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 providing support to the events sector to encourage event attendance when it is safe to do so.

The Government acknowledges the significance of the events sector to the UK economy and that it has been significantly affected by the impacts of Covid-19.

We recognise the importance of giving the events sector clarity for when events will be permitted to resume with fuller audiences. However we have always been clear that the activity permitted would be in line with the latest public health context.

No assessment is currently available regarding the potential merits of providing support to the sector to encourage event attendance at this time.

We are committed to continue working with the live events sector to understand the challenges they face and to work towards reopening events with fuller audiences. Furthermore, the business events pilots we carried out in September will help to ensure that the correct advice and guidance is put in place to help larger events reopen when it is safe to do so.