Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to freelance performers and musicians under the measures announced in the Winter Economy Plan.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has provided and will continue to provide support to the self-employed, including freelance performers and musicians who meet the eligibility criteria. The third grant, combined with up to £14,070 worth of support for each individual from the first and second grants, makes the SEISS one of the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world.

The third grant will be available to self-employed individuals who have been affected by reduced demand or have been unable to trade due to COVID-19, which they believe will lead to a significant reduction in their trading profits. This will ensure that support is targeted at those who most need it.

The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed. Other elements of the package include Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.

The Government has announced a £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund to protect the cultural sectors through the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to help to ensure a vibrant future for the cultural and creative sectors on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis. To date, £560m in grant funding has been allocated to nearly 3,000 cultural organisations in England. Organisations supported include galleries, theatres, museums, orchestras, music venues, comedy clubs and festivals. This funding will help to enable performances to restart, protect jobs and create opportunities for freelancers. Further allocations will be announced in the coming weeks.