£2.2 billion
2024-25 outturn£2.0 billion£1.5 billion£526 million£191 million£7.6 billion£2.1 billion
2025-26 outturn£2.2 billion£1.5 billion£698 million£201 million£9.6 billion£2.2 billion
2026-27 plans£2.3 billion£1.6 billion£752 million£219 million£10.5 billion£2.3 billion
2027-28 plans£2.4 billion£1.6 billion£750 million£209 million£9.8 billion£2.3 billion
2028-29 plans£2.8 billion£2.0 billion£750 million£207 million£10.2 billion£2.6 billion

Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, Chapter 1. What DEL and total managed expenditure cover.

Civil service staff

Measure31 March 202631 March 2025
Headcount1,1551,060
Full-time equivalent1,1251,025
Median salary£54,580–
Women, % of known sex60.6%–
Responsibility levelHeadcount
Senior Civil Service75
Grade 6 or Grade 7510
Senior or Higher Executive Officer465
Executive Officer100
Administrative Assistant or Administrative Officer5
With an unreported grade0

Source: Civil Service Statistics 2026 and 2025, Cabinet Office.

Secretary of State

Lisa Nandy (Labour, MP for Wigan) has held the post of Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport since 20 July 2026. UK Parliament: career · Lisa Nandy's record in Parliament

National Audit Office reports

All departments · Budgets and OBR forecasts · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on GOV.UK

Sources