Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received on direct funding by his Department of the British Athletics Commission.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The issue of direct funding of the British Athletes Commission by DCMS has been raised with the department through correspondence. It was also one of the recommendations made by Baroness Grey-Thompson in her Duty of Care report (2017), commissioned by DCMS. Changing the source of funding for the BAC was not taken forward at the time, as the priority focus was to improve the resourcing of the organisation so that it could provide more effective support to athletes.
In light of this, UK Sport announced in May 2018 that it was increasing its investment in the British Athletes Commission to £1 million over the rest of the Tokyo 2020 cycle, which allowed the British Athletes Commission to increase its capacity threefold. In the current Tokyo cycle to date, the British Athletes Commission has received £1.19m from UK Sport.
My department will continue to work closely with the British Athletes Commission and UK Sport to keep the issue under review.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps he has taken to improve the safeguarding of children and young people participating in sport.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are completely committed to doing all we can to ensure children and young people can participate in sport in safe and secure environments. DCMS works closely with Sport England and the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit to review and strengthen safeguarding provision wherever necessary.
All organisations in receipt of public funding from Sport England and UK Sport have been required to meet the standards set out in the Code for Sports Governance since April 2017. The Code contains specific obligations around safeguarding, including a requirement for national governing bodies to adhere to the Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport, which are issued by the Child Protection in Sport Unit. We have also taken steps to promote best practice in non-funded sports. The Safeguarding Code in Martial Arts was launched in March 2018 which sets consistent standards and provides parents with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about where to send their children for instruction.
We welcome the Ministry of Justice’s commitment to change the law around ‘positions of trust’ in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We will continue working closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that sports coaches are included as part of these legislative changes.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that Government proposals to reform planning regulations retain protections for grassroots music venues.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We recognise the value of grassroots music venues and understand that this sector is facing significant challenges due to the Coronavirus pandemic. During this period we are committed to finding the best ways to protect them so that they can continue to exist as a vital part of the music ecosystem, feeding this country’s love of a broad range of culture.
DCMS officials have been in regular dialogue with their Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government counterparts and will continue to work together closely. Changes to planning processes to support the high street revival, announced by the Prime Minister on 30 June 2020, will also recognise the value of retaining cultural buildings such as grassroots music venues and theatres rather than encouraging their change of use.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer an extension of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme for freelancers in the creative industries sector.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
I, as well as my colleagues at the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), continue to engage with a range of departments, including HM Treasury, to understand how we can fully support the Creative Industries, and those who work in them, during this time.
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), which has so far seen 2.3 million claims worth £6.8 billion, has been extended to provide more security to individuals whose livelihoods are adversely affected by coronavirus in the coming months. The scheme has improved flexibility to bring furloughed employees back part-time in July, and a new taper requiring employers to contribute modestly to furloughed salaries from August. The scheme will help many eligible freelance workers, including those in the Creative Industries, receive up to £2,500 per month in grants.
The Government is also determined to do all it can to help sectors such as the Creative Industries in their recovery. This is why I am chairing the Taskforce responsible for the recreation and leisure sectors, called the Cultural Renewal taskforce.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to October 2020 at the 80 per cent level for (a) theatres and (b) other cultural venues with no income from ticket sales.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
As confirmed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 29 May, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended until the end of October 2020. The level of Government grant will be slowly tapered from August 2020 to reflect that some people will be returning to work.
DCMS continues to engage with the sector extensively in order to best understand the challenges faced. DCMS is also regularly engaging with other departments, including HMT, to ensure the needs of the cultural sector are factored into the developing economic response.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will establish (a) an emergency rescue fund and (b) a cultural investment participation scheme to support (i) theatres and (ii) other cultural venues affected by covid-19 restrictions until those organisations are able to operate at full capacity.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We recognise that these are incredibly challenging times for theatres, and cultural venues more broadly, and the Government will continue to support these organisations through the unprecedented financial measures we have 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.
Alongside this, DCMS continues to engage with the sector extensively in order to best understand the challenges faced. We are working closely with the Arts Council to consider the additional support that may be needed to support the long-term recovery of the sector.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a temporary modification to the Theatre Production Tax Relief to ease the tax burden on theatres.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials continue to consult the creative and cultural sectors extensively to ensure they fully understand the potential impacts of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector. DCMS is regularly engaging with HMT to establish the impact Covid-19 has had on the cultural sector and to ensure the needs of the cultural sector are factored into the developing economic response. DCMS is committed to ensuring that its unique and world class sectors are supported throughout this time and is exploring all potential options to facilitate this.
Theatres across the country have benefited through the unprecedented financial support announced by the government, including the job retention scheme, a years' business rates holiday and the various loan schemes available. DCMS has been working closely with Arts Council England (ACE) to monitor and respond to the challenges being faced by the arts and cultural sectors. On 24 March, Arts Council England announced a £160m emergency response package, made possible by Government funding, to ensure the immediate resilience of this vital sector, and to ensure that, where possible, it can respond creatively to the needs of communities at this extremely challenging time.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect of covid-19 outbreak on the income of self-employed visual artists.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
In order to support the sustainability of the Arts sector, including arts companies and arts venues, DCMS has worked closely with Arts Council England (ACE) to provide a tailored package of financial support. In March, ACE announced a £160m emergency response package to complement the financial measures already announced by the Government and to ensure immediate resilience of this vital sector.
This includes £20 million of financial support for individuals, including visual artists, so they can better sustain themselves, and their work, in the coming months. The Arts Council have received 10,293 applications from individuals for this fund and will be publishing the details of how they have awarded this funding at the beginning of June, once all the decisions have been made and applicants notified.
The Secretary of State, myself and officials continue to consult the Art sector extensively to ensure we fully understand the financial impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the sector.
On the basis of that engagement, DCMS and ACE are continuing to work closely to consider the additional measures that are needed to ensure the long-term recovery and growth of the cultural sector, including self-employed artists.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he take steps to establish a fund to help support the survival of theatres and other cultural assets during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
My department is in constant contact with the cultural sector representatives to assess the impact of Covid-19 on the sector and we are working to develop support for the sector in response to COVID-19. Significant support has already been delivered at speed by DCMS arm’s-length bodies. Arts Council England having launched a £160m Emergency Funding Package, the National Lottery Heritage Fund launching a £50m Heritage Emergency Fund, and Historic England launching a £2m Emergency Fund. All of these are delivering support across the cultural sector
The Government continues to monitor the impact of these funds and the other measures announced by the government for the cultural sector.
DCMS is engaging daily with HMT and other government departments to ensure the needs of the cultural sector are factored into the developing economic response, and to support those working in the sector during this period.
Asked by: Kevin Brennan (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of live events cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak; and what estimate he has made of the economic cost of cancelling those events.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
No such estimate has been made. However, we know that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to many of DCMS’ sectors including music and the wider live events sector. That is why the Government has announced unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including: a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; £330 billion worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses and a Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. We continue to work closely with our partners across music and the live events sector to understand the impact of Covid-19 on their activities and provide the necessary support.