Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to improve funding opportunities for grassroots music venues to prevent them from closing down.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which play an absolutely crucial role in our world-leading music sector, and are key to developing the future talent pipeline.
That is why we will support them to develop the next generation of British talent by providing an additional £5 million to Arts Council England’s successful Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund, as announced in the Creative Industries Sector Vision on 14 June. This fund will enable venues to increase support for young, emerging and more diverse artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support venues to become more financially resilient and develop new income streams.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues of all sizes across the country. The department works closely with interested parties and across Government to ensure the live music sector continues to thrive.
HM Government has provided significant support to the live music sector. This includes more than £3 million during the pandemic from the Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund, and through the Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund via Arts Council England since 2019.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will address the uneven funding between (1) contemporary music, and (2) opera or classical music, to ensure that grassroots music venues are well supported.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which play an absolutely crucial role in our world-leading music sector, and are key to developing the future talent pipeline.
That is why we are supporting them to develop the next generation of British talent, by providing an additional £5 million to Arts Council England’s successful Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund, as announced in the Creative Industries Sector Vision on 14 June. This fund will enable venues to increase support for young, emerging and more diverse artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support venues to become more financially resilient and develop new income streams.
This is in addition to other government support provided to the live music sector, including over £3 million during the pandemic from the Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund, and through Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund since 2019.
Contemporary, operatic, and classical music subsectors receive funding through a wide variety of sources, including Arts Council England. Decisions made by the Arts Council about the allocation of funding are taken at arm's length from Government. Decisions are made in line with the Council’s ten-year strategy, which sets the direction for all of the artforms and sub-sectors it supports, including opera, contemporary, and classical music.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they are taking to ensure financial support is provided for grassroots music, such as a ticket levy on large arenas and stadiums.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which play an absolutely crucial role in our world-leading music sector, and are key to developing the future talent pipeline.
That is why we will support them to develop the next generation of British talent by providing an additional £5 million to Arts Council England’s successful Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund, as announced in the Creative Industries Sector Vision on 14 June. This fund will enable venues to increase support for young, emerging and more diverse artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support venues to become more financially resilient and develop new income streams.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues of all sizes across the country. The department works closely with interested parties and across Government to ensure the live music sector continues to thrive.
HM Government has provided significant support to the live music sector. This includes more than £3 million during the pandemic from the Emergency Grassroots Music Venues Fund, and through the Supporting Grassroots Live Music fund via Arts Council England since 2019.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities that are presented by decentralisation across England to develop music industries.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
The recently published Creative Industries Sector Deal commits to supporting clusters of world class businesses to grow and thrive across the country. This includes £20m over the next two years to roll out a Cultural Development Fund enabling local partnerships to bid for investments in culture and creative industries, including music, with industry contributing funding, networks and leadership.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Buscombe on 9 March (HL5605), whether they will clarify whether their commitment to social enterprises includes social enterprises which support or employ ex-prisoners.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Social enterprises play an important role in the government’s mission of building an economy that works for everyone and we recognise the value of social enterprises in helping offenders find employment. The government is building on its role as a world leader in social enterprise by championing procurement for social value, supporting social enterprise awareness campaigns, building the social investment market, using social enterprises to address issues at scale and expanding social investment tax relief. Social enterprises employing or supporting ex-prisoners, or indeed anyone with a disadvantage that makes it difficult for them to access the job market, are included in the government’s social enterprise support set out above.
Asked by: Lord Watts (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ashton of Hyde on 10 January (HL Deb, col 1856), what steps they are taking to enable more private, local authority and charity investment in social enterprises which support or employ ex-prisoners.
Answered by Baroness Buscombe
Charities and social enterprises play an important role in the government’s mission of building an economy that works for everyone. The government is building on its role as a world leader in soc`ial enterprise by championing procurement for social value, supporting social enterprise awareness campaigns, building the social investment market, using social enterprises to address issues at scale and expanding the social investment tax relief.