Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the tourism industry in England on establishing a Government backed online booking platform for small hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In June 2019, the British Tourist Authority launched the Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB) platform. TXGB was a key commitment of the Tourism Sector Deal, and makes it easier for accommodation businesses, including small hotels and bed and breakfasts, to be featured by in-market distributors, alongside attractions and experiences. This helps to promote English destinations and businesses abroad. Almost a hundred businesses are now signed up as distributors on the platform.
Tourism businesses like small hotels and bed and breakfasts that sign up as suppliers can choose the distributors through which they sell their product. The platform ensures that domestic and international consumers have access to the best of the country's tourism offer when booking holidays.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of establishing an online booking platform for small hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In June 2019, the British Tourist Authority launched the Tourism Exchange Great Britain (TXGB) platform. TXGB was a key commitment of the Tourism Sector Deal, and makes it easier for accommodation businesses, including small hotels and bed and breakfasts, to be featured by in-market distributors, alongside attractions and experiences. This helps to promote English destinations and businesses abroad. Almost a hundred businesses are now signed up as distributors on the platform.
Tourism businesses like small hotels and bed and breakfasts that sign up as suppliers can choose the distributors through which they sell their product. The platform ensures that domestic and international consumers have access to the best of the country's tourism offer when booking holidays.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from the children's indoor play sector on the steps that can be taken to enable indoor play centres in (a) Blackpool and (b) the UK to open up safely as soon as possible.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport have been in regular contact with the British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA) over recent weeks. We have worked with BALPPA, the trade body that represents the industry (including those from Blackpool such as the Blackpool Pleasure Beach, UK Hospitality and other representatives of the indoor play sector) to develop guidance for indoor play and indoor soft play operators to make their venues COVID-secure. On 13 August, the Government announced that indoor play and indoor soft play venues can open from 15 August.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from dance industry organisations to enable (a) competitive dancing and (b) commercial dance lessons to restart in (i) Blackpool and (ii) the rest of the UK.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector to reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, and ensure appropriate support and guidance is provided.
To that end, DCMS has established the Cultural Renewal Taskforce and the Entertainment and Events working group which will be focusing on ensuring that COVID-19 secure guidelines are developed in line with the phasing ambitions and public health directions, building on the existing guidance and providing intelligence and sector-specific expert input.
These groups specifically include representatives for the dance sector, such as One Dance UK. Full details of the Taskforce can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/culture-secretary-announces-cultural-renewal-taskforce, and the Entertainment and Events Working Group can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/cultural-renewal-taskforce-and-supporting-working-groups#entertainment-and-events-members.
Furthermore, on 2 July, the Secretary of State met with Shirley Ballas to discuss the specific challenges faced by those within the ballroom dance sector with respect to safe reopening.
As the Prime Minister confirmed in his announcement on 23 June, providers who run community activities, holiday clubs, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school provision for children – such as commercial dance lessons for children – can operate over the summer holiday, with safety measures in place. Providers of these settings have been able to open since 4 July, provided that they follow the protective measures set out by government.
Protective measures guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protective-measures-for-holiday-or-after-school-clubs-and-other-out-of-school-settings-for-children-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
Providers who offer indoor sports activities (including dance lessons) for children should also refer to the guidance for Keeping workers / volunteers and customers safe during COVID-19 for providers of grassroots sports and gym / leisure facilities. As announced on the 9 July, indoor gyms, sports courts and fitness and dance studios will be able to open from 25 July and cannot be used for holiday clubs and activities for children until that point.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) the casino industry and (b) trade organisations on establishing safe working practices to enable casinos in Blackpool to reopen.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
DCMS officials are in regular contact with Public Health England and the casino sector to discuss the protections that are needed to allow casinos to reopen safely. This includes arranging a visit for senior public health representatives to assess the measures which are in place. I have spoken with representatives of the sector about the impacts of closure, and the government is working to ensure casinos can open as soon as the medical and scientific advice is that it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from LGBT (a) entertainment venues and (b) trade bodies in relation to establishing safe working practices to ensure that those venues in (i) England and (ii) Blackpool can reopen safely as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including LGBT entertainment and music venues, in Blackpool and across the country in line with the latest Government regulations and advice.
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running as soon as possible.
The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce. It focuses on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the performing arts, music and entertainment sectors and is attended by a number of trade bodies including the Night Time Industries Association, the Music Venue Trust and the Live Comedy Association.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what engagement he is having with the entertainment and music industry and their relevant trade bodies with respect to establishing safe working practices so that entertainment venues in Blackpool can safely reopen as soon as possible. what discussions he has had with representatives from the (a) entertainment and live music sector and (b) associsated trade bodies in relation to establishing safe working practices to ensure that those venues in (i) England and (ii) Blackpool can reopen safely as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including live entertainment and music venues, in Blackpool and across the UK in line with the latest Government regulations and advice.
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recently set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running as soon as possible.
The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce. It focuses on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the performing arts, music and entertainment sectors. Members of the Working Group include the Association of Circus Proprietors, the Music Venue Trust and the Theatres Trust.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with English Football League football clubs on a level of reimbursement for (a) season ticket holders and (b) people who have already purchased tickets in the eventuality that the remainder of the games left in the current season cannot admit fans or do not take place at all.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have been liaising closely with the sport sector, including the Premier League and English Football League, to discuss a wide range of matters during these difficult times.
This includes whether it would be possible for events to go ahead and in what capacity, whilst making it clear that the Government will not consent to events taking place unless we can be sure it is safe to do so. The Premier League and English Football League will be considering the player, staff, and of course ticket holders in their assessments.
The Government will continue to liaise closely with all the football authorities as the situation develops.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with Premier League football clubs on devising a level of reimbursement for season ticket holders, and for people who have already purchased tickets, in the event that the remainder of the games left in the current season take place behind closed doors or do not take place at all.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
We have been liaising closely with the sport sector, including the Premier League and English Football League, to discuss a wide range of matters during these difficult times.
This includes whether it would be possible for events to go ahead and in what capacity, whilst making it clear that the Government will not consent to events taking place unless we can be sure it is safe to do so. The Premier League and English Football League will be considering the player, staff, and of course ticket holders in their assessments.
The Government will continue to liaise closely with all the football authorities as the situation develops.
Asked by: Scott Benton (Independent - Blackpool South)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with tourism businesses on developing guidance on (a) social distancing and (b) improved hygiene measures to help facilitate the re-opening of those business as quickly as possible following the covid-19 lockdown.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I have held multiple recent discussions with tourism businesses on this issue. These include meetings last week with the Tourism Industry Council and with senior leaders from across the business events industry. My Department is also collating evidence from tourism businesses across the country on the potential impact of any changes to the current measures.
We will take into account information and feedback from the sector as we review our approach and will continue to be guided by the latest medical advice. As soon as it is safe to do so, we will encourage people to book holidays and support the recovery of the tourism sector.