Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on research by historians of the reduction in (a) opening hours, (b) visit appointments and (c) numbers of documents which can be accessed per visit at the National Archives; and whether such reductions are planned to be reversed in entirety after the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The National Archives suspended its reading room service as of 5 November 2020, in line with the new national restrictions in England and in alignment with other national cultural institutions, however access to its collections and services remains available online.
The pandemic has impacted The National Archives’ ability to meet demand from researchers and throughout the pandemic I have received regular updates from officials at The National Archives on the provision and expansion of its public services and the measures adopted to ensure a COVID safe environment.
With the benefit of user feedback, The National Archives continues to review all elements of its public service offer and will restore and then seek to increase services when it is safe to do so and in line with national regulations and guidance.
I and The National Archives remain committed to the provision of public services that maximise access to the public record for users of all kinds, whilst ensuring the safety both of users and staff.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of provision of support for the proprietors of (a) bed and breakfast and (b) other establishments offering overnight accommodation that are deterred from reopening by the potential for residents with covid-19 symptoms being required to self-isolate on their premises as a result of the absence of guidance on who is liable for the costs of the (i) food, (ii) other supplies and (iii) round-the-clock accommodation of those residents.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
From 4 July, people will be allowed to travel to holiday accommodation - including bed and breakfasts - for overnight stays in England. Guidance has been published on how to open guest accommodation businesses safely whilst minimising the risks of COVID-19.
If a guest is displaying signs of the COVID-19 virus while staying in overnight accommodation, they should inform the accommodation provider, immediately self-isolate where they are to minimise any risk of transmission, and request a test. If they are confirmed to have COVID-19, they should return home if they reasonably can. If a guest cannot reasonably return home, their circumstances should be discussed with an appropriate health care professional and, if necessary, the local authority.
We regularly assess the nature of the tourism sectors’ engagement with the Government’s comprehensive economic support package. Tourism businesses - including those that do not plan to reopen on 4 July - can continue to access schemes such as the extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounce Back Loans scheme.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether he has received representations from representatives of (a) dancing schools, (b) the Royal Shakespeare Company and (c) other stage-based entertainment bodies on how those bodies can reopen and operate in conformity with social distancing rules; whether he has made an assessment of the practicability of those proposals; and what support his Department provides to those bodies to ensure that they will not cease to exist before their reopening is permitted by the Government.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In order to ensure appropriate support and guidance is given to the cultural sector, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which include extensive membership from across the artistic and creative industries sectors. The focus of these groups’ work is on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input. These groups specifically include representatives for dance and stage based entertainment, all of whom are being consulted extensively on how the sector can reopen and operate under social distancing. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.
The Secretary of State, my fellow Ministers and DCMS officials continue to consult the creative and cultural sectors extensively to ensure they understand fully the potential impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector. DCMS officials and ministers have also held regular calls with representatives from across the arts and cultural sector and these have included representatives from the Royal Shakespeare Company and a number of dance schools and representatives including Sadler’s Wells and Northern Ballet.
The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector through this pandemic and getting the curtain up at venues across the country as soon as it is safe to do so. In addition to the unprecedented financial measures the Government has announced DCMS has also worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England, made possible by Government funding.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reason (a) leisure parks have been provisionally scheduled for reopening only in step 3 of the covid-19 recovery strategy and (b) open-air facilities have been grouped for reopening with (i) cinemas and (ii) other indoor leisure venues; and if he will make it his policy to reallocate leisure parks to an earlier reopening phase of the recovery strategy.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Government will look at reopening sites such as leisure parks and outdoor recreation facilities no earlier than 4 July, in line with the wider hospitality sector. Any decisions will be subject to further scientific advice and the risk assessment at the time.
As part of the Government’s leisure and recreation taskforce, my Department has set up a Visitor Economy Working Group to specifically focus on the practicalities and guidelines for opening up the sector during the recovery period. We will issue further guidance shortly on our phased reopening approach, including which businesses could be covered in each phase and the timeframes involved.