Lord Aberdare

We are aware of the concerns which have been raised about the challenge of securing indemnity for live events. Department officials have been working closely with the affected sectors to understand the challenges and to keep the situation under review.

Understandably, the bar for considering government intervention is set extremely high, especially in light of recent announcements including the considerable extension to the furlough scheme and local business support. My officials are continuing to collect evidence of all of the barriers live events are facing to reopening. There are a number of factors which influence the viability of music festivals, and indemnity insurance is only one aspect of this.

We are keeping the situation under review and working closely with Her Majesty’s Treasury on this issue to determine the appropriate and most effective response for the sector within the public health context.

This Government recognises the importance of touring for UK cultural professionals and understands that the cultural and creative sectors rely on the ability to move people across borders quickly, simply, and with minimal cost and administration.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are more generous than many EU Member States. Our door is open if the EU is willing to reconsider its position, and it is within Member States’ gift to match our arrangements..

We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to look at the issues and options, such as working with bilateral partners in Europe, to help the sectors resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.

The Government recognises the world-leading position of the UK music sector and the rich breadth of musical talent across the UK. According to UK Music’s 2020 report, the sector contributed £5.8bn GVA to the UK economy in 2019 and generated £2.9bn in export revenue.

Leaving the EU has always meant that there would be changes to how creative professionals operate in the EU. UK musicians are, of course, still able to tour and perform in the EU. However, we understand the concerns about the new arrangements and we are committed to supporting the sectors as they get to grips with the changes to systems and processes. We are now working urgently across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries, including through the DCMS-led working group, to look at the issues and options to help the sectors resume touring with ease as soon as it is safe to do so.

The UK music industry continues to benefit from the Department for International Trade’s Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS) which has been running since 2014. Over 280 small and medium-sized music businesses from across the UK have received grants through the scheme to support marketing and promotional activities to help them grow their international business. The government also funds The International Showcase Fund, which is administered by PRS Foundation and awards grants to enable music artists and creators to perform at key music showcase events and conferences around the world.

The Government is aware of the concerns which have been raised about the challenge of securing indemnity cover for live events. My officials continue to work closely with the affected sectors to understand all barriers to reopening, including potential challenges around indemnity cover.

For instance, DCMS has established a sector-led sub-group for Outdoor Events and Festivals. The sub-group, chaired by industry, has developed draft planning guidance for how music festivals may be able to take place in the future, and adapt to the latest regulations and guidance, with input from Public Health England (PHE) and DCMS. There is also a dedicated Indoor Venues Steering Group, similarly tasked and composed of industry representatives, PHE and DCMS officials.

The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) provides a framework under which the UK and the EU may agree Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) on the recognition of professional qualification covering the UK and all 27 EU Member States. Once an arrangement is adopted under the TCA, UK professionals will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition for their professional qualifications within EU Member States.

Arrangements are implemented on a profession-by-profession basis and depend upon reciprocal cooperation from both the UK and EU Member States. The framework enables UK and EU professional bodies or authorities to make recommendations on MRAs to the Partnership Council.  Once an arrangement has been adopted, a professional qualified in the UK (e.g. an engineer) will be able to use the terms outlined in the arrangement to secure recognition of their qualifications within an EU Member State.

The Government continues to engage with stakeholders in the tourism sector to hear their priorities for the UK’s future relationship with the EU. Officials are currently engaging with the tourism trade bodies, including the British Association of International Mountain Leaders (BAIML) to gather feedback on priority regulators and qualifications for the tourism sector.

The government will provide help and guidance to UK regulatory authorities and professional bodies to help them benefit from these provisions as well as other recognition paths. Where visas apply, our agreement with the EU contains measures that will help ensure processes are as prompt and smooth as possible.

The steps being taken to improve communication at a local and national level about best practices in the delivery of adult skills were outlined in the white paper, Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth, published in January 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skills-for-jobs-lifelong-learning-for-opportunity-and-growth.

We are trailblazing new employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans in a small number of areas in the 2021-22 financial year. They will be created by employer representative bodies working closely with further education colleges, other providers and key local stakeholders and will set out the key changes needed in a local area to make technical skills training more responsive to employers’ skills needs. Alongside the trailblazers, we are legislating to put Local Skills Improvement Plans on a statutory footing as part of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill.

Local Skills Improvement Plans will provide a framework to help colleges and other providers reshape what they offer, to tackle skills mismatches and ensure that they are responding as effectively as possible to labour market skills needs. We will also make development funding available in the 2021-22 financial year in a number of pilot areas to support colleges to reshape their provision to address local priorities that have been agreed with local employers.

We will reform our funding and accountability systems to better support providers in their role. To this end, The Skills for Jobs: A New Further Education Funding and Accountability System Government Consultation was published on 15 July 2021: https://consult.education.gov.uk/fe-funding/reforms-to-funding-and-accountability/. This consultation proposes a range of steps to improve communication at local and national level about effective skills delivery:

• Specifying the outcomes we expect through a new published Performance Dashboard
• Introducing a new skills measure that will feature in the dashboard and capture how well local and national skills needs are met
• Exploring an enhanced role for Ofsted to inspect how well local and national skills needs are met
• Enabling the Further Education Commissioner to enhance its existing leadership role, with a renewed focus on driving improvement and championing excellence in colleges

In our Skills for Jobs White Paper, published in January 2021, we recognised the unique knowledge and capacity that independent training providers bring. They are the largest provider type delivering apprenticeships and they contribute substantially to adult education and training. In the academic year 2019 to 2020, enrolments at publicly funded private sector providers were:

- 21,700 apprentices and 15,900 adults in the North East

- 429,190 apprentices and 175,810 adults in England.

This prominence across the market is why we are legislating through the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill to place duties on independent training providers, alongside other post-16 providers, to co-operate with employer representative bodies in developing Local Skills Improvement Plans, so they can play their part in responding to the skills gaps that the plans identify.

The government recognises the important role Independent Training Providers (ITPs) play in delivering adult training and skills. After changes in the law brought about by the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, it was decided to procure an element of the Adult Education Budget (AEB) openly and competitively, for contracts for services provision. ITPs can submit bids for these contracts in Education and Skills Funding Agency non-devolved areas. In areas where the AEB has been devolved, mayoral combined authorities are now responsible for the provision of AEB-funded adult education for their residents and for deciding which providers to fund.

The government is committed to all pupils and students receiving a high-quality education and it has continued to be the case that music education, including one-to-one lessons, can be undertaken in school, college or university so long as safety precautions are undertaken.

In relation to schools, advice has been provided in COVID-19 guidance since August 2020, setting out how teaching music can be conducted safely. This includes visits by peripatetic teachers, including music teachers from music education hubs. The hubs acted swiftly and innovatively to support schools through the COVID-19 outbreak, including the continuation of continuing professional development to classroom teachers.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the department also introduced several initiatives for schools and parents including signposting to a range of online music education resources such as BBC Education, Oak Academy and other professional organisations such as Music Mark.

Following the announcement by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, on 22 February 2021, the government published updated guidance for full opening of schools on 8 March. The guidance continues to make clear that the curriculum should remain broad and ambitious so that the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year, including music. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

In addition, updated guidance for out-of-school venues, such as supplementary schools providing part-time music provision and private music tutors for under 18s, can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak/protective-measures-for-out-of-school-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.

We are committed to supporting apprentices to safely continue with, and complete, their apprenticeship programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

We have introduced flexibilities to enable furloughed apprentices to continue with their apprenticeship training and undertake end-point assessments wherever possible. We have also taken significant steps to support apprentices who suffer redundancy.

We launched the Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices which provides clear, accessible advice and guidance to individuals, as well as a vacancy sharing scheme to help apprentices find new opportunities with employers. Over 1,200 employers have submitted opportunities to the vacancy sharing service for redundant apprentices. We have also amended legislation to enable more apprentices to complete their apprenticeship in the event of redundancy.

Where it is not possible and practicable for the apprentice to continue training, a break in learning can be used to allow the apprentice to return to learning at a future date. Our guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-apprenticeship-programme-response.

The department does not collect data on furloughed and redundant apprentices by industry sector.

From 30 July 2020, employers have been able to record on the apprenticeship service if an apprenticeship has ended due to a redundancy. Our collected data on 1 December 2020 shows that 1,360 apprenticeships have ended due to redundancy since August 2020. This figure does not include all apprenticeship redundancies as not all non-levy employers are currently using the service. Further breakdown of data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships.

After the Transition Period, controls implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) will apply to the movement of CITES specimens between Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI). This is as a result of our international obligations under CITES, and the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol. If a musical instrument contains CITES-listed species (and is not exempted) then CITES documents will be required for movements from GB to NI after 31 December. ATA Carnets cannot be used as an alternative to CITES documentation.

However, after the Transition period, ATA Carnets will become an option for temporarily moving goods between the UK, EU and NI. Use of an ATA Carnet is optional, and it is a commercial decision as to whether it is the most cost-effective method in each specific circumstance.

The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU allows UK hauliers to undertake up to 2 additional laden journeys, cross-trade or cabotage, within the EU after a laden international journey from the UK, with a maximum of 1 cabotage movement outside Ireland. These rules will also apply to specialist hauliers, such as hauliers who carry equipment for musicians and other performers, even when using their own truck.

Our assessment is that the TCA will allow the vast majority of haulage operations that were being undertaken by UK hauliers before the end of the transition period. However, UK operators will not be allowed to undertake more than 2 movements within the EU before returning to the UK. This issue was discussed in detail as part of negotiations, but the EU was unwilling to agree more flexible arrangements.

While focal therapies offer promise, they are not yet recommended for wider adoption and spread across the National Health Service because more evidence is needed. As part of developing their guidance and recommendations, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence seeks input from professionals and patient associations and, through its clinical commissioning policy route, NHS England encourages clinicians working in the NHS in England to submit new policy topics to enable patients to quickly benefit from innovative, evidence-based treatments.

While focal therapies offer promise, they are not yet recommended for wider adoption and spread across the National Health Service because more evidence is needed. As part of developing their guidance and recommendations, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence seeks input from professionals and patient associations and, through its clinical commissioning policy route, NHS England encourages clinicians working in the NHS in England to submit new policy topics to enable patients to quickly benefit from innovative, evidence-based treatments.

While focal therapies offer promise, they are not yet recommended for wider adoption and spread across the National Health Service because more evidence is needed. As part of developing their guidance and recommendations, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence seeks input from professionals and patient associations and, through its clinical commissioning policy route, NHS England encourages clinicians working in the NHS in England to submit new policy topics to enable patients to quickly benefit from innovative, evidence-based treatments.

The number of diagnoses of pancreatic cancer by stage of diagnosis in 2020 is not yet available. The stage group by cancer type for diagnoses in 2020 is expected to be published in 2022.

The data requested on cancelled surgery is not collected centrally.

ATA carnets are an option for moving goods temporarily between the UK and the EU; Temporary Admission is another. Whether to use an ATA carnet is generally a commercial decision based on cost effectiveness and the individual’s or business’s circumstances. A carnet is generally not necessary for musicians travelling between GB and NI or between GB and the EU with accompanied instruments (carried or taken with the individual in personal baggage or a vehicle). In this case a person can make a “declaration by conduct” which is simply the act of moving through a ‘Green Channel’ at a port or airport.

Through the Government’s Construction Strategy 2016-20 Integrated Project Insurance (IPI), the Trial Projects Working Group, set up by Cabinet Office, piloted IPI on Dudley College’s project to build a Centre for Advanced Building Technologies. However, when the Working Group completed its work in 2017, after four years of development, it was felt that the IPI model needed further involvement from industry before it could be adopted by Government departments. To date there has been no further trialling or adoption of the model other than an extension to the original contract.

The Government through the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and the Infrastructure Projects Authority via commercial specialists cite the IPI model in presentations to customers and programmes and it is referenced in the CCS’s Construction Works and Associated Services Framework as one of the approaches that clients might consider when procuring construction services. It will also be offered in CCS’s new Construction Professional Services Framework, which is due to go to the market in early 2021.

The Government has also recently published its Construction Playbook to support the upskilling of Government as a client, and includes reference to IPI, which will assist departments in making procurement decisions and considering if the IPI model might be applicable.

The Government has achieved the efficiency saving set out in the Government Construction Strategy 2016-20 and at the end of March 2020 had recorded over £1.7 billion savings. This has been enabled by: improving government’s capability as a construction client; developing digital capability in design and construction; improving transparency for industry by publishing the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline; and developing new models and approaches to procurement. It has led to efficiency savings being made through volume and margin reductions, rate discounts, de-scoping of projects and departmental reforms.

The Government has also recently published its Construction Playbook which aims to further improve how construction projects are assessed, procured and delivered.

The information requested is not available.

The latest Management Information ^[1], which shows claims for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was published on 22 September 2020 on GOV.UK.

This shows that by 19 July 2020 a total of £7.6 billion had been claimed for the first SEISS grant and by 20 September 2020 a total of £5.6 billion had been claimed for the second SEISS grant.

This information also shows that £39.3 billion had been claimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme by 20 September 2020.

^[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-coronavirus-covid-19-statistics

The UK remain open to negotiating new Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal arrangement which also provides benefit to UK nationals, with the details agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur.

The UK remain open to negotiating new Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal arrangement which also provides benefit to UK nationals, with the details agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur.

There are no current plans to introduce a youth-group visa application process specifically for those aged under 18.

Separately, as part of an overall agreement on migration reached with France during the March summit between the Prime Minister and the French President, we have committed to easing travel between our two countries for schoolchildren on organised trips. Work is now under way to operationalise these arrangements.

The Home Office is also developing a border and immigration system which is “digital by default”.

This will see physical and paper-based products and services replaced with accessible, easy to use online and digital services. This will provide applicants with an easy online application process, including providing biometrics and establishing or verifying identity using their smartphones.

The transition towards eVisas is already underway, with millions of customers already receiving digital evidence of their immigration permission and using this to enter and live in the UK.

This will be supported by clearer, accessible guidance and content on gov.uk making it simpler and more intuitive for people to understand if they are eligible for a visa, what steps they need to take to apply and, if granted, the conditions of their stay in the UK.

The Permitted Paid Engagement visitor route allows professionals in several sectors, including musicians, to enter the UK for up to one month to undertake permitted paid engagements, where they have been invited by a UK-based organisation and without the need to apply through the sponsored work routes.

Whilst there is no formal limit on how many times a visitor can enter the UK under this route, decision makers will consider whether any repeat use is for temporary work; the applicant’s main place of employment is overseas and they do not intend to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.