Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to assist people managing small music venues to acquire the freehold ownership of those venues in order to create protected leaseholds.

The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the lifeblood and research and development centres of our world-leading music sector.

The Music Venues Trust created Music Venue Properties and launched the ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign in June 2022. The campaign is currently raising funds to take control of the freeholds of music venue premises and bring them under a protected status of benevolent ownership. The Government is supportive of this industry-led initiative and welcomes the sector seeking solutions to ensure the longevity of the UK’s beloved music venues. Minister Lopez is meeting Music Venues Trust shortly to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and how to support growth of the music sector and wider Creative Industries.