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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with representatives from LGBT (a) entertainment venues and (b) trade bodies in relation to establishing safe working practices to ensure that those venues in (i) England and (ii) Blackpool can reopen safely as the covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.

We are committed to reopening creative businesses, including LGBT entertainment and music venues, in Blackpool and across the country in line with the latest Government regulations and advice.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has set out a five stage roadmap that the government will work through to get the performing arts and live entertainment sectors back up and running as soon as possible.

The ministerially-chaired Events and Entertainment Working Group was established to support the Secretary of State’s Cultural Renewal Taskforce. It focuses on developing covid-19 secure guidance to enable the safe reopening of the performing arts, music and entertainment sectors and is attended by a number of trade bodies including the Night Time Industries Association, the Music Venue Trust and the Live Comedy Association.