Arts and Cultural Sector: Employers’ National Insurance

Debate between Baroness Keeley and Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood

Thursday 15th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood (Lab)]

I thank the noble Lord. As we know, there have been many pressures on cultural and creative organisations. The noble Lord, from his role as a trustee of the Tate, is better placed than I am to comment on the detail of some of those organisations. The impact for many is that they have not yet recovered the audience levels, and therefore incomes, that they enjoyed before Covid. That is probably the biggest threat for many organisations. We are very aware of the many pressures and, as I said, the historic £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere package is a first step in helping to support those organisations.

[Baroness Keeley (Lab)]

Can my noble friend the Minister tell me her assessment of the damage to the arts and cultural sector if a future Government were to cut the DCMS budget by £1 billion, as was suggested by the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch last week? Take just the music industry: it creates £8 billion a year for the economy and supports 22,000 jobs.

[Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for that question. Like many in the House, I was very shocked by that announcement and that threat against the arts, cultural and creative sectors, which I know many noble Lords in this House support with passion. They contribute to making the creative industries the fastest-growing of the top eight priority business sectors, with a total contribution to the economy of £144 billion last year. I am not going to list their many other benefits on this occasion. I suggest that the best remedy to ensure that the £1 billion cut to the DCMS never happens is to encourage all noble Lords to help Labour win the next election.