Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 132310 on Theatres: Energy, whether she plans to provide funding to theatres to improve energy efficiencies via the Theatre Green Book.

We welcome the innovative and leading approach taken by the Theatres Trust and its partners to produce the Theatre Green Book, which provides guidance to all theatres and performing arts venues across the country, sharing advice and resources to improve sustainability.

The Theatres Trust is an arm’s-length body of Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Through it and another of our arm’s-length bodies, Arts Council England, the Department continues to provide support to theatres to identify ways to improve energy efficiencies through the use of the Theatre Green Book and the Arts Green Book, which build on these principles. Arts Council England also provides funding to Julie’s Bicycle to deliver an environmental programme providing cultural professionals with support and resources to address climate change and reduce environmental impacts.

On 21 February, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero launched the Government’s Energy Efficiency Taskforce with the appointment of Dame Alison Rose, who will co-chair it. The Taskforce will devise a work plan to help reduce total UK energy demand by 15% from 2021 levels by 2030 across domestic and commercial buildings and industrial processes. This can include theatres and other cultural organisations.