Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what metrics they are using to assess whether (1) the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, (2) the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, (3) the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, and (4) the Government’s fiscal response more generally, are protecting jobs and businesses in (a) sectors covered by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and (b) the music sector.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
DCMS has conducted a survey of businesses in relevant sectors. The survey aims to collect data on the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on respondents, and their engagement with the available government support packages, including CLBILS and CBILS. Results will be published in due course. DCMS is also working with other government departments to access and analyse administrative data on the use of government support packages where appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of international examples of sector-specific support for (1) the live music sector, and (2) the music sector, particularly examples of good practice.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are aware of, and monitor, examples of support for the music industry in other countries. The UK Government has put in place an unprecedented support package for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including:
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
The Bounceback Loan Scheme
Expanding eligibility for the business rates reliefs
As well as this, to support the safe re-opening of cultural and creative sectors, DCMS has launched the Cultural Renewal Taskforce. This includes several working groups to develop practical guidance on how the music production and performance sectors can operate safely with social distancing measures in place. As well as establishing these working groups, we will continue to work with the music industry to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and recovery.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their employment and business support measures for (1) workers, and (2) businesses, in the music sector.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Whilst we have not completed a specific survey for the music sector, we have analysed the wider Creative Industries sector through the DCMS Coronavirus Impact Business Survey, which provides information on the effects of the pandemic on DCMS’ sectors. Results for DCMS sectors as a whole are published on gov.uk and further analysis of the responses will be available in the coming weeks. As the music industry is a vital part of the UK’s creative economy, the Government has put in place an unprecedented support package for business and workers to protect them against the current economic emergency including:
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
The Bounceback Loan Scheme
Expanding eligibility for the business rates reliefs
We continue to speak with HM Treasury colleagues to ensure that the full spectrum of government support reaches the UK's world-leading music industry. To support the safe re-opening of cultural and creative sectors, DCMS has launched the Cultural Renewal taskforce. This includes several working groups to develop practical guidance on how the music production and performance sectors can operate safely with social distancing measures in place. As well as establishing these working groups, we will continue to work with the music industry to understand the difficulties they face and help them access support through these challenging times and through recovery.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to (1) festivals, (2) recording studios, and (3) nightclubs, on whether they will be covered by the Government's proposed support to the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors during, and after, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced additional measures to support businesses and organisations that have been impacted by the pandemic. So long as they fulfil the criteria for these measures, businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors will benefit from these measures.
This includes the Government stepping in to help pay people’s wages – a scheme which is one of the most generous of any in the world – and paying grants to support as many jobs as necessary. Any employer in the country who promises to retain their staff can apply for a grant to cover most of the cost of paying people’s wages. Government grants will cover 80 per cent of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month, with this limit set well above the median income. The cost of wages will be backdated to 1st March and will be open for at least three months. The Government will consider extending the scheme for longer if necessary.
We are also deferring the next three months of VAT, a direct injection of £33 billion of cash to employers which means no business will pay any VAT in March, April or May; and they will have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills.
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will now be interest free for twelve months, an extension from the initial announcement of six months. We have already introduced and announced an extension to the Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which is for small and medium-sized businesses. On 17 March, the Chancellor expanded the amount that can be borrowed from £1.2 million to £5 million.
The Chancellor has also announced measures to protect the self-employed. As long as they fulfil the necessary criteria, freelancers and the self-employed in the sectors in question will benefit from these measures. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the self-employed working in the music sector in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Chancellor has announced measures to protect the self-employed. So long as they fulfil the criteria for these measures, freelancers and the self employed in the music industry benefit from these measures.
The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month.
HMRC will use the average profits from tax returns in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to calculate the size of the grant.
Individuals should not contact HMRC now. HMRC will use existing information to check potential eligibility and invite applications once the scheme is operational. HMRC will then pay the grant directly to eligible claimants’ bank account. HMRC is urgently working to deliver the scheme; grants are expected to start to be paid out by beginning of June 2020.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data sharing measures they have considered for UK and EU companies whose commercial model requires such sharing in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It is in everyone’s interests that the unrestricted exchange of personal data between EU Member States and the UK continues. The EU has an established mechanism to allow the free flow of personal data to countries outside the EU, called adequacy decisions. The EU has committed in the Political Declaration to the Commission beginning its adequacy assessment of the UK as soon as possible after the UK leaves the EU, endeavouring to adopt adequacy decisions by the end of December 2020 if the applicable conditions are met.
The UK has already taken steps to ensure that, if adequacy is not secured, there will be no additional restrictions on transfers of personal data from the UK to the EU.
In addition to adequacy decisions, there are a number of alternative mechanisms which allow the legal transfer of personal data from the EU to a third country. The most common alternative transfer mechanism for companies is standard contractual clauses (SCCs). SCCs are pre-approved by the European Commission and can be inserted into contracts to provide a legal basis for transferring personal data from the EU to a third country.
We are working with the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) to raise awareness and help businesses comply with the rules when we leave the EU. The ICO has produced guidance and resources for organisations, which can be found on the ICO's website at www.ico.org.uk.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what multilateral regimes they intend to (1) continue to participate in, or (2) join, to ensure a legal and smooth data transfer regime between UK and EU companies after Brexit.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Withdrawal Agreement the government and the EU have committed to use their best endeavours to negotiate a future relationship. The free flow of personal data is an important underpinning feature of this future relationship for both economic and security purposes and therefore it is in everyone’s interests that the exchange of personal data between EU Member States and the UK continues. The EU has an established mechanism to allow the free flow of personal data to countries outside the EU, called adequacy decisions.
The EU has committed in the Political Declaration to the Commission beginning its adequacy assessment of the UK as soon as possible after the UK’s withdrawal, endeavouring to adopt adequacy decisions by the end of December 2020 if the applicable conditions are met. The UK will in the same timeframe take steps to ensure the comparable facilitation of transfers of personal data to the EU. Data will be able to flow freely between the UK and the EU during the Implementation Period. The Political Declaration also states that the UK and the EU should make appropriate arrangements for cooperation between the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and EU Data Protection Authorities.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to achieve an EU–UK data protection agreement; and whether any such agreement will include continuing participation in the European Data Protection Board.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Withdrawal Agreement the government and the EU have committed to use their best endeavours to negotiate a future relationship. The free flow of personal data is an important underpinning feature of this future relationship for both economic and security purposes and therefore it is in everyone’s interests that the exchange of personal data between EU Member States and the UK continues. The EU has an established mechanism to allow the free flow of personal data to countries outside the EU, called adequacy decisions.
The EU has committed in the Political Declaration to the Commission beginning its adequacy assessment of the UK as soon as possible after the UK’s withdrawal, endeavouring to adopt adequacy decisions by the end of December 2020 if the applicable conditions are met. The UK will in the same timeframe take steps to ensure the comparable facilitation of transfers of personal data to the EU. Data will be able to flow freely between the UK and the EU during the Implementation Period. The Political Declaration also states that the UK and the EU should make appropriate arrangements for cooperation between the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and EU Data Protection Authorities.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to collaborate with the EU on matters with a transnational impact, in particular (1) data transfer, (2) cyber security, (3) fake news, and (4) online harms.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Government set out its plans for collaborating with the EU on issues relating to cyber security and data in the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the UK and EU. On cyber security, the UK is committed to cooperation with the EU to deepen our shared capabilities and uphold our shared values. The Declaration sets our agreement to continue to exchange information on a voluntary, timely and reciprocal basis to help protect the United Kingdom and the EU from common threats.
Regarding data transfers, the Declaration commits the European Commission to beginning its adequacy assessment of the UK as soon as possible after the UK’s withdrawal, endeavouring to adopt Adequacy Decisions by the end of December 2020 if the applicable conditions are met. The UK will in the same timeframe take steps to ensure the comparable facilitation of transfers of personal data to the EU. It also states that the UK and the EU should make appropriate arrangements for cooperation between the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and EU Data Protection Authorities. The UK remains committed to working with international partners to promote the free flow of data across borders where it is adequately protected.
The Government’s Online Harms White Paper set out comprehensive proposals on a range of topics, including countering ‘fake news’ or disinformation. These proposals will make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online, especially children and other vulnerable groups, and will help to build trust in digital markets. The Government will seek to work with international partners to build consensus, and identify common approaches to keep citizens safe online, including on countering disinformation.
Asked by: Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use of, (2) effectiveness of, and (3) compliance with the information required by, the register of information sharing activity established under the Digital Economy Act 2017.
Answered by Lord Ashton of Hyde
Information about 36 agreements have been recorded onto the register. The Review Boards for the Public Service Delivery and Debt and Fraud powers will assess the register as part of its review of the first year in operation of the powers. The reviews will be completed by the end of the summer. This will include its use, effectiveness and compliance.