Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 17 March (HL Deb col 450), how long the evaluation of the Young Audiences Content Fund will take; and when they will decide whether to extend that fund.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The full evaluation of the three-year pilot Young Audiences Content Fund will begin following the final determination of Year Three award funding; a timetable for the evaluation’s conclusion has not been set at this stage. The potential of further investment will be assessed following the conclusion of the evaluation and against future public service broadcasting needs.
HM Government has no current plans to put additional taxes on video-on-demand services or to introduce levies.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to engage directly with creative freelancers in a similar manner to their engagement with creative industries through regular meetings with the Creative Industries Council.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is well aware of the great contribution freelancers make to the creative industries, and to our society and economy more widely. We are reviewing the scope of the Creative Industries Council to ensure it has appropriate representation, and so that it can be a voice for the full range of people working in the creative industries. We will be gathering views from a wide range of relevant parties to inform this work, including creative freelancers. In addition, we are consulting freelancers on the challenges they face through the Independent Review on Job Quality in the Creative Industries.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have measured the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (1) creative freelancers, and (2) other creative workers; and if so, by what means.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
We recognise the significant challenge the pandemic poses to our arts and creative sectors and to the many individuals and freelancers working across these industries.
DCMS officials have been engaging with HMRC, the Creative Industries Federation (CIF), Arts Council England, and leading organisations such as ‘What’s Next’ and individual freelancers within the sector to better understand the level of impact the pandemic has had on the sector and those working in it.
We have supported freelancers through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) which was extended at Budget to September 2021. Freelancers are also supported through the unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund support package, which has helped ensure the venues and organisations which support them have survived the pandemic. We were also pleased to announce Government funding via Arts Council England last December of an immediate £1.5 million emergency support for freelancers affected by the pandemic, alongside a further £1.35 million contribution from the theatre sector.
We will continue to work closely with freelancers and organisations across the sectors to see how we can best provide support to those affected.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential to support authors by increasing the Public Lending Right Fund.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There has been no assessment of an increase of the Public Lending Right (PLR) central fund. The PLR central fund is part of the overall funding for the British Library, which is set for each Spending Review period.
The PLR Scheme is a valued right for authors and other contributors to receive payment when their books are borrowed from public libraries. My department conducts an assessment of the rate per loan annually following a recommendation by the British Library. The PLR rate per loan calculation is based on the annual number of ‘notional loans’ of books from public libraries in the UK.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will use the Cultural Recovery Fund to support businesses implementing COVID-19 certification.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government’s unprecedented £2 billion Culture Recovery Fund has now given out £1.5 billion of support to around 5,000 organisations and venues in grants and loans, ensuring the survival of organisations facing financial challenges. The Culture Recovery Fund has supported successful applicants with costs associated with operating in a manner compliant with Covid regulations.
The £300 million third round of the Fund is still open for applications, providing vital ongoing support for the cultural, heritage, and creative sectors. We will keep the delivery of the programme under active review and consider how best to adapt it in line with the needs of the sector.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to widen the representation of the fashion industry on the DCMS-led working group on touring.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Touring Working Group was set up at the beginning of 2021 to help the creative and cultural sectors understand and adapt to new requirements following the UK's exit from the EU.
Membership of the Working Group includes the British Fashion Council, and we encourage all members of the working group to reach out to others to ensure that it hears and understands the views from across all the sectors it represents.
We have published a specific page on gov.uk to help the fashion sector navigate the guidance available online, and provide clarity regarding the practical steps that need to be taken by UK fashion professionals working in the EU.
The Government has also engaged with representatives of the fashion industry specifically on EU customs and export issues, through the Brexit Business Taskforce on Fashion and Textiles, chaired by Lord Frost in May, two of DIT’s Trade Advisory Groups, and a seminar jointly organised with the British Fashion Council.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 11 October by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport regarding "visa-free short-term touring allowed in 20 member states", how many days per year a creative professional can work for without a (1) visa, or (2) work permit, in each of these 20 countries.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Many of the 20 Member States offer visa and work permit free routes for up to 90 days, including some of the biggest touring markets such as France, Germany and Italy. All 20 Member States have confirmed they offer visa and work permit free routes for at least 30 days, aside from Sweden (up to 14 days a year), Latvia (up to 14 days), Estonia (up to 5 days in a 30 day period) and the Czech Republic (up to 7 consecutive days, or 30 days over a year). Austria offers visa and work permit free routes for up to four weeks, although artists may take up several chronologically linked employments for a longer overall duration.
Durations, precise definitions and requirements can vary from Member State to Member State. Travellers should therefore check what requirements they need to fulfill with the Member State to which they are travelling. To support this, we have published general business traveller summaries for all Member States on gov.uk, and we are engaging with Member States to encourage clear and accessible guidance. We are also sharing information with the industry on an ongoing basis, and working with sector organisations to help clarify areas of uncertainty in their own guidance.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether amateur choirs will be treated in the same way as professional choirs in the event of renewed restrictions on singing due to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s Roadmap set out four steps out of lockdown in England.
As of today, there are no limits on the number of people who can sing indoors or outdoors. This includes amateur and professional choirs, and congregational singing.
From Step 4, The government has removed outstanding legal restrictions on social contact and life events, and opened the remaining closed settings.
The Events and Attractions guidance sets out how those organising events can operate at step 4, including in the Performing Arts. The guidance will apply to workplaces and therefore is intended for those who are undertaking activities as part of their work, or who organise events in those venues. Organisers will need to assess whether this guidance is relevant when they plan activities that also involve amateur groups.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Digital and Culture on 29 June (21802) that "some touring activities are possible without needing visas or work permits in at least 17 out of 25 Member States", what assessment they have made of the varying time limits placed on such activities.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We have always acknowledged that the end of freedom of movement would have consequences for touring musicians and performers. Member States are principally responsible for deciding the rules governing what work UK visitors can undertake in the EU, and we have spoken to every Member State.
We have established some touring activities are possible in at least 18 out of 27 Member States without needing visas or work permits. This includes France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and many more.
The length of tour permitted without a visa or permit varies across Member States. For many Member States it is for up to 90 days, which will capture the vast majority of tours.
We are continuing to speak to each Member State to encourage them to ensure their rules and guidance are clear and accessible. And we are now engaging with those Member States that do not have any visa or permit free touring to encourage them to adopt a more flexible approach in line with the UK’s own rules, which allow creative professionals to tour easily here.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of providing a government-backed insurance indemnity package against the risk of cancellation for festivals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This Government recognises the importance of the UK’s live events sector and has provided significant financial support including an additional £300M to the Culture Recovery Fund details of which were announced on Friday 25th June.
The DCMS Secretary of State made clear at the DCMS Select Committee in May, the government is aware of the wider concerns around securing indemnity for live events and we continue to assess options to provide further support to the sector within the public health context.
The Secretary of State also underlined that the government’s first priority is to remove remaining barriers (such as social distancing) by reaching Step 4 of the Roadmap. Once that point is reached, if events still cannot go ahead because of a failure of the commercial insurance market, the Government will look at intervening as was done for the TV/Film sectors.