PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Events Industry: Coronavirus (10 December 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the economic effect on (a) festivals, (b) music venues and (c) the live events sector of his Department (i) announcing an indicative date and (ii) delaying an announcement of an indicative date in 2021 for Stage 5 re-opening during the covid-19 outbreak.

Asked by:
Taiwo Owatemi (Labour)

The Government acknowledges the importance of the live events sector to the UK economy and that it has been significantly affected by the impacts of Covid-19.

We recognise the importance of giving the live events sector clarity for when Stage 5 activity can resume and acknowledge the lead in time required for productions to go ahead. However we have always been clear that the activity permitted would be in line with the latest public health context. No assessment is currently available regarding the potential effects of announcing an indicative date for stage 5 reopening.

We are committed to continue working with the live events sector to understand the challenges they face and to work towards reopening events with fuller audiences.

Answered by:
Dame Caroline Dinenage (Conservative)
16 December 2020