Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps with (a) local authorities and (b) industry stakeholders to help increase the sustainability of (i) live music venues and (ii) other aspects of the night-time economy.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
His Majesty’s Government is committed to supporting touring artists, and the music industry more widely, to adapt to new arrangements following our departure from the EU, and we have worked with the sector and directly with Member States to provide clarity and support.
The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are more generous than those in many EU Member States.
The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists (and their technical staff) from non-visa national countries, such as EU Member States and the US, to perform in the UK without requiring a visa, and the UK does not have work-permits. We have also decoupled the provisions for creative and sporting professionals in the Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) route, to recognise the unique requirements each group has.
We are committed to supporting the UK’s live music venues and grassroots sector, the research and development centres of our world-leading music sector. That is why we have provided an additional £5m to the highly successful Supporting Grassroots Music Fund, taking our total investment through the fund to almost £15m. This will enable venues to increase support for young and emerging artists, improve equipment and physical infrastructure, and support venues to become more financially resilient and develop new income streams.
Music venues, other aspects of the night-time economy and some cultural venues are also currently eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Rates Relief, with a 75% relief up to a cash cap limit of £110,000 per business. This relief was extended for a further year during the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement.
Ministers continue to engage with the sector to discuss the challenges facing grassroots music venues and explore potential opportunities to provide further support. DCMS actively supports sector-led initiatives such as increased support for grassroots music venues from larger events and venues.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on the potential impact of recent changes in off-peak night rates on Economy 7 electricity tariffs on households which use electricity to heat their homes in comparison with other households.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As the demand for electricity during the night-time period has grown, energy suppliers have had to pay significantly more to purchase that electricity for their customers. In turn, this is reflected in rising night-time rate for time-of-use tariffs
The setting of tariffs, including for peak and off-peak periods for ‘Time-of-Use’ tariffs (such as Economy 7), are a commercial matter for individual energy suppliers.
Apr. 10 2024
Source Page: Safety of Women at Night Fund evaluationFound: Safety of Women at Night Fund evaluation
Jan. 17 2012
Source Page: Dealing with the problems of late night drinking: a consultation on secondary legislation for the late night levy and early morning restriction orders. Consultation paper. 22 p.Found: Dealing with the problems of late night drinking: a consultation on secondary legislation for the late
Feb. 22 2024
Source Page: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025Found: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025
Feb. 22 2024
Source Page: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025Found: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025
Asked by: Gosal, Pam (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - West Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the Scottish night time industry.
Answered by Lochhead, Richard - Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the hospitality and night-time industry, having been the hardest hit of all sectors from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost crises.
The Scottish Budget 2023-24 ensures the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row and supports a package of rates relief worth an estimated £749 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Around half of properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are eligible for 100% relief this financial year. Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2024-25 will be made as part of the Scottish Budget, which will be published on 19 December.
The Scottish Government is also supporting the sector through the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and through the New Deal for Business Group. In addition, the Town Centre Action Plan aims to revitalise our towns and town centres, which contributes to supporting the night-time economy.
Our recent request of the UK Government for a reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector was rejected.
Asked by: Mark Hendrick (Labour (Co-op) - Preston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to tackle violence and sexual offences in Preston.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
As part of steps taken through our Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, we are tackling perpetrators and supporting victims.
We have provided funding to the Lancashire PCC to roll out the Drive Project, which focuses on the most serious domestic abuse offenders to prevent them from abusing again, and funded Preston based Saraha to provide bilingual, comprehensive, face-to-face support service for women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds who are victims of domestic abuse.
Nationally, we have invested £9.4 million to develop a New Operation Model for the investigation of rape through Operation Soteria. This ensures investigations are suspect based. All police forces in England and Wales are now implementing this new approach to rape investigations and we have provided £8.5m in 2023/24 to continue to support policing to improve their response to rape.
Through the Safer Streets and Safety of Women at Night Funds, we have invested over £150 million to deliver interventions to tackle violence against women, anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime.
This includes just over £3.4m for Lancashire, of which £146,568 has been awarded to Preston City Council to fund interventions such as the installation of CCTV, the deployment of taxi stewards and night-time economy sector training, along with improvements to accommodation for services assisting women at risk and recovery services for victims of sexual violence.
Since 2019, the Home Office has provided over £8m for a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) in Lancashire. VRUs bring together local partners to understand and tackle the drivers of serious violence in their area, including sexual abuse and domestic abuse.
Feb. 22 2024
Source Page: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025Found: Night flight restrictions: Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports from October 2025
Asked by: Villalba, Mercedes (Scottish Labour - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what measures it has considered in relation to providing additional support to the hospitality sector in the current financial year.
Answered by Lochhead, Richard - Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the hospitality and night-time industry, having been the hardest hit of all sectors from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost crises.
The Scottish Budget 2023-24 ensures the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row and supports a package of rates relief worth an estimated £749 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Around half of properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are eligible for 100% relief this financial year. Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2024-25 will be made as part of the Scottish Budget, which will be published on 19 December.
The Scottish Government is also supporting the sector through the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and through the New Deal for Business Group. In addition, the Town Centre Action Plan aims to revitalise our towns and town centres, which contributes to supporting the night-time economy.
Our recent request of the UK Government for a reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector was rejected.