Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of covid-19 social distancing restrictions on the level of orchestra tax relief claimed since April 2020.

HMRC publish official statistics for the creative industries tax reliefs annually. Statistics for the amount of Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) claimed in the 2020-21 tax year will be published in summer 2021. In 2019-20, the Government provided £18 million of support to 565 productions through OTR.

The Government keeps all tax reliefs under review, and regularly receives proposals for changes to tax reliefs. When considering proposed changes, HM Treasury must ensure they provide support to businesses across the economy in a fair way and that taxpayer money is targeted effectively.