PMQs: Ministers in 'urgent talks' on European culture capital

Liverpool was the last UK city to be named European Capital of Culture in 2008.

Ministers are in urgent talks with the European Union over its decision to exclude UK cities from the European Capital of Culture award, the first secretary has told MPs.

Damian Green was answering a question from the SNP's Patrick Grady, who expressed concern that Brexit would damage the UK's international standing.

Five UK cities have already spent thousands of pounds on their 2023 bids.

Mr Green told the Commons the decision was "extremely disappointing".

Last week the European Commission announced it had cancelled the UK's turn to hold the year-long city of culture event in 2023.

Dundee, Nottingham, Leeds, Milton Keynes and Belfast/Derry were all hoping to be selected.

At Wednesday's prime minister's questions, Mr Grady said: "The United Kingdom has lost its seat on the Court of Justice, EU agencies are pulling out of London and there'll be no be more European Capitals of Culture in the UK.

"Is the sun setting on Empire 2.0 before its even begun?" he asked.

• Hull: UK City of Culture 2017

Mr Green, who was standing in for Prime Minister Theresa May while she is on a trip to the Middle East, replied that some of these moves are predictable results of the UK's decision to leave the EU.

"It's not surprising really that EU institutions are not going to be in a state that is not a member of the EU, that can't come as a surprise to him," he said to Mr Grady.

However he added: "On the capitals of culture I rather agree with him, I think its extremely disappointing that after they'd let British cities ask to apply to be part of the process, the commission decided that they couldn't.

"We are in urgent talks with the commission about that and in particular we're making sure that all those cities who applied can continue with their cultural development - because cultural development has been shown to be an extremely good basis for the regeneration of cities and towns across the United Kingdom."