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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the economic contribution to the UK economy of (a) West End theatres, (b) the UK theatre industry and (c) the Programme Making and Special Events sector in each year since 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Independent sector bodies have carried out assessments of the economic contribution of the arts to the UK economy. A report by the Society of London Theatre in 2013 showed that London Theatres grossed £0.53bn in sales generating VAT receipts of £88m.

DCMS’s Creative Industries Economic Estimates, based on data from the Office of National Statistics available on a consistent basis since 2008, show the following contribution to the UK economy from Music & Visual and Performing Arts (including theatre) in Gross Value Added (GVA) terms: