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Written question asked by Nusrat Ghani (Conservative) on Monday, 19 October 2020, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 22 October 2020 (named day). It was answered by Caroline Dinenage (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 October 2020 on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Events Industry: Coronavirus

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to support freelance venue technicians and producers unable to access Government support.

Answer

We recognise the crucial role that individuals play in making our arts and creative industries world-leading.

Arts Council England (ACE) has already distributed £104m through its Emergency Response Package to ensure the immediate resilience of this vital sector. The package included £80.7 million of support for cultural organisations, and £23.1 million of financial support for individuals, including freelancers. More than 9000 organisations and individuals were successful in applying for this emergency funding.

To complement Government Funding, ACE have made over £115m of funding available for individuals, including freelancers, to apply for. This includes:

  • £17.1m through the Emergency Response Fund for individuals;

  • £18m through their Developing Your Creative Practice fund;

  • £75m through National Lottery Project Grants (available to both individuals and orgs); and

  • £6m distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on the self-employed.

The Secretary of State announced an unprecedented £1.57 billion support package for the cultural sector which will benefit the live events sector by providing support to venues and many other cultural organisations to stay open and continue operating. £333 million was awarded to 1973 arts organisations which had applied for grants less than £1 million from Arts Council England. Funded organisations included venues, festivals, theatres, museums and cultural organisations. Over the coming weeks further Culture Recovery Fund awards will be announced - including grants over £1 million, and the Capital Kickstart and Repayable Finance programmes.

The Chancellor has announced the Winter Economy Plan to protect jobs and support businesses over the coming months, once the existing Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme come to end. We are also offering businesses who face a drop in demand for their services and possible cash flow issues generous terms for the repayment of deferred taxes and government-backed loans.

We continue to engage with the sector to discuss the on-going challenges facing the industry.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
105435
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Self-employed Technicians Coronavirus Events industry
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk