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Written Question
Arts: Self-employed
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the trends in the level of freelance employment in creative industries in the next five years; whether her Department is taking steps to help support growth in freelance employment in the sector; and if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of introducing social security programmes to help support freelance employees in the sector.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.

A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.

Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.

Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.


Written Question
Arts: Self-employed
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support people in freelance creative professions.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government recognises the essential contribution freelancers make to the creative industries.

A key ambition of the Creative Industries Sector Vision, published in June 2023, is to improve the job quality and working practice of the sector, including the self-employed. As part of this ambition, Government and industry have agreed to work together to address the recommendations of the Good Work Review. An action plan is being developed and proposals include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen.

Arts Council England’s current Delivery Plan includes ‘increasing our support for individuals’ as one of its five themes and sets high expectations for all cultural organisations which work with creative and cultural professionals. Its online toolkits support practitioners and employers by setting out good-practice approaches, and signposting people to other supportive resources.

Universal Credit and Jobcentre Plus support is available to those who are looking for work, and those who are in work but with low earnings, and this includes the self-employed. This support is available to all, regardless of sector.


Written Question
Self-employed: Taxation
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending tax reporting periods for freelancers in the creative sectors.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The deadlines for individuals submitting self-assessment tax returns are prescribed in legislation. Individuals have specific reporting deadlines which are dependent on whether they submit their returns online or on paper.

Individuals who might not know their exact profit by the relevant filing date may provide estimated figures in their return. They have 12 months from the filing deadline date to finalise their figures and make the appropriate amendment to their return.

There is no provision within the legislation to make distinctions between individuals with different professions or vocations such as creative freelancers.

There is however provision for a special relief for self-employed creators of literary or artistic works to average their profits over 2 years where certain conditions are met. This helps them even out fluctuating profits, smoothing their tax bills


Written Question
Journalism: Self-employed
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made an assessment of the (a) long-term viability and (b) economic sustainability of freelance journalism.

Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Journalists, including freelancers, play an important role in holding power to account and keeping the public informed by providing reliable, high-quality information.

As the independent Cairncross Review into the future of journalism identified, society is increasingly moving online and news publishers are facing significant challenges in transitioning to sustainable digital business models, particularly at local level - and this presents challenges both for publishers and the freelancers that they contract.

The Government is taking action to support journalists. We set up the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists (NCSJ) in 2020, bringing together government, representatives bodies for journalists, police and prosecuting authorities as well as civil society groups to improve ways journalists, especially freelancers, can be supported and given the resources and training they need and set this our in the 2021 National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists.

We are also supporting the news publishers that employ or contract journalists. To date, this support has included the introduction of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill, which among many other things will help to rebalance the relationship between publishers and platforms; the delivery of a £2 million Future News Fund, designed to invest in new technological prototypes, start-ups and innovative business models to explore new ways of sustaining the industry in this changing landscape; the zero rating of VAT on e-newspapers; the extension of a 2017 business rates relief on local newspaper office space until 2025; We continue to consider all possible options in the interests of promoting and sustaining news journalism.


Written Question
Cancer: Research
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support research into glioblastoma and other less survivable cancers.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

  • I am very grateful to the Honourable Gentleman for bringing this challenge to my attention.

  • We are working closely with research partners, and I am pleased to say that more research is being funded as we continue to encourage more researchers to become involved in what remains a challenging scientific area, with a relatively small research community.

  • My office is in the process of arranging meetings with key stakeholders in this area. This includes leading charities and a separate meeting between leadership of the MHRA and honourable members who are similarly passionate to see advances in research.

  • This is an issue close to my heart, and I am confident that the Government's continued commitment to funding will help us make progress towards effective treatments.


Written Question
Mileage Allowances
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to (a) review the Approved Mileage Allowance Payment and (b) take fiscal steps to support employees and volunteers using their own vehicles in (i) rural and (ii) other areas.

Answered by Gareth Davies - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee’s expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle, including employees in rural areas. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses). The AMAP rates are not mandatory, and employers can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate. It is therefore ultimately up to employers to determine the rate at which they reimburse their employees. The AMAP rate also applies to volunteers, and organisations using volunteers also do not need to use the AMAP rate, and can choose to pay more or less than the AMAP rate.

In considering changes to the AMAP/simplified motoring expenses rates, the Government has to balance support for individuals with the responsible management of public finances, which fund our essential public services.

However, the Government recognises that transport is a major cost for individuals and families. At Spring Statement 2022 the Government announced a temporary 12-month cut to duty on petrol and diesel of 5p per litre. In order to continue supporting all motorists, it will extend the 5p fuel duty cut, which is worth £100 to the average driver over the next year.

Like all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps the AMAP rate underreview, and any changes will be announced at a future fiscal event.


Written Question
Union Connectivity Review
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department’s planned timescale is for publishing its response to the Union connectivity review: final report, published on 26 November 2021.

Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)

The UK Government is grateful to Lord Peter Hendy for his Union Connectivity Review. We are taking the time necessary to consider his recommendations, and have been working closely with the Scottish Government, Welsh Government, Northern Ireland Executive and key stakeholders, to identify the solutions that work best for the people of the UK. We will publish the Government’s response as soon as is practicable.


Written Question
Balochistan: Armed Conflict
Monday 20th March 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help support negotiations to end regional conflicts within the Balochistan region of Pakistan.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We regularly discuss the security situation and human rights in Pakistan at a senior level with the relevant Pakistani authorities. Resolving the ongoing security issues in Balochistan is a matter for the Pakistani Government.


Written Question
Balochistan: Humanitarian Aid
Monday 20th March 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide humanitarian aid and support to the Baloch people displaced by conflict in that region.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

Since 2014 the UK has provided support to the most vulnerable people in Pakistan affected by conflict, through the Multi-Year Humanitarian Programme. The £120 million programme covers both immediate relief and early recovery interventions for shelter, food and non-food items, water and sanitation, and livelihood and protection needs.


Written Question
Balochistan: Human Rights
Monday 20th March 2023

Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and North Perthshire)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the human rights situation in the Pakistani region of Balochistan, including potential occurrence of enforced disappearances, extrajudicial executions and honour killings.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK regularly engages the Government of Pakistan at a senior level on the need to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. On 30 January, Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the human rights situation with Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada. In June 2022, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan discussed the issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan with Minister Pirzada. We continue to encourage progress towards the criminalisation of enforced disappearances in Pakistan. We urge states to fully investigate any allegations, prosecute those responsible and provide justice to victims and their families.