Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Thursday 4 June 2020 · 12 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 8 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Minister provided 750 million to support charities and announced a 200 million coronavirus community support fund.
  • Government announced members of the cultural renewal taskforce and provided guidance for specific groups under it.
  • Minister for Media and Data is working closely with local radio stations to address revenue declines and determine support measures.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East
Community Security Benefits & Welfare
Context

The question follows the government's advice impacting various sectors. Specific support has been provided for certain areas such as charities, newspapers, tech start-ups, and rugby league.

Question

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities covering specific support schemes announced in addition to those by the Chancellor. It includes support for volunteers during Volunteers' Week and recognition of their efforts throughout the crisis.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We have provided £750 million to support charities and announced the start of the coronavirus community support fund, providing £200 million for small and medium-sized charities.

Answered
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Q2 Saqib Bhatti Con Meriden and Solihull East
Context

It is national Volunteers' Week, highlighting volunteers' dedication in the third sector throughout the covid-19 crisis.

Question

The questioner commends volunteers and asks for an update on government support for the third sector. It includes a request to launch a recognition scheme celebrating heroic volunteers during the difficult period.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We have provided £750 million to support charities and announced the start of the coronavirus community support fund, providing £200 million for small and medium-sized charities.

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Q3 Jo Stevens Lab Cardiff East
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The cultural sector is suffering due to lockdown measures, with many workers excluded from the job retention scheme and self-employed schemes. The announcement of a commission for cultural recovery has been met with silence.

Question

The questioner raises concerns about lack of transparency regarding the cultural recovery commission's working groups, participants, and no information on discussions or timescales.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We have announced the members of the overall cultural renewal taskforce. Important guidance is provided by specific groups under it such as recreation and leisure, tourism, sport, library services.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Complete lack of transparency regarding working group participants, discussions, timescales

How: Run Through All Those Groups And Write To The Hon. Lady Subsequently

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Q4 Andy Carter
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Local advertising and media have been significantly affected by covid-19, with commercial radio broadcasters seeing revenues fall more than 90%.

Question

The questioner asks for an update on the Department's work to support local radio stations facing significant revenue declines due to lack of match-day revenue.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Media and Data has been working closely with local radio stations, looking at issues like the RAJAR rebate to determine how to support them during this period.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures such as RAJAR rebate

How: Looking At Issues, Supporting Through This Period

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Q5 Taiwo Owatemi Lab Coventry North West
Benefits & Welfare
Context

Coventry City Council, local community groups, and charities have worked hard to support people in the city during the crisis. Many charities are facing financial pressure due to reserves being depleted.

Question

The questioner asks for a commitment from the Secretary of State to provide funding for the charity sector throughout lockdown and beyond the crisis period.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

A £750 million package has been provided, and an additional £200 million is available through the national lottery to support small and medium-sized charities.

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Q6 Damian Collins Con
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Many professional football clubs in leagues one and two are facing considerable financial pressures due to loss of match-day revenue. Some face the risk of going into administration.

Question

The questioner asks about support available from the Government if clubs go into administration and whether there is a plan from either football or the Government to help them.

Answer from Oliver Dowden

We are meeting extensively with the EFL, Premier League and FA. Clubs should look after themselves first, but we will continue working on this.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific support plan for football clubs in financial distress

How: Sports Should Look After Themselves, Extensive Meetings With Efl, Premier League And Fa

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Q7 Alison Thewliss SNP
Economy Employment Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Constituents in Glasgow Central working in the film and TV sector on short-term PAYE contracts have lost their income due to the pandemic.

Question

A great number of constituents in Glasgow Central work in film and TV. They are freelancers on short-term PAYE contracts and have been left with absolutely nothing. I have had no reply from the Chancellor to my letter on that. Will the Secretary of State look into the matter and find the support for those people that will save the sector?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to highlight that sector. In my constituency, I have Elstree film studios and BBC Elstree where indeed I saw the hon. Lady for “Strictly Come Dancing” when it was filming. The most important thing is to get the sector going again. That is why I was delighted that at the beginning of this week, we published guidance to allow high-end film and TV to resume production. Of course, I continue to engage with the Chancellor and others about wider support.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific request for capital investment and further support

How: Engaging With The Chancellor, Guidance Published

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Q8 Alexander Stafford
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The constituency has a rich cultural background, including colliery and performing arts heritage.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that ahead of the post-covid-19 recovery, now is a prime opportunity to look at investing in arts and culture facilities for some of our left-behind communities, which have deep and rich cultural backgrounds, such as the colliery and performing arts heritage of Dinnington College and the town and surrounding mining communities?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the importance of supporting the whole of the United Kingdom. Culture is an important part of levelling up. I saw that at, for example, Walsall art gallery, which is a fantastic institution. Levelling up will be central to any proposal that we bring forward to support the sector.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific investment in facilities and heritage

How: Levelling Up, Supporting Whole Uk

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Q9 Christine Jardine Lib Dem Edinburgh West
Economy Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Cultural events such as the Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh Festival, and Edinburgh Zoo bring significant economic benefits but have been lost due to the pandemic.

Question

At this time of year, my constituency is normally preparing for the Royal Highland show, which brings £65 million to the economy. We then have the Edinburgh festival in August, and there is also Edinburgh zoo. We have already lost the six nations championship. Communities like mine depend on the cultural and sporting events throughout the year which we have lost. Many workers are on short-term contracts and self-employed. Will the Government look at a way of supporting those communities post-covid-19 and how to re-establish those fundamentally important cultural events?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

I have great affection for the Edinburgh Festival. I took a show up there myself in my younger years. We provide an awful lot of support, for example, to the self-employed. The No.1 thing that we can do, though, is to get these activities back up and running again, because every time I speak to artists and others the thing that they want to do is to start performing again. As they start performing, we will look at how we can support them transitioning through this period of social distancing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures for restarting events

How: Supporting Self-Employed, Getting Activities Back

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Q10 Jacob Young
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Lower-league clubs like Redcar Athletic have been financially impacted by the FA decision to nullify their season.

Question

I thank my right hon. Friend for his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Damian Collins). When the FA took the decision to null the season for lower-league clubs it financially impacted clubs such as Redcar Athletic in my constituency. What is the Department doing to support these clubs and ensure that grassroots football remains in our communities?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the fact that grassroots football is central to local identity, and I am determined that we work with the EFL to ensure that money flows to those clubs. It is also worth noting that Sport England has brought forward £195 million, which will be able to support those clubs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific departmental actions for support

How: Working With Efl, Sport England Funding

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Q11 Liz Twist Lab Blaydon and Consett
NHS
Context

Volunteers play a crucial role in organisations such as Age UK Gateshead, the Rowlands Gill Live At Home Scheme, and the Winlaton Centre.

Question

In Volunteers' Week, I wish to say a huge thank you to all the volunteers working in charities and organisations in my community, including Age UK Gateshead, the Rowlands Gill Live At Home Scheme and the Winlaton Centre. What will the Minister do to ensure that we can capture the learning and the enthusiasm from this sector in the future?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

I am delighted to join the hon. Lady in paying tribute to all those volunteers, and I think that the NHS volunteers responders has been a marvellous way of people volunteering and showing their support. Over time, we are getting more and more charities to sign up to that, so that people can volunteer. I hope that we can continue that spirit of volunteering, and I will be working closely with wider civil society to see how we can continue that post-covid.

Not addressed: Specific measures for capturing learning

How: Nhs Volunteers Responders, Working With Wider Civil Society

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Q12 Janet Daby Lab Lewisham East
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Local media outlets such as the South London Press are essential in providing up-to-date and accurate information but have faced unprecedented risks due to the pandemic.

Question

Local media outlets, such as the South London Press, are essential in providing up-to-date and accurate information to communities across the country. They struggle at the best of times, but this pandemic has posed unprecedented risks to their survival. What are the Government doing to ensure they are receiving the support that they so desperately need?

Answer from Oliver Dowden

Local newspapers are absolutely vital in bringing forward trusted information and our free press is a cornerstone of our liberties. That is why I have worked extensively with local newspapers—for example, to resolve issues around ad blocking, so they can get more ad revenue. The Cabinet Office has provided a lot of Government advertising, which has helped some of the shortfall in income for those charities, and we have looked at other issues such as business rate reliefs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific financial support measures

How: Ad Blocking, Government Advertising

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