Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what additional support she will give to the tourist sector in response to covid-19 restrictions on travel to the UK.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has put in place a measured and proportionate set of restrictions to continue to support the tourism sector. To support businesses through this next phase, the ‘Working Safely’ guidance will continue to provide advice on sensible precautions employers can take to manage risk and support their staff and customers.
Hospitality businesses are exempt from enforcing customers to wear masks and this assessment has been made from a practical point of view as the nature of hospitality visits is to eat and drink.
The Government has worked to strike a balance with introducing new measures.
The Government has introduced a new temporary business rates relief in England for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties for 2022-23, worth almost £1.7 billion. The VAT rate for goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sector has also been cut, and will remain at the reduced rate of 12.5% until 31 March 2022, to help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate.
The recent changes demonstrate the government’s focus on protecting the UK from the most dangerous variants while supporting the travel sector’s safe reopening.
We are continuing to listen to stakeholders during this time.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 made to FIFA on the reported deaths of workers during the building of infrastructure for the Qatar 2022 world cup.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Hosting the 2022 World Cup has seen an increased focus on human rights in Qatar, particularly the welfare of migrant workers. We welcome the concrete steps Qatar has taken on this matter, including the significant legislative reforms earlier this year. The UK continues to press for the swift implementation of these measures. We stand ready to further assist and support Qatar’s continued efforts to implement change.
We continue to engage regularly with the International Labour Organisation and explore areas of their work where the UK can add particular value.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to ensure that the British Film Institute fulfils its responsibilities to support the Scottish film sector.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
My department continues to work closely with its Arm’s Length Body, the British Film Institute, to ensure it meets the full range of its responsibilities, including to support the film sector nationwide. In its ongoing support for the Scottish film sector, the Government has worked with the BFI to ensure a wide range of funding and initiatives are available across Scottish talent development, production and heritage. In addition, recent Covid-secure guidance has been developed with input from across the nations to support in safely producing films in Scotland. Screen Scotland have been part of the Screen Sector Taskforce looking at the impact of Covid and recovery measures for the sector, in collaboration with DCMS and BFI.
Examples of support that have been given to the Scottish film industry include the BFI Audience and Film Funds, which offer funding covering development, production, distribution and promotion, supporting Scottish films and Scottish audiences; and Film Hub Scotland, which receives an annual BFI Lottery award as part of the BFI Film Audience Network to increase and diversify Scottish audiences. In addition, young people in Scotland have access to the BFI Film Academy and Future Film offer, with four Scottish partners delivering short courses in 20/21 and a well-established annual Screen Craft Skills residential. Furthermore, Film City Futures and Glasgow Film were recently awarded £1m from the BFI and Screen Scotland to support new and emerging talent.
Finally, in recent years the BFI worked in partnership with the Scottish Screen Archive in the Unlocking Film Heritage programme, which resulted in substantial digitisation of films from and about Scotland.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
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 potential merits of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres’ Proposal for an Emergency Resilience Fund for UK Science Centres; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Science and discovery centres around the country have an important role in educating, inspiring and entertaining visitors of all ages on what science is and the important discoveries over the centuries that have changed all our lives.
Science centres in England have access to the unprecedented support the Government has announced for business and workers, to protect them against the current economic emergency. This includes the Job Retention Scheme, which science centres have benefited from, VAT payment deferrals, and £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans to support businesses. The Chancellor has also announced a Bounce Back loan scheme to help small businesses access loans of up to £50,000, with a 100% government-backed guarantee for lenders. Additionally some of the members of the ASDC - specifically cultural institutions like museums - may be eligible to apply for support as part of the £1.57 billion investment announced earlier this month.
Science centres outside England may be eligible for further support from the devolved governments for example some centres in Scotland may eligible for additional support from the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh 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 take steps to provide additional financial support to music venues in response to the open letter of June 2020 to the Government from the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues organisation.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We appreciate that the Covid-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge to the grassroots music sector, which is why Government has put in place unprecedented support for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency. These include:
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme;
The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme;
The Bounceback Loan Scheme;
Expanding eligibility for the business rates reliefs.
We continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading music industry. Our recovery work for this sector is being delivered via the ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group, which was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce. The Music Venue Trust is an active and valued member of the Working Group, the focus of which is to produce sector-led guidance for the safe reopening of a range of creative industries sectors, including live music venues and music recording and rehearsal studios.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish guidance for musicians and other performers on (a) travelling and (b) working in EU countries in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Leaving the EU requires musicians and performers to adapt their current processes as they travel to and work in the EU. We have engaged extensively with stakeholders to ensure we fully understand these changes and to support the sector with their preparations..
We have also worked extensively with colleagues across government to ensure musicians and performers’ interests are being considered as we prepare to exit the EU. Specific advice regarding travel and working abroad can be found on the Government’s Get Ready For Brexit webpage.
We are ensuring that latest guidance and updates regarding how organisations can best prepare for travelling and working internationally forms a key part of our business readiness preparations. My department is holding bespoke arts industry workshops designed to support individuals and organisations in the arts, culture and heritage sectors as they prepare. The government is also holding nationwide events offering tailored guidance and support which are open to all, to help prepare for Brexit.
The Association of British Orchestras and UK Theatre have also been granted Government funding to provide industry briefings, open to those in their sectors and beyond.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the findings by the Incorporated Society of Musicians that musicians will incur additional costs of up to £1,000 per year when travelling to the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Our cultural and creative sectors are one of the UK’s greatest success stories. We will ensure that these sectors continue to thrive and that collaboration with our European partners continues to flourish beyond our exit from the EU.
My department benefits from, and greatly appreciates, the expertise and research carried out by trade organisations and umbrella bodies, like the Incorporated Society of Musicians.
Journeys and routes around the EU are varied and unique to each musician. As such it is not possible to calculate a single accumulated cost.
However, we have engaged extensively with the cultural sector, and understand the diverse circumstances of companies, organisations and individual practitioners and how they may need to adapt as we leave the EU. These include changes for visas, social security and movement of equipment, including instruments when moving around the EU. We are working with other colleagues across government to ensure these are factored into our preparations and future negotiations.
Asked by: Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party - Edinburgh East)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which fruitless payments in excess of £30,000 her Department has made by (a) recipient of each such payment, (b) purpose of each such payment, (c) value of each such payment and (d) reason that payment was classified as fruitless in the 2017-18 financial year to date.
Answered by Tracey Crouch
Figures for 2017-18 will be available once the DCMS Annual Report and Accounts are audited by the National Audit Office, and laid before Parliament.