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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department will take to ensure that (a) music and (b) the evening economy are embedded in local industrial strategies.

The Government recognises the significant contribution generated by music and the evening economy to the UK. We have reformed entertainment licensing and planning policy guidance, making it easier for well-established music and cultural venues to operate. Government has confirmed that it will work with all Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to develop Local Industrial Strategies, which are locally-led and agreed with Government. The national Industrial Strategy provides a policy framework against which Local Industrial Strategies will be assessed. Government recognises the value that creative industries bring to local places, and engages with LEPs in promoting the growth of these sectors through Local Industrial Strategies - for example by developing a Connected Growth Toolkit to support LEPs in designing local strategies.