Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Fiscal Support for Events Industry: Covid-19

13 October 2020 · 2 other contributors · 3,035 words

Opened by Owen Thompson SNP Midlothian

Responding minister: John Glen

EconomyEmploymentBusiness & Trade

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Owen Thompson raised concerns about fiscal support for events industry: covid-19 in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The events industry has lost around 1 million jobs due to the pandemic.
  • Freelancers in the sector, estimated at 3 million people, are not adequately covered by government support schemes.
  • Industry representatives request a meeting with the Government to address specific challenges and seek full coverage under the culture recovery fund.

Key requests to Government

The Government should meet with industry representatives from the We Make Events campaign to address specific challenges faced by the events sector. The Minister is asked to extend the remit of the culture recovery fund to cover the live events supply chain fully, ensuring that all businesses and freelancers receive adequate support.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Owen Thompson SNP Midlothian

The events industry has been devastated by the pandemic, with around 1 million people employed in this sector. The cultural map of events has been wiped out since March 2020. Businesses like VisionEvents have lost income overnight and are facing mass redundancies despite innovative efforts to adapt virtually. Many freelancers, estimated at 3 million people, fall through the gaps in government support schemes and risk losing their homes or struggling in poverty.

Other contributors (2)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    In Strangford, culture and the arts are vital for job creation and economic progress. The council plays a key role in supporting events through partnerships with organisations like the National Trust.

  • Richard Thomson SNP Gordon

    Local government plays a critical role in supporting events, especially community events. The creative industry supports around £9 billion worth of activity in the Scottish economy and is essential for recovery and growth. Businesses are innovating to adapt but face significant challenges due to lack of support.

Government Response

John Glen

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Davies. I congratulate the hon. Member for Midlothian on securing this important debate and raise significant issues that he set out in his speech. The past months have been intensely difficult for businesses and workers in the events industry due to the challenges of rising covid-19 cases. Despite the success of pilot tests in early September, they were overtaken by circumstances. The Government support packages include deferral of VAT payments, a year-long rates holiday, guaranteed loan schemes, and the coronavirus job retention scheme, with 94% of events venues benefitting from it. The new job support scheme helps viable businesses facing lower demand due to covid-19. The Chancellor announced an extension to this scheme for those directly employed by business conference venues and exhibition centres that have been unable to open due to further measures to address rising cases. I recognise the frustration in the sector and commit to continuing to reappraise what has happened so far and ensure clarity as soon as possible.

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