Oral Answers to Questions Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateMeg Hillier
Main Page: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)Department Debates - View all Meg Hillier's debates with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
(1 day, 8 hours ago)
Commons ChamberI thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue, which I know is of considerable interest to many Members. As he knows, the current scheme will end on 31 March. The Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling, Baroness Twycross, has met key stake- holders, including the National Churches Trust and the Church of England, to ensure that they are up to date. We will be in a position to make an announcement in due course, and we are listening carefully to Members across the House.
In a response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Neil Duncan-Jordan), the Minister was full-throated in his support for music venues. What conversations has the Department had with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government about planning for music venues? The Moth club in Hackney is potentially under threat from a planning issue, and it is vital that the Departments work together to preserve our music venues.
This is a significant issue for many music venues around the country, in addition to the funding challenges that they face, which we are trying to address, and we know that they would welcome more Government support with it. I am due to discuss this shortly with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, but I would be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss it further.