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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a freelance performers support scheme to support (a) the arts and (b) community attendance of covid-secure live cultural events.

The Government recognises the significant challenge the current pandemic poses to our world-beating cultural and creative industries and to the many individuals and freelancers working across the sector. We are working very hard to help freelancers in those sectors access support.

According to the latest statistics (published on the 25th November), over two thirds of all those who are self-employed in the country have been eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. Those statistics showed that 76,000 self employed people in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector got SEISS support in phase 1 earlier this year, and 72,000 in phase 2.

Of the £119m available through Arts Council England as part of their Covid emergency support, over £26m has been distributed to individuals, including freelance workers, and organisations via the Emergency Relief Fund and Project Grants Funding (as of 5 November 2020).

Within the £26m, £17m has been distributed to individuals via ACE’s Emergency Response Fund (now closed) and c.£9m has so far been distributed to both organisations and individuals via Project Grants (out of a total of c.£80m available until April 2021).

In addition to the two Funds above, the £119m also includes the following:

• £6 million distributed by a series of Benevolent Funds focused on self employed individuals; and

• £18 million available through their Developing Your Creative Practice Fund

The £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund (CRF) is also benefiting freelancers. Around 40% of CRF awards have gone to non-building based companies (and building based companies are also likely to employ significant numbers of contracted employees), and it is estimated that around 12.5% of business costs by CRF recipients will go to freelancers, artists and casual events staff.

Under the new Tiers which came into force in England on 2 December live audiences are permitted in indoor covid secure venues in Tiers 1 and 2 in line with the capacity caps now in place and provided social distancing is maintained in line with the Performing Arts Guidance.