Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on employers in the hospitality sector of the process of making payments through the Job Support Scheme in arrears.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
My Department is in regular contact with Her Majesty’s Treasury to closely assess the impact of COVID-related support measures on the hospitality industry.
When it launches in November, the Jobs Support Scheme will help protect jobs within businesses facing lower demand due to COVID-19.
Alongside this, hospitality businesses can continue to make use of the Government’s comprehensive support package. This includes the various loan schemes, a significant cut to VAT until the end of March, plus business rates relief for eligible hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.
We continue to engage with stakeholders through the Visitor Economy Working Group to assess how we can most effectively support employers and employees within the hospitality sector.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to address concerns from the tourism industry, including from tour operators, about employees who are unable to meet the requirement to work at least 33 per cent of their usual hours to qualify for support from the Job Support Scheme.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
We recognise that these are extremely challenging conditions for businesses in the tourism sector, including tour operators. We continue to closely monitor the situation.
While it will not be possible to preserve every job or business, the Chancellor’s recent package of targeted measures will help businesses to protect jobs and manage their finances in the face of reduced or uncertain demand.
Tour operators have been able to access the Government’s comprehensive economic support package, which includes the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme until the end of October. It also includes a significant cut to VAT for most tourism and hospitality activities until the end of March.
We are offering impacted businesses generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans, as well as extending the application window of the government-backed loan schemes.
We are continuing to engage across Government and with stakeholders to assess how we can most effectively support the recovery of tourism across the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial impact on the hospitality sector of the decision to not permit conferences, exhibitions and events to take place.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
We recognise that the events industry and its supply chain has been severely impacted by Covid-19. We continue to engage with the stakeholders, including through the Visitor Economy Working Group and the Events Industry Senior Leaders Advisory Panel, to monitor the situation. As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, our decisions have been and will continue to be based on scientific evidence and public health assessments.
Events businesses can continue to make use of the broader support package available to them. This includes the Bounce Back Loans scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Meetings of up to 30 can still take place in permitted venues, as per the Covid-19 Secure guidance for the visitor economy.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what targeted, support they are making available to leisure centres, museums, parks and libraries both during and beyond the lockdown.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
Organisations in the leisure and recreation sector have benefitted from the unprecedented Government support for business and workers. We know that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, in particular, has been a lifeline for these sectors, protecting jobs while organisations are closed.
In general, it is expected that publicly funded bodies such as leisure centres and parks, including companies (public enterprises), will not need to access the various different government support schemes. Other organisations such as charitable libraries, leisure centres, and museums, may be able to benefit from a range of support measures including: A 12-month business rates holiday for all eligible retail, leisure and hospitality businesses in England; the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund; the Small Business Grant Fund, which provides £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief; the Discretionary Grant Fund for Local Authorities in England to make grants payments to businesses not eligible for the above schemes; the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; VAT deferral for up to 12 months; the Time To Pay scheme; and protection for commercial leaseholders against automatic forfeiture for non-payment until June 30, 2020.
There is also sector-specific support. For example, museums have had access to over £200 million of support from Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and Historic England.
The Government continues to monitor the impact of these and other measures.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are putting in place to support Coventry, as it prepares to become UK City of Culture 2021, to compensate for the downturn in tourism revenue due to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
We recognise that COVID-19 has significantly impacted tourism revenue in regions across the country. We continue to engage with stakeholders to monitor the situation and to assess how we can most effectively support the sector’s recovery when tourism activity restarts.
Tourism businesses and workers in Coventry can access the Government’s comprehensive support package, including the recently extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan scheme.
The Government has invested over £15 million to support Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture, and the Department for Digital, Culture and Media and Sport is working closely with Coventry City of Culture Trust and partners to continue to ensure Coventry’s success as host city.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to implementing the recommendations of the report by the Museums Association Museums Taskforce: Report and Recommendations, published in March 2018, and in particular encouraging national museums to partner with regional institutions by loaning them national collections.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
In 2017 the government published the Mendoza Review of Museums in England. My department continues to work on implementing the recommendations of that review, which were aimed at creating an environment in which museums could flourish. As part of this work we have considered a number of more recent publications and reports regarding museums issues and my officials have met with the Museums Association to discuss their work.
In August last year, my department delivered on a key recommendation from the Mendoza Review by publishing the first annual National Museums Partnership Report. This report provides an overview of the partnerships of 17 national UK museums, revealing how museum partnerships benefit parties on both sides as well as audiences and wider society. Further data will be released this year, and in future iterations we are keen to reflect a more rounded picture including data on regional museum activity DCMS continues to work with the national museums, Arts Council England, and other partners to support collaborative working.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had, if any, with the tourism industry on improving the environmental sustainability of that industry.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
My Department regularly engages with tourism stakeholders about environmental sustainability. For example, this was discussed at the Tourism Industry Council in June 2019 and at the G20 in Japan in October 2019.
The Tourism Sector Deal and the £45m Discover England Fund aim to contribute to a more sustainable tourism sector by spreading visitors more evenly throughout the year, and more broadly across the country. Successful Tourism Zones will be required to commit to making a sustainable development plan for their regions.