Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that freelance musicians working in EU countries are prepared for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal in January 2021.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.
On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if his Department will publish up-to-date guidance on preparing for a no-deal scenario for freelance workers in the creative industries working in the EU and the UK.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Government is continuing to engage with business and industry as we approach the end of the transition period and is working to ensure freelancers, organisations and businesses know what they need to do to prepare.
On 1st September 2020, the Government launched a comprehensive communications campaign to help the UK prepare for the end of the transition period. This includes guidance on customs and mobility procedures important to professionals in the live music industry, including freelance musicians and touring professionals. My department will continue to engage with the creative industries to understand further the specific issues they may face.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on safety of allowing fans to return to watch non-league football clubs since the Football Association published guidance on the safe return of grassroots football on 18 July 2020.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
On 18th August, the Government amended its guidance to provide extra clarification for organisers of non-elite sports events to help them manage and admit spectators safely, adhering to social distancing.
This includes having a named person with responsibility for ensuring adherence with government guidelines and ensuring the facility is COVID-19 secure. This person should carry out and publish a risk assessment for the activity which limits the number of spectators and focuses on the need to maintain social distancing on arrival, for the duration of the activity, and on departure.
The Government will continue to monitor the admittance of spectators and the wider prevailing public health factors closely.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on non-league football clubs.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Football clubs form a vital part of our local communities and many have a great history. It is vital that they are protected during these difficult times.
The Government has provided unprecedented support to businesses throughout this period, including a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax reliefs, cash grants and employee wage support. Many football clubs have benefited from these measures.
The Government is in regular dialogue with the football authorities to understand their financial position - but has been absolutely clear that it expects football to look first at how it can support itself through these difficult times.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate the Government has made of the number of spectators that will return to sporting events as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased as part of planning to enable the safe resumption of spectator sports.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government continues to liaise closely with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) and sporting bodies whilst developing its guidance to support the safe return of spectators to stadia more widely from October 1st. As announced by the Prime Minister, this remains subject to successful pilots events, which will now be capped at 1,000 people, and wider prevailing public health factors.
Capacity limits and ticketing processes will vary based on individual venues and events. Pilots will still be required to receive all relevant local authorisations including their local Safety Advisory Group. Locations and attendance levels may change depending on the local Covid situation. Maximum safe capacity, as a consequence of social distancing guidance, can be calculated through the SGSA’s supplementary guidance to their Green Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish a timetable for the reopening of indoor leisure facilities and gyms during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.
The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who he has had discussions with in the sports sector on the reopening of indoor leisure facilities and gyms during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.
The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions officials of his Department had with representatives of gyms and indoor leisure facilities on the decision not to re-open those facilities on 4 July 2020 as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.
The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, on what scientific evidence his Department based its decision to delay the re-opening of indoor leisure facilities as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Sports and physical activity facilities play a crucial role in supporting adults and children to be active.
The Government is committed to reopening facilities as soon as it is safe to do so including indoor gyms and sports centres. The Sport Working Group, led by myself, feeds into the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce and ensures strong sector and expert support for the co-development of guidelines and will help leisure facilities become Covid-secure and re-open as early as possible in July.
As with all aspects of the Government’s response to Covid-19, we will be guided by the science to ensure that as restrictions are eased people can return to activity safely.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the Government plans to allocate £550 million to grassroots football.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government has committed to investing an additional £550m into grassroots football facilities over the next 10 years. This will bring the government’s total investment over that period to £730m, and will support the bid for the 2030 Men’s FIFA Football World Cup.
The FA has produced, in partnership with the Premier League, Sport England and DCMS, the 'National Football Facilities Strategy' (NFSS), which is a coherent overarching shared strategy for capital investment in football over the next ten years.
As part of the NFFS, a 'Local Football Facilities Plan' is being produced for every Local Authority across the country to create a tailored local investment plan.