Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether it was possible for the Culture Recovery Fund to be used to top up furloughed staff in order that they received full remuneration.

The Government’s Job Retention Scheme rules evolved throughout the pandemic, as did the Culture Recovery Fund's interaction with them. Details on the eligible and ineligible costs can be found in the relevant fund guidance documents for the different rounds.

The most recent set of fund guidance documents (from November 2021) states that "The optional salary costs not covered by the Government’s Job Retention Scheme for hours not worked by staff on furlough, or any additional optional salary costs for hours not worked about the furloughing cap" were not an eligible cost. However organisations should consult the relevant guidance for the appropriate round of the scheme that their grant pertains to.