Oral Answers to Questions

Pauline Latham Excerpts

Thursday 4th February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Marco Longhi (Dudley North) (Con)]

What progress his Department has made on delivering support for the culture and heritage sector through the culture recovery fund.

[Mrs Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) (Con)]

What progress his Department has made on delivering support for the culture and heritage sector through the culture recovery fund.

[Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Con)]

What progress his Department has made on delivering support for the culture and heritage sector through the culture recovery fund.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nigel Huddleston]

I thank my hon. Friend for his deep interest in the heritage and cultural sector, which we have talked about on many occasions. He is absolutely right that the culture recovery fund has been a lifeline for heritage and cultural organisations. These grants are intended to help organisations with essential costs associated with operating, reopening, mothballing and recovery. I can assure him that the culture recovery fund money is awarded by our arm’s length bodies according to a strict set of criteria, and the funding goes to organisations in need of serious financial support, not for ideological projects. In addition, any grant award above £1 million is reviewed by the independent Culture Recovery Board to add additional assurance that funding is going where it is most needed.

[Mrs Latham [V]]

Because of the nature of the industry, many performers organise their business in such a way that they sometimes fall through the cracks of Government support. What support is the Minister making available to performers who are not in an eligible organisation for the purposes of the culture recovery fund, such as ballet dancers, actors, musicians and many more?

[Nigel Huddleston]

May I first take the opportunity to wish my hon. Friend a very happy birthday?

The Government have supported self-employed persons in the performing arts sector through a number of pan-economic schemes, including the self-employment income support scheme. According to the latest statistics, over two thirds of self-employed people have been eligible for this scheme. Tens of thousands have been eligible within the culture sector, and they have claimed during its first, second and third phases. In addition, Arts Council England has given over £47 million in awards to individuals through non-CRF funds in this financial year alone, and that is on top of the 75,000 jobs being sustained through the CRF directly.