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

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to replenish the Art Council England funds that have been diverted to the emergency covid-19 response.

DCMS has worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England (ACE) in March. In providing immediate support for this vital sector, it was necessary for ACE to make decisions on how existing budgets could be reprioritised, in light of the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19.

DCMS will continue to support ACE in its hugely important role in supporting and developing England’s arts and culture, including in its upcoming role in the delivery of the £1.57 billion of new funding announced on 5 July, to provide support for key organisations across the cultural, heritage and creative sectors.