Barbara Keeley

As announced in the recent Spring Budget, the Government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England. This will be targeted towards those organisations most at risk, due to increased demand from vulnerable groups and higher delivery costs, as well as providing investment in energy efficiency.

Work is underway to finalise the delivery time frame and eligibility criteria. Further details will be announced as soon as possible.

As announced in the recent Spring Budget, the Government will provide over £100 million of support for charities and community organisations in England. This will be targeted towards those organisations most at risk, due to increased demand from vulnerable groups and higher delivery costs, as well as providing investment in energy efficiency.

Work is underway to finalise the delivery time frame and eligibility criteria. Further details will be announced as soon as possible.

In line with its published guidance, Arts Council England considered both where organisations were based and where they were planning to deliver their activity in its assessments and decision-making for its 2023–6 Investment Programme, just as it did for previous rounds. This included consideration of the impact of investment on Priority Places, Levelling Up for Culture Places, places of historically low Arts Council investment, places of historically low cultural engagement, and the spread across the country and between rural areas, towns, and cities, as well as other balancing criteria unrelated to geography.

The decisions made by Arts Council England about the allocation of funding for the National Portfolio Organisation 2023-26 funding round were taken at arm's length from HM Government. This is in accordance with the well established process, which is published on the Arts Council’s website and made clear in the guidance for applicants. As such, DCMS does not, nor should it, review individual decisions.

The Department works with all its public bodies, including Arts Council England, on continuous improvements and assurance. My officials will work with Arts Council England to learn from this recent funding round, as they would for any area of its work.

Arts Council England has a complaints process for its funding streams. This is available on Arts Council England’s website.

Arts Council England will only reconsider a decision if it finds that a material mistake has been made. For example, an organisation (or individual) can use the complaints process if it believes that:

• Arts Council England has delayed, made mistakes or failed to follow its own processes;

• Arts Council England has failed to give an applicant access to information or has given an applicant incorrect advice or information;

• Arts Council England has not treated an applicant politely;

• Arts Council England has unlawfully discriminated against an applicant or not treated an applicant fairly.

Arts Council England uses the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s principles of good complaint handling. If a complainant is dissatisfied with a decision or the way a complaint has been, complainants can refer the complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). Funding decisions by Arts Council England can also be subject to Judicial Review.

It is a legal obligation that employers pay the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage, introduced by this Conservative Government, and the National Minimum Wage for workers under 23. Departments can also require suppliers to pay above these rates, such as the London Living Wage, where it is relevant to do so.

UK public procurement policy is to award contracts on the basis of value for money, which means the optimum combination of cost and quality over the lifetime of the project.

The Sourcing Playbook sets out the Government's policies with regards to outsourcing. It was introduced to improve decision making and the quality of contracts government places with suppliers. The Playbook is focussed on getting things right from the start, and includes 11 key policies which help government and industry work together to deliver high quality public services while maximising value for money.

By getting things right from the start and driving better contracting with the private sector, the playbook policies prioritise high quality outcomes, whilst also driving efficiencies and savings.

A cross government working group of officials meets formally on a regular basis to take forward the work of the infected blood Compensation Framework Study. As needed, meetings also take place on an ad-hoc basis. I also have regular meetings with my officials to receive updates on their work.

I refer the hon Member to the statement I made in the House on 15 December where I announced that the moral case for compensation was formally accepted. I also set out the work being carried out across government in consideration of the compensation framework study - which included specific reference to those groups who were not able to claim interim compensation.

This work is intended to ensure that the Government is prepared to act swiftly in response to Sir Brian Langstaff’s final report when it is delivered.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS681, made on 15 March.

Written Parliamentary Questions receive final sign off from Ministers.

The Cabinet Office has produced guidance for civil servants on drafting answers to parliamentary questions. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drafting-answers-to-parliamentary-questions-guidance

Civil servants and Ministers conduct these duties in line with their respective Codes of Conduct.

The government has regular discussions with external stakeholders including the live music industry but other than with regulators, none of these were specific to the government’s response to the CMA’s report on secondary ticketing.

The CMA report was issued during a period when this department was consulting more broadly on consumer protection issues, but few of these respondents made any reference to secondary ticketing or the CMA recommendations.

During the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, analysis of many contributions from the private sector, trade associations, the voluntary sector and other types of organisations were assessed.

The Government has taken a consistent approach to identifying the most energy and trade intensive sectors, with all sectors that meet agreed thresholds for energy and trade intensity eligible for Energy and Trade Intensive Industries support. These thresholds have been set at sectors falling above the 80th percentile for energy intensity, and 60th percentile for trade intensity, plus any sectors eligible for the existing energy compensation and exemption schemes.

Although there have been library closures, an extensive network of libraries remains across England delivering services including digital to local residents. There has been no assessment made of the impact of library closures on trends in the level of digital exclusion. There are over 2,900 libraries across England, and while there have been closures, they continue to be a well used service, providing a trusted network of accessible locations with trained staff and volunteers, free wifi and public PCs, and assisted digital access to a wide range of digital services.

Based on a dataset of information on public libraries in England, published by Arts Council England, we estimated that around 230 static libraries have been permanently closed in the period 1 April 2010 to 31 December 2021 and have not been relocated or replaced.

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme provides a discount on the wholesale element of gas and electricity bills to ensure that all eligible charities are protected from excessively high energy costs over the winter period. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will run from April 2023 until March 2024 and will continue to provide support to eligible charities.

Wider support is available to help charities with costs. This includes a reduction in VAT, from 20% to 5% and exclusion from the main rates of the Climate Change Levy on some of the energy they use.

HM Treasury is leading the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. To support this review, BEIS has had 13 direct meetings with an estimated 20 charity organisations. Colleagues from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport also have regular meetings with stakeholders from the civil society sector, through which additional evidence and insight has been submitted to HM Treasury.

HM Treasury is leading the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. To support this review, BEIS has had 13 direct meetings with an estimated 20 charity organisations. Colleagues from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport also have regular meetings with stakeholders from the civil society sector, through which additional evidence and insight has been submitted to HM Treasury.

HM Treasury is leading the review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. To support this review, BEIS has had 13 direct meetings with an estimated 20 charity organisations. Colleagues from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport also have regular meetings with stakeholders from the civil society sector, through which additional evidence and insight has been submitted to HM Treasury.

Ofcom, the independent regulator, monitors Royal Mail’s performance and has powers to investigate and take enforcement action if Royal Mail fails to achieve its service standards. Ofcom is consulting on the future regulatory framework for post and plans to issue a statement in Summer 2022.

Border Force does not hold the data requested.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are comparatively more generous than in many EU Member States. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists 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.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.

Sector specific guidance on creative professionals from non-visa national countries, including the EU and the US, visiting the UK for performance and work has been published by DCMS on GOV.UK can be found in the ‘Visiting the UK as a creative professional from a non-visa national country guidance’ on GOV.UK.

DCMS has worked across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries to support working and touring with confidence in the EU. Ongoing industry engagement continues at ministerial and official level. This includes several recent events with the sector focused on touring and export support, hosted in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade. These events help to provide tailored guidance to stakeholders within the music sector, alongside an opportunity for the sector to discuss with Ministers and officials touring challenges and opportunities.

Border Force does not hold the data requested.

The UK’s rules for touring creative professionals are comparatively more generous than in many EU Member States. The UK’s domestic rules allow musicians, entertainers and artists 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.

The Government is committed to supporting the UK’s creative industries, including musicians, to adapt to new arrangements with the EU.

Sector specific guidance on creative professionals from non-visa national countries, including the EU and the US, visiting the UK for performance and work has been published by DCMS on GOV.UK can be found in the ‘Visiting the UK as a creative professional from a non-visa national country guidance’ on GOV.UK.

DCMS has worked across government and in collaboration with the music and wider creative industries to support working and touring with confidence in the EU. Ongoing industry engagement continues at ministerial and official level. This includes several recent events with the sector focused on touring and export support, hosted in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade. These events help to provide tailored guidance to stakeholders within the music sector, alongside an opportunity for the sector to discuss with Ministers and officials touring challenges and opportunities.

The Department does not hold data on the numbers of music rehearsal spaces or on community choirs in England.

Estimates of the numbers of community choirs in England may be available from Arts Council England’s Investment Principles Support Organisation Making Music, which represents voluntary and leisure-time music organisations in the UK – although its membership will likely not represent the total number of community choirs in England.

Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 Investment Programme, more money is going to more music organisations in more parts of the country than ever before, supporting 139 organisations classed as ‘music’ by investing c.£65 million of public funding per annum.

Separately, HM Government funds a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes which are designed to improve participation in the arts for all children. The National Plan for Music Education and the upcoming Cultural Education Plan will encourage more young people to take up music lessons, attend local cultural events, and consider careers in the music sector.

The Department does not hold data on the numbers of music rehearsal spaces or on community choirs in England.

Estimates of the numbers of community choirs in England may be available from Arts Council England’s Investment Principles Support Organisation Making Music, which represents voluntary and leisure-time music organisations in the UK – although its membership will likely not represent the total number of community choirs in England.

Through Arts Council England’s 2023–26 Investment Programme, more money is going to more music organisations in more parts of the country than ever before, supporting 139 organisations classed as ‘music’ by investing c.£65 million of public funding per annum.

Separately, HM Government funds a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes which are designed to improve participation in the arts for all children. The National Plan for Music Education and the upcoming Cultural Education Plan will encourage more young people to take up music lessons, attend local cultural events, and consider careers in the music sector.

We do not hold data on the number of music recording studios that have closed in the last 10 years.

In August 2021, DCMS commissioned the consultancy firm, Sound Diplomacy, to assess the state of the music studio market in England.

Whilst the assessment found challenges, it showed the market is responding to changes, such as technological innovation, is maintaining or growing sources of income and has a healthy supply of music studios.

The Government does not currently have plans to publish an update report to the Music Studio Market Assessment.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has regular conversations with Arts Council England (ACE) on a range of issues, including financial support for music organisations.